Time for a new thread, inspired by the “Recommended Reading” thread…
We must have all read books (fiction and non fiction) that have inspired us with regard to flying, so here are some of mine..
Behind the Cockpit Door – Arthur Whitlock. Great autobiography about the golden age of commercial flying from the fifties onwards
Piece of cake, War Story etc – Derek Robinson. No more need to be said about these, brilliant novels.
Spitfire – Jeffrey Quill. Re-reading this at the moment, autobiography of one of the main Supermarine test pilots.
Spitfire on my Tail – Ulrich Steinhilper. Another autobiography, this time from a Luftwaffe Bf109 pilot shot down in later stages of the Battle of Britain.
Loads more but there’s a start – what have the rest of you read and can recommend?
John C
By: John Boyle - 23rd July 2004 at 20:37
One more by Richard Bach…and I think it’s his best…
“Nothing by Chance”…. a great summer tale of Barnstorming through Middle America…circa 1969.
Also…the best WWII avaition memior I’ve read…
“Seranade to the Big Bird” by Bert Stiles….a young man quits college and becomes a B-17 co-pilot….his thoughs about war and like..and gives a good vision of life in the 8th AF.
PS. Later after finishing his tour, he switches to P-51s and is killed over France.
By: Deano - 13th July 2004 at 06:57
I think the only book Ive ever read about flying (study books aside) is “Flying the big jets” by Stanley Stewart, just nice to get an insiders view etc 🙂
D.
By: Arabella-Cox - 12th July 2004 at 22:05
Don’t get me started on Nichol… most arrogant bloke I’ve ever met, and extremely self important. Wouldn’t surprise me if he’s Ruprecht in disguise…
Anyway, back ON topic…
I have a few which I found inspirational in my formative years:
F4 Phantom, a pilot’s story – by Robert Prest
Enemy Coast Ahead – by Guy Gibson VC
Fly For Your Life – the story of Bob Stanford Tuck, by Larry Forrester
Reach For The Sky – the story of Douglas Bader, by Paul Brickhill
By: adwwebber - 12th July 2004 at 19:55
in my little rant about him i forgot to add these,
“One armed Mac” by Brian Cull and Roland Symons
Gunning For the Enemy by Mel Rolfe
By: adwwebber - 12th July 2004 at 19:52
Piece of cake, how could you put Team Tornado on that list ?
Please no one else mention books by John Nichol.
By: John C - 12th July 2004 at 18:49
Blimey, totally forgot about “Winged Victory” by V.M. Yeates…
John C
an ever growing list of books
By: Piece of Cake - 12th July 2004 at 17:15
Some of these are worth a read;
Fly for your Life – Biography of Stanford-Tuck by Larry Forrester
The First and the Last – Adolf Glalland
My Part of the Sky -Roland Beamont
Lindbergh – (biography) A Scott Bergh
Anything by Derek Robinson, (Hornet’s Sting, Damned Good Show, A Good Clean Fight…)
Guy Gibson – Richard Morris
Fighter Boys – Patrick Bishop
Goodbye Mickey Mouse – Len Deighton
One Spring in Picardy(WWI) – William Stanley
Sagittarius Rising (WWI)- Cecil Lewis
Final Call – The High Life by a Low Life – Colin Hilton
Pablo’s Travels/Pablo’s War – Sqn Ldr Pablo Mason
Team Tornado – John Peters and John Nichol
By: Auster Fan - 12th July 2004 at 16:39
I like CC books (great for poolside/long journeys), but I was looking for “inspirational” flying books. You know, the ones that make you feel like you’re up there and fill you with the urge to fly or at least learn to fly, and be part of the brotherhood of the air (bleargh, I can’t believe I wrote that!).
John C
just an old romantic at heart….
Night Fighter by Jimmy Rawnsley and Robert Wright is my all time favourite. Read it loads of times and never tire of reading it. Fighter Pilot, by Paul Richey is another that I remember reading when I was a lot younger… So many to choose from!
By: John C - 12th July 2004 at 15:30
I like CC books (great for poolside/long journeys), but I was looking for “inspirational” flying books. You know, the ones that make you feel like you’re up there and fill you with the urge to fly or at least learn to fly, and be part of the brotherhood of the air (bleargh, I can’t believe I wrote that!).
John C
just an old romantic at heart….
By: JDK - 12th July 2004 at 15:20
finally for now what about Clive Cussler
Indeed. What about Clive. A writer in the ‘rattling good yarn with Burgers’ school. Good yarns.
Sadly he tried his hand at non-fiction with IIRC ‘Wreck Hunters II’ which I bought at an airport to while away the time. I threw it away (rare, for me) Claimed to be able to report what the crew of the Marie Celeste said, what happened and the same for ‘L’Ouiseau Blanc’. Failed to point outthat is was speculation anywhere in a book sold as non fiction. bad, bad, bad…
By: adwwebber - 12th July 2004 at 14:50
Chicken hawk is an excellent read, though won’t tempt me, all of those bits of metal whizzing around !
Dale Brown does kill some of them off in Old Dog but if you keep reading his novels some off them ain’t dead yet !!
Stephen Coonts is an excellent author just not at the top of my list.
finally for now what about Clive Cussler ? Where else can you read about Dirk Pitt and his trusty sidekick performing dogfights against a WW1 Albotross in a Catalina ?
All his books tend to be nautically biased save the world from tyronney but always include aircraft and are good reads.
By: John C - 12th July 2004 at 11:43
anything by Dale Brown especially Storming Heaven (has about twenty titles)
Flight of the Old Dog is a good read.
Might one introduce Flight of the Intruder by Stephen Coonts?
anything by Richard Herman personnal favourite is his first Warbirds
Quite good – got a little irritated by his habit of killing off lead characters 🙂
My final offering for now – Chickenhawk (Robert Mason). Almost enough to tempt one into an egg beater.
John C
has read too many books by the look of it.
By: adwwebber - 12th July 2004 at 11:16
fiction i know but still outsanding reads,
anything by Dale Brown especially Storming Heaven (has about twenty titles)
anything by Richard Herman personnal favourite is his first Warbirds
Anyone with even the slighest interest in aviation will lap these up trust me !!
That reminds me better get all mine back off friends………… er excuse me can i have it back now please ?
By: John C - 12th July 2004 at 11:01
I forgot to put The Shephard in – it was one of the books that sprang to mind when I thought of this thread while supping ale on Saturday night!
There’s 2 books by Laddie Lucas (Wings of War and another about luck while combat flying) that are worth a look.
Have read Sigh for a Merlin and can recommend it and there’s a novel by Arthur C Clarke about the development of GCA radar which is very good. Tumult in the Clouds by James Goodson is very good and also The Fall of Fortresses is a stunning piece of writing.
John C
off to the library
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 12th July 2004 at 09:52
Fighter Pilot’s Heaven, by Donald Lopez.
Spitfire by Jefrey Quill (I know John mentioned it but read it twice)
Flight of the Mew Gull and Sigh for a Merlin by Alex Henshaw.
Classic aircraft of World War One and Hurricane- inside and out by, er, some bloke, er, I can’t remember. Get those from the library though as I don’t get royalties . . . .
Melv
By: Moggy C - 12th July 2004 at 09:49
Gift of Wings & Stranger to the Ground. Both Richard Bach
Bomber. Len Deighton
Propellorhead. ????
The Shepherd. Frederick Forsyth.
Moggy
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July 12, 2004 at 9:30 am