▁is ▁a ▁nov ella ▁by ▁American ▁author ▁James ▁A . ▁Mich ener . ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁details ▁the ▁experiences ▁of ▁United ▁States ▁Navy ▁pil ots ▁in ▁the ▁Korean ▁War ▁as ▁they ▁undert ake ▁a ▁mission ▁to ▁destroy ▁heavily ▁protected ▁brid ges ▁in ▁enemy ▁territory . ▁ ▁In flu ences ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁Mich ener , ▁a ▁former ▁United ▁States ▁Navy ▁officer , ▁was ▁an ▁embedded ▁rep orter ▁with ▁the ▁Navy ' s ▁Task ▁Force ▁ 7 7 . ▁He ▁was ▁on ▁the ▁aircraft ▁carri ers ▁ ▁and ▁ ▁off sh ore ▁in ▁Korea , ▁and ▁wrote ▁for ▁The ▁Saturday ▁Even ing ▁Post ▁and ▁Re ader ' s ▁Dig est ▁on ▁the ▁Korean ▁air ▁war . ▁The ▁rescue ▁clim ax ▁of ▁the ▁story ▁echo es ▁the ▁explo its ▁of ▁L t . ▁John ▁Kel vin ▁Ko el sch ▁who ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁hel ic opter ▁pilot ▁awarded ▁the ▁Medal ▁of ▁Honor ▁and ▁Du ane ▁Thor in , ▁a ▁hel ic opter ▁pilot ▁on ▁the ▁. ▁ ▁Film ▁adaptation ▁ ▁The ▁Br id ges ▁at ▁Tok o - R i ▁was ▁made ▁into ▁a ▁film ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁name ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁by ▁Param ount ▁Pictures , ▁just ▁one ▁year ▁after ▁the ▁book ' s ▁publication . ▁ ▁St arring ▁Grace ▁Kelly ▁and ▁William ▁Hold en , ▁it ▁was ▁directed ▁by ▁Mark ▁Rob son , ▁who ▁had ▁also ▁brought ▁Return ▁to ▁Parad ise , ▁another ▁Mich ener ▁book , ▁to ▁screen ▁one ▁year ▁earlier . ▁Commander ▁Marshall ▁Be