Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Firefox | 1977 | Craig Thomas | Buy |
| 2 | Firefox Down! | 1983 | Craig Thomas | Buy |
| 3 | Winter Hawk | 1987 | Craig Thomas | Buy |
| 4 | A Different War | 1997 | Craig Thomas | Buy |
The Mitchell Gant series is Craig Thomas’s best-known work, starting with Firefox in 1977. The novel follows retired US Air Force Major Mitchell Gant, a Vietnam veteran and former prisoner of war, on a mission to steal a cutting-edge Soviet fighter jet capable of Mach 6 hypersonic flight. The aircraft is invisible to radar and carries weapons controlled by the pilot’s thoughts, making it a serious threat to Western military balance.
Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the 1982 film adaptation, bringing Gant to the screen. Thomas followed up with Firefox Down! (1983), which picks up immediately after the events of the first book. Winter Hawk (1987) and A Different War (1997) continued the series, with Thomas exploring how the character and the geopolitical landscape changed over two decades. Thomas dedicated Firefox Down! to Eastwood, and the series remains one of the defining works of Cold War techno-thriller fiction.