The Recommended Reading Order
For the best experience, the Wingman series should be read in publication order. The storyline follows a linear narrative trajectory, tracing Hawk Hunter's campaigns from a lone mercenary pilot in a fractured, post-nuclear United States to a leader directing fleet-scale battles aboard the massive aircraft carrier USS USA.
While the local database records list 19 books, research confirms the series actually contains 22 main-sequence novels, with the addition of recent entries that carry the story forward to 2023.
The Wingman Main Series in Publication Order
- Wingman (1987) – Hawk Hunter emerges from exile to defend Football City (St. Louis) from a criminal aviation armada.
- The Circle War (1987) – Hunter battles Soviet forces and uncovers a massive conspiracy.
- The Lucifer Crusade (1987) – The conflict shifts to the Middle East against a dangerous terrorist coalition.
- Thunder in the East (1988) – Hunter takes on a neo-Nazi faction in Europe.
- The Twisted Cross (1989) – The fight against the fascist forces intensifies across a shattered global landscape.
- The Final Storm (1989) – A dramatic climax to the early conflicts of the series.
- Freedom Express (1990) – The struggle to establish transport routes and communication across a fractured America.
- Skyfire (1990) – Supersonic dogfights light up the post-apocalyptic sky.
- Return from the Inferno (1991) – Hunter faces extreme environmental hazards and new warlords.
- War of the Sun (1992) – High-altitude tactical combat in a world trying to rebuild.
- The Ghost War (1993) – Dealing with stealth threats and invisible enemies.
- Target: Point Zero (1996) – Hunter must prevent a global catastrophe from a hidden base.
- Death Orbit (1997) – The battle reaches the edge of space and orbit.
- The Sky Ghost (1997) – Hawk Hunter confronts a mysterious high-tech phantom pilot.
- Return of Sky Ghost (1998) – The phantom threat returns to challenge the skies.
- The Tomorrow War (1999) – The initial conclusion of the original Zebra Books publication run.
- Attack on Area 51 (2013) – Hunter returns after a long hiatus to investigate America's most famous conspiracy site.
- Battle for America (2017) – Warlords and foreign coalitions threaten the sovereign states of America.
- The Odessa Raid (2019) – A tactical strike mission deep in hostile territory.
- Battle of the Wingmen (2020) – The crew of the USS USA patrol the Pacific and encounter a forgotten empire.
- The Jericho Storm (2021) – The chase for the supervillain Viktor Robotov begins.
- War of Dragons (2023) – Hawk Hunter must hunt down nuclear traps left behind by Robotov in the Mediterranean.
The Starhawk Spin-Off Series
For readers who cannot get enough of Hawk Hunter, Mack Maloney wrote a direct sci-fi spin-off series called Starhawk. In this space-opera saga, Hawk Hunter is mysteriously transported thousands of years into the future (7200 A.D.) to fight in intergalactic wars. This five-book series should be read after completing the core Wingman books.
- Starhawk (2001)
- Planet America (2001)
- The Fourth Empire (2002)
- Battle at Zero Point (2003)
- Storm Over Saturn (2004)
What to Know Before You Start
Wingman is a product of the late 1980s military-thriller craze. Written by Brian Kelleher under the pen name Mack Maloney, the series combines technical details of fighter jets with over-the-top post-apocalyptic pulp fiction. If you enjoy the aerial action of Top Gun mixed with the wasteland lawlessness of Mad Max, this series is a perfect fit. Keep in mind that the earlier books feature dated gender portrayals and technical inaccuracies, but their fast pacing and high entertainment value make them highly readable cult classics.