Based on audiotapes he recorded during the war and sent home to his family, Randy Zahn's Snake Pilot recounts his experiences flying AH-1 Cobra helicopters during the Vietnam War. Unlike the pilots who flew the fast-moving strike jets, Zahn experienced the war "up close and personal, " witnessing the grisly effects of the Cobra's firepower on enemy soldiers. He does not glorify killing but rather explains in sharp relief the kaleidoscope of emotions associated with combat and displays a sensitivity rarely found in memoirs written by battle-hardened warriors.