Has anyone read this book?

its a great read, but the quick price drop doesn’t bode well for publishing does it ?:(

It doesn’t help when the publisher then issues a superior hardback edition, which can also be had at discount prices.

Comet, for really good 1940s/’50s test-pilot books you can’t go wrong with Brian Rivas’ John Derry book which I would consider the master works reflecting that period and Derry’s story is just so remarkable.
Also Jeffrey Quills’ Spitfire: A Test Pilots Story, Neville Dukes’ Test Pilot, Mike Lithgows’ Mach One, Brian Trubshaws Test Pilot, and Peter Twiss’ Faster Than The Sun are very good straight from the horses mouth reads, all can be found cheaply on Amazon/EBay.
Good list here, http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=test+pilot&x=7&y=26#

For a good oversight to all test piloting from early days to Tornado (some of the ’20s & 30s characters such as Summers and Cordes were very interesting), Test Pilots by Don Middleton is very good

Thanks for the replies. Our local cheap shop has the paperback version, Waterstones doesn’t have the illustrated one. I like to read about test pilots and some of our post war aircraft, which many aviation books just don’t seem to cover very much, that’s what caught my eye with this when I saw the picture of the illustrated one with the Lightnings on the cover.

Can you please name some.
I might have my sister in law pick me up one to bring on her next visit.

Good book, good read, but don’t pay anything like the marked price, all the usual discounters seem to have it.

Got paperback for £1.00 from Red Cross bookshop…read it on Holiday this summer–at present doing the rounds with other members of the “Jet Age” Museum.

I have spare copy if anyone feels like they’re missing out? It is a pretty good book but I got double-presented…:)

I thumbed through it at LHR on my last visit.
Since I have a copy of Project Cancelled, I didn’t see any point to buy it.

Anyone agree, or does it give more information.

Pretty enjoyable read, although the obsession with Bill Waterton spoils it slightly IMHO. Think I got mine at Tesco for £2.99.

I have got the paperback version, and very much enjoyed it.

I approached it a little tentatively, as I’m not particularly interested in aircraft from before the 1980s or the military side, but I found the author’s enthusiasm for his subject infectious (coupled with his many personal anecdotes) which resulted in an excellent read that I’m happy to recommend.

Neil

…there is a new version with photos now.

I should say that my £3.99 hardback copy (cover price £20) isn’t the ‘illustrated’ version; it only has a dozen pages of black and white photographs. I haven’t looked through the ‘illustrated’ version so cannot comment on that.

I know there is a new version with photos now.

.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Empire-Clouds-Britains-Aircraft-Ruled/dp/0571278892/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321702994&sr=1-3

I saw this and browsed through it, it’s worth the £14 IMHO.

Got it last year when it was first released for £7 in the local supermarket which had an offer, I know there is a new version with photos now.

I enjoyed it, took a slightly different approach to most books of that period and a good writing style that made it easy to read and hard to put down.

Do keep your eye out for a cheap copy though if you can.

paperback less than £1 now

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Empire-Clouds-Britains-Aircraft-Ruled/dp/0571247954/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321702994&sr=1-2

its a great read, but the quick price drop doesn’t bode well for publishing does it ?:(

I picked-up a hardback copy at my local remaindered book shop for £3.99 the other day. It is amazing how often recently released titles appear in the military section there while still being on sale elsewhere for the full cover price.

Unfortunately like so many books I buy that way it remains unread. 😮

It is ok but I wouldnt spend £20 on it – there was a copy floating around our crewroom last week,if it is still there I will let you know.

rgds baz