I don’t know whether this subject has been raised before, but what is/are your favourite aviation-related book(s)? My personal favourite and one that I read for the first time many years ago is “Night Fighter” by C.F. “Jimmy” Rawnsley and Robert Wright, basically describing the wartime career of John Cunningham. I have read it many times since and never tire of reading it. “Fighter Pilot” by Paul Richey and “Carrier Pilot” by Norman Hanson (FAA Corsair pilot in the Far East) were other favourites, although I haven’t re-read them recently. On a more technical note, Ian Allan published a book called “Test Pilot at War” by H. A. Taylor which is great for those who like to look at cockpit photographs of some of the rarer WWII aircraft like the Balckburn Botha!
By: asp - 2nd March 2004 at 23:13
Wow! I have a collection of books over 20 years and I see some that I missed here. Goodbye paycheck!
My favorites by category
WWI air combat
Fighting the Flying Circus by Rickenbacker
Between the wars
1. Flying Summer by Frank Tredrey. RAF QFI training in the 1930s
2. Never Stop the Engine While its hot. David Lee – the RAF in India during the height of the raj
WWII air combat (fighter)
The Big Circus by Pierre Clostermann
WWII air combat (bomber)
Dambusters by Paul Brickhill
Fast Jets
Last of the Lightnings by Ian Taylor. Photos and experiences galore – it feels like you are in the cockpit.
Jet air combat
1.Check Six by Boots Blesse. Korean war action
2.Scream of Eagles by Robert Wilcox. Top Gun – how the school was established.
Record breaking
Against the Sun by Peter Twiss. Breaking Mach 2 with the Fairey Delta.
Flying in general
1.Think like a bird by Alex Kimbell. Gave me a new respect for people flying light aircraft (he was an Royal Army Chipmunk/Auster/Beaver pilot)
2. No Visible Horizon by Joshua Cooper Ramos. What it takes to be top 10 in the US national aerobatic championship.
By: Fluffy - 2nd March 2004 at 21:46
A few of my favorites are:-
Lonely Warrior Jean Offenberg who was buried just up the road at Scopwick
Blond knight of Germany Erich Hartmann signed copy
I flew for the Fuhrer by Heinz Knoke
Boldness be my friend by Richard Pape
All superb
By: station357 - 2nd March 2004 at 19:56
My favourite factual book has got to be “The Mighty Eighth” by Roger A. Freeman. Concise history and a great read.
Regards,
Paul
By: ian_st - 2nd March 2004 at 19:05
On the factual side, I’d add any of Martin Middlebrook’s books, particularly “The Nuremberg Raid”. If you are interested in the bomber war, absolutely superb
By: ajdawson - 2nd March 2004 at 11:43
Too many good books to have one definate favourtie – here are a few of them:
Ace of aces by E.C.R.Baker
Pursuit through darkened skies by Michael Allen
Mission Completed by Sir Basil Embry
John “Cats Eyes” Cunningham by John Golley
Night fighter by Rawnsley and Wright
Andy
By: VoyTech - 2nd March 2004 at 11:00
With all those wartime memoirs and novels around, I am a little shy to say that my all time favourite is Ernest K. Gann’s “Fate Is The Hunter”. Am I alone?
V.
By: Chipmunk Carol - 2nd March 2004 at 10:53
Originally posted by Eric Mc
“Talk Down” was pretty good. Has Brian Lecomber written any other novels?
Yes. Dead Weight. I haven’t read it though.
By: Eric Mc - 2nd March 2004 at 10:03
“Talk Down” was pretty good. Has Brian Lecomber written any other novels?
I sometimes enjoy the Dale Brown USAF stories. Pot boiler nonsense really but pretty good on the technical front – a sort of poor man’s Tom Clancy.
Was it Jeremy Clarkson who said that he would not read a fiction book unless it had a painting of a Stealth Bomber on the cover?
By: mike currill - 2nd March 2004 at 09:46
How could I have forgotten ‘talk Down’ by Brian Lecomber?
By: ettrick40 - 2nd March 2004 at 07:42
Hello.For me the best of the best is The Last Ennemy (Richard Hillary) and second The Lonely Warrior.This one was written by Major Victor Houart and was in fact the translation in book of Jean Offenbergs’diary.Sorry Steve,I have the book but it is in French.But as you will have a copy , ill send to you.
By: Glyn - 1st March 2004 at 22:50
“The Last Enemy” – Richard Hillary – BoB pilot, horribly burned in an accident but returns to flying status only to perish after completing the book. Remarkable because of Hillary’s excellent writing skills, hard to classify this as simply a memoir as it reads like literature.
“Serenade to the Big Bird” – Bert Stiles – Another gifted writer who was taken by the war. Stiles, a reflective Colorado native writes about his tour flying the B-17 in the 8th AF. After completing the book he too was lost on a subsequent fighter tour.
“I Wanted Wings” – Bierne Lay, Jr. – Lay is more well known for writing Twelve O’Clock High but his memoir of flying in the between the wars-era USAAC is fantastic. Planes that are often quickly glanced upon in history books come to life in this classic – if you have an interest in the era I highly recommend it!
Add another vote from me for “Goshawk Squadron”, definately my favorite work of aviation fiction.
By: Steve 964 - 1st March 2004 at 19:33
Already posted my favourite books,
But I reckon another favourite in most peoples collections if it was written would be an auto bioghraphy by Ray Hanna or Stephen Grey,I reckon they’ve both got enough flying experiences under their respective belts to fill a substantial book each!!
Steve 964
By: Last Lightning - 29th February 2004 at 00:55
Paul Rix thank you ive been looking for that book for about 12 years now thanx again.
😀 😉 😎 😀 😉 😎 😀 😉 😎
By: Steve 964 - 28th February 2004 at 10:59
Here are my favourites
The Flight of the MEW GULL Alex Henshaw
Truly gripping ,if you haven’t read it get a copy, no wonder the record still stands !
Airborne – Neil Williams
Late great display pilot, never tire of reading it.
WINGS ON MY SLEEVE – Captain Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown CBE.DSC.AFC.RN
Test Pilot whose experiences must be almost unequalled !
Battle of Britain: The Movie Robert J Rudhall
A great book about my favourite film,and better than that,I managed to get the last of 100 Authors Proofs signed by
Robert (sadly missed),and Leading names from the film,Ron Goodwin,Mike Vickers,John Blake,and Pilots,Fitters ,and Armourers who fought in the battle(1940),Lady Bader,and lastly but by no means least Sqn Ldr Paul Day.
Goes without saying my most prized book!
By: Dez - 28th February 2004 at 07:16
“Onward to Malta” by Wing Cdr T F Neil.
I read this book whilst on Holiday in Malta a few years back, a truely ‘interactive’ experience, being able to visit places mentioned in the Book!
I must say tho… i’ve nearly finished Geoffrey Wellum’s book and its brilliant! I know its been mentioned several times on this thread but if you haven’t read it go and buy it! Superb Reading!:)
By: Paul Rix - 28th February 2004 at 04:54
For ‘Chuck Yeager’
Mark Berent’s series are indeed great books. Very realistic fiction I guess you could call them.
Amazon.com has Steel Tiger listed:
Of course, I imagine the shipping would cost a bit from the States, but the exchange rate is really good right now :).
Just searched Amazon.co.uk and found Steel Tiger there too:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0515104671/ref=sr_aps_books_1_1/202-4705422-0088667
By: dhfan - 28th February 2004 at 02:02
So many, including many already mentioned.
I’ve still got a soft spot for the first two adult, as opposed to kids, aircraft books I got. Aircraft of WWII by Kenneth Munson and Wooden Wonder by Edward Bishop. Got them both for Christmas in 1966.
My Dad had Wing Leader and Reach for the Sky so I read them at quite an early age.
A relatively lightweight but enjoyable read is Sky Fever by Sir Geoffrey de Havilland.
By: Sharkie - 28th February 2004 at 01:33
Catch 22, deals very well with the terror of flying and the flak the crews encountered. Yossarian screaming that they were trying to kill him whilst his pilot flew on is very disturbing.
I find Middlebrooks books very well researched and informative but overall I prefer the accounts written by former crew. You can’t really write it unless you really lived it!!!!!
By: Warhawk - 28th February 2004 at 01:22
Originally posted by kev35
Another book I loved was ‘Down to a Sunless Sea.
That title is familiar and I think I read it quite a few years ago. Was it about a nuclear holocaust and an airliner stranded in mid-flight with no place to land? If it’s the one I’m thinking of it was an excellent novel.
As for a favourite of my own, I consider the last book I read as my favourite until the next one comes along.(I love books period.) My latest favourite is “Proof through the Night” The Ernest Pickett story, a B-29 pilot captive in Japan by K.P. Burke. However I must state in all honesty that I am somewhat biased about this book. My mothers uncle D i c k was a member of Picketts crew and was also captured when their B-29 was shot down.
“To fly and fight” is also on my all time fav’s list along with “Low level Hell: A scout pilot with the Big Red One”
By: Andy in Beds - 27th February 2004 at 22:14
Sounds like my early life.
I can rember being shocked when my dad read out the sad news from The Eastern Evening News that the Lightnings were going to be replaced by Jaguars–whatever they were!!
I was even more upset when I saw what they looked like.
Growing up in Norfolk in the 60’s was a classic time.
You name it–it tried to take the chimney pots off Mum’s house.
All the best
Andy
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February 27, 2004 at 8:56 am