Must Have / Core Aviation History Books

Hello Everyone

Here’s the list to date – apologies for any ommissions

On And Off The Flight Adlams
Alone On A Wide Wide Sea Barringer
The Lonely Sky Bridgeman
Wings on My Sleeve Brown
British Aeroplanes 1914-1918 BRUCE
North Star Over My Shoulder Buck
What were they like to fly Clarke
P-51 Mustang Restored Coggan
In Harm’s Way Crosley
They Gave Me A Seafire Crosley
Hurrah For The Next Man Davenport
Wind, Sand and Stars de Saint Exupery
Wings Over The Wave Drucker
Hippocrates RN Ellis
Wrecks & Relics Ellis
The Bristol Beaufighter Franks
The Sky on Fire Fredette
British Carrier Aviation Friedman
Fate is the Hunter Gann
Various Early Aviation Gibbs-Smith
Open Cockpit Gould Lee
Wind in the Wires Grinnell-Milne
Battle of Britain is Spitfire Summer Haining
Flying through Midnight Halliday
Carrier Pilot Hanson
Sky Spy Holmes
Fleet Air Arm Helicopters since 1943 Howard/Burrow/Myall
Combat and Competition Ince
Bring Back My Stringbag Kilbracken
War In A Stringbag Lamb
Combat Report Lambert
Sagitarius Rising Lewis
One Wing High Lomas
Saunders and Saro Aircraft Since 1917 London
British Piston Aero-Engines & their aircraft Lumsden
Chickenhawk Mason
Terror in the Starboard Seat McIntosh
Low Level Hell Mills
The Spitfire Morgan & Shacklady
Battle of Britain – The making of a film Mosley
Angels Twenty Park
Nanette Park
Adventuring Years, 1920-29 Penrose
Great War and Armistice, 1915-19 Penrose
The pioneer years 1903-1914 Penrose
Night Strike From Malta Poolman
Spitfire: A Test Pilot’s Story Quill
Spitfire Survivors Riley, Arnold and Trant
Mosquito Sharp & Bowyer
The Diving Eagle Stahl
Mosquito Survivors Stuart Howe
Hidden Warbirds Veronico
First Light Wellum
Luck and a Lancaster Yates

Regards

EYR

Thanks PapaJ – that’s definitely one for my list

EYR

There aren’t many Beaufighter books. I’d recommend “The Bristol Beaufighter by Richard Franks published by SAM Publications” – it’s directed at modellers but contains an operational history, photos, colour photos of interior, colour side views, plans etc.

Recommendations added to my list – I’ll tidy it up and post the recommendations to date.

Any recommendations for a Beaufighter text?

EYR

Has anyone mentioned Sagitarius Rising, by Cecil Lewis? A first hand account of training and dog fighting in WW1 by an RFC ‘Ace.’

Robert M

Hi All,
TonyT,
There’s me thinking you where Men Only reader. :highly_amused:

Geoff.

I have just got a copy of “Spitfire the History” by Morgan and Shacklady What a mine of information!! Also a book from the perspective of the man in the street on the Battle of Britain is Spitfire Summer by Peter Haining This is a really good read. and finally British Piston Aero-Engines and their aircraft by Alec Lumsden if your a petrol head like me this book is the most authoritative text on the different makes of Aero engines I have ever read and I’ve read a good few………………….

AC43-13 😉

Hi everyone

Thanks for the recommendations – I’ll add them to my watch list

EYR

Thanks Geoff i will get my porn collection out from under the bed and proudly put it on display, I could leave my best of Fiesta? hardback on the coffee table for when the neighbours pop round 😉

Joke.

Hi All,
Simple answer here any book published about the subject we all love, we have a different taste so just enjoy what you like to read. :eagerness:

Geoff.

A piece of general advise…try to look beyond national borders.
If you’re English, learn the basics about US, and German aircraft as both country’s aircraft played a huge role in UK aviation history, and don’t forget helicopters and GA/commercial types.

It’s fine t know how many rivets are in a Spitfire, but a true aviation historian goes beyond that. And you won’t embarrass yourself at Duxford by calling every GA aircraft on the line a Auster or “Piper Cub”..or every bizjet a Lear. 🙂

I’d thoroughly recommend ‘Hidden Warbirds’, Nick has collected some fascinating stories together. Volume 2 is due out in August.

Dammit! Knew I’d missed it somewhere! 🙂

EKG – Fate is the Hunter…. post 5 ; )

I can’t believe no-one’s mentioned two of the greatest aviation books ever written:

Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint Exupery
Fate is the Hunter by Ernest K Gann

I’d also like to suggest Cannibal Queen by Steven Coonts.

I am trying to find a decent review of Paul Coggans P-51 mustang restored about LiL Magaret, and Hidden Warbirds by Nicholas A. Veronico
Has any one got these books and what are your opinions. I only have enough of the folding stuff to buy one book so i would like to make an informed decision

Mustang Restored is excellent! Lots of beautiful photographs of a beautiful restoration.
I’d also like to put a good word in for Spitfire by the test pilot Jeffrey Quill

Seems like a good un

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/541168-mosquito-down-new-book.html

The Spitfire by Morgan & Shacklady is high on my agenda. 🙂

Putnams “British Aviation” trilogy by Harald Penrose.

Any of the Putnams individual manufacturer series

Anything on the early years of aviation by Gibbs-Smith