Since my earlier posting, I've managed to get through both "Low Level Hell" and "Snake Pilot".
Zahn's tome gets my vote as the better read. In the latter part of his tour, he fell foul of the establishment, in the form of over-ambitious but under-skilled officers. It never ceases to amaze me how such people, with little or no grasp of the practical realities of the challenges facing those in their charge, seem to able to gravitate towards the higher levels in any organisation.
I suppose the Billy Connoly wisdom applies. "The management of (pick your organisation) is a bit like the contents of a septic tank - the bigger pieces always seem to be at the top!"
Or the old military saying - "There are no bad outfits, just bad officers!"
Overall, however, I still prefer "Chickenhawk", which I've started to read again!
Ciao a tutti!