Every 3 months or so, I will spend a fortune (sometimes up to £30!) buying a few second hand books and lately, they’ve been aviation related.
Recently we’ve had
The Mighty Eighth – Gerald Aston – Long, very detailed, not an easy read
I Flew For the Fuhrer – Heinz Knoke – The air war from the other side, fascinating book
The Nuremburg Raid – Martin Middlebrook – Excellent and well researched, like all his books
Decision over Schweinfurt – Thomas Coffey – Informative, plenty of eye witness accounts, more of a story about the whole of the ‘8th’ rather than just one mission
and
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Airfields of the Second World War
These are now all but done, so I need some inspiration for my next load. I think it’s clear from the above where my interest lies – the 1940s.
What books have you been reading, that any enthusiast should read?
Steve
By: bazv - 1st October 2008 at 10:30
I wandered into my local Library last week, first time for a year or so. I was most surprised to learn that the WW1 and WW II books had been seriously thinned out. It was pointed out that fewer and fewer people were taking out the books and most had been sold off. The place was more like a cyber cafe than a library, lots of people tapping away on the internet access computers with hardly any looking at the books. Sad really.
yes I used to get a lot of autobios from the library,to be fair to them…they can only keep the books on the shelf for so long and then they get ‘retired’
Also forgot ‘Fate is the Hunter’ by Ernest K Gann..really is ‘unputdownable’
cheers baz
By: Denis - 30th September 2008 at 22:23
‘ended up joining myself having seen the WW2 and other history sections’
I wandered into my local Library last week, first time for a year or so. I was most surprised to learn that the WW1 and WW II books had been seriously thinned out. It was pointed out that fewer and fewer people were taking out the books and most had been sold off. The place was more like a cyber cafe than a library, lots of people tapping away on the internet access computers with hardly any looking at the books. Sad really.
By: BSG-75 - 30th September 2008 at 21:24
I’ve just re-read “the big show” – then later “tempest pilot” (not so enjoyable for me)
started taking the children to the library to encourage this lost art of reading, ended up joining myself having seen the WW2 and other history sections.
picked up “tail end charlies” last week (not started yet) and noted a fair few more to go back to.
By: bazv - 30th September 2008 at 20:24
Hi Steve
Sorry a bit slow replying..not been home much recently !!
My interest is autobios…just a few from my bookshelf…..
‘Flight Path’ by Frank Courtney.. WW1 air mechanic then pilot,post war freelance test pilot including Autogyro’s for cierva,flying right up to convair 880.
‘The Diving Eagle’ by Peter Stahl…JU88 pilot,dont be put off by title,it describes the unit emblem,he was a very highly qualified pre war Lufthansa pilot,but because he was not from a military family started the war as a corporal pilot.
‘Hippocrates RN’ by Herbert Ellis…A Navy doctor who got his wings and flew at farnborough on aeromedical research
‘Eagles Wings’ by Hajo Herrmann..slow starter of a book but worth persevering with,JU88’s and then originator of ‘Wilde Sau’ nightfighter force
‘The Sky My Kingdom’ by Hanna Reitsch…fascinating read
‘The Lonely Sky’ by William Bridgeman…Douglas Skyrocket pilot who drifted into test flying without any formal training,had flown B24 and DC3 before
‘North Atlantic Cat’ by Don Macvicar… as entertaining as all his books were
And perhaps one of the best written… A Thousand shall fall by Murray Peden
who was a Stirling pilot
cheers baz
By: northeagle - 24th September 2008 at 23:46
Go on treat yourself…
http://www.amazon.co.uk/607-Squadron-Shade-Robert-Dixon/dp/0752445316/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222296227&sr=1-1
Best Wishes.
Robert.
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September 24, 2008 at 11:11 pm