David Lee Corley Books in Order

How to Read The Airmen Series

David Lee Corley's signature work is The Airmen, a massive historical fiction saga tracing the roots, execution, and aftermath of the Vietnam War. Because the series spans multiple decades—beginning with the end of World War II and extending to the fall of Saigon and its aftermath—readers face a choice between the order in which the books were published and the internal chronological timeline of the narrative.

For the best reading experience, we highly recommend following the Official Series / Chronological Order. While We Stand Alone was the first book written and published in 2018, it takes place in 1954 during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. The official Book 1, A War Too Far (published in 2019), actually starts earlier, during World War II, showing the OSS "Deer Team" cooperating with Ho Chi Minh against Japanese forces. Reading in the official numbered order allows you to watch the political and military tensions build chronologically.

The Airmen Books in Official Series Order

To experience the Vietnam War saga as a continuous historical thriller, follow this recommended sequence:

1. A War Too Far (2019) — Sets the stage in 1945 with the OSS Deer Team.
2. The War Before The War (2020) — Follows a young John F. Kennedy on a fact-finding mission.
3. We Stand Alone (2018) — Focuses on the climactic 1954 French defeat at Dien Bien Phu.
4. Café Wars (2018) — Explores early espionage and the struggle for Saigon's streets.
5. Sèvres Protocol (2019) — Ties the escalating Asian conflict to Middle Eastern diplomacy.
6. Operation Musketeer (2019) — Dives into the geopolitical fallout of the Suez Crisis.
7. Battle of the Casbah (2019) — Follows characters into the parallel conflict of the Algerian War.
8. Momentum of War (2020) — Tracks the rising military build-up in Southeast Asia.
9. The Willful Slaughter of Hope (2021) — Explores the dark turn of political espionage.
10. Kennedy's War (2021) — Focuses on JFK's presidency and the looming shadow of full-scale war.
11. The Uncivil War (2022) — Captures the fracturing alliances and secret missions.
12. Cry Havoc (2022) — Delves into tactical air operations and rescue missions.
13. When War Dawns (2022) — Explores the official entry of major combat units.
14. A Savage Joy (2022) — Gritty frontline combat and high-stakes dogfights.
15. Beyond Courage (2023) — Highlights behind-the-lines operations and pilot survival stories.
16. Flames of War (2023) — Examines the intensifying bombing campaigns.
17. Crucible of War (2023) — Follows soldiers testing their limits in major offensives.
18. Chaos of War (2023) — Investigates the political unrest and military chaos of the late 1960s.
19. Spectre of War (2024) — Explores the grinding war of attrition and clandestine cross-border raids.
20. Twilight of War (2024) — Focuses on the beginning of American withdrawal and Vietnamization.
21. The Beast Cometh (2024) — Depicts the Easter Offensive and massive armor battles.
22. Echoes of Angkor (2024) — Shifts focus to the widening conflict in neighboring Cambodia.
23. The Forgotten War (2024) — Explores the overlooked air battles and operations in Laos.
24. Retribution (2025) — Deals with the final military operations and the cost of the conflict.

Exploring The Nomad Series

Before launching his massive historical war epic, David Lee Corley crafted a fast-paced contemporary thriller trilogy known as The Nomad Series. This series follows Billy Gamble, a drifter who is framed for his girlfriend's murder by a brilliant serial killer who calls himself "The Nomad." To clear his name, Gamble must stay ahead of the law while hunting the real killer across the globe.

Unlike the Airmen series, the Nomad books should be read strictly in publication order, as they follow a direct, continuous storyline:

1. Monsoon Rising (2017)
2. Prophecies of Chaos (2018)
3. Stealing Thunder (2018)

The Culper Ring Series

In 2024, Corley launched a new historical espionage venture called The Culper Ring. This thriller series combines modern intelligence tradecraft with deep historical conspiracies, tracking the descendants of the famous Revolutionary War spy ring.

• A Life Stolen (2024) — The debut thriller in this modern-day intelligence series.

What to Know Before You Start

Corley's background as a Hollywood screenwriter heavily influences his writing style. His prose is lean, action-oriented, and highly cinematic. Readers who appreciate authors like W.E.B. Griffin or Tom Clancy will find themselves at home in his pages. However, because his Airmen series relies heavily on real-world military history, certain volumes shift focus to distinct historical theaters—such as Algeria or Egypt—to show how global events shaped the larger Cold War struggle. If you prefer to focus solely on the jungle warfare of Vietnam, be prepared for these wider geopolitical detours.