'Mission Completed'-Sir Basil Embry. Chronicles his life as a young RAF pilot to being shot down in the early stages of the war in a Blenheim, being captured, escaping, being AOC 2 TAF (with which he still flew missions as an AVM much to his superiors annoyance) and finishes up with his disillusioned retirement as an ACM. A classic book, surprised no one has mentioned it.
'Catch 22'-Joseph Heller. Totally manic, probably one of the best anti war novels ever written.
'The Jungle Is Neutral'-Spencer Chapman, has already been mentioned.
'McAuslan in the Rough'-George McDonald Fraser's semi autobiographical novels about his time as a subaltern in a highland regiment in Malta just after the war and McAuslan, the dirtiest soldier in the British Army. Absolutely hilarious. Worth buying just for the explanation of how a footballer can score three goals with three successive kicks of the ball.....
'Quartered Safe Out Here'- McDonald Fraser's time in Burma as a private soldier and the stark brutality of war. A classic. McDonald Fraser is no PC apologist.
'Winged Victory'-Johnnie Johnson and Laddie Lucas. Excellent account of the war form a wing and group leader's point of view, and Johnson's unflattering account of the post war RAF.
'Fate is the Hunter'-Ernest K Gann. One of the all time aviation classics, a must read for any pilot.
Last edited by thing; 6th Apr 2012 at 08:30.