Thought, I'd re-kindle this great thread by adding one of my favourite aviation books:
Yeager: An autobiography - Chuck Yeager
Must have read this a dozen times and each time it is as thrilling, compelling and mystifying as the last.
Yeager is many things: a hooligan ("buzzing" his house on regular occasions),a redneck and a hero but above all else, a damn good pilot.
Even without his greatest accomplishment of breaking the sound barrier the man would still to this day be a legend and his stories through-out WWII and beyond make for a must have!
Managed to read a few other military books over xmas but I believe they belong in the " A piss poor military read" thread along with the Band of Brothers.
Tongue firmly in cheek,
Scotteo