Must have / read Books
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Enschede, NL
Age: 87
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Richard Bach - 'Gift of Wings' and 'Nothing by Chance' and for sheer fantasy 'Jonathan Livingstone Seagull'.
John Templeton Smith, 'Skytrap', 'Rolling Thunder' 'White Lies' etc.
and of course anything by Ernest Gann
John Templeton Smith, 'Skytrap', 'Rolling Thunder' 'White Lies' etc.
and of course anything by Ernest Gann
Cone of Silence
Village of Stars
The Heart of the Storm
All by David Beaty.
(Actually, all his aviation based novels are good.)
Alternatively, excellent U.S.Navy Air Vietnam novels by Gerry Carroll -
Ghostrider One
North SAR
No Place to Hide
Village of Stars
The Heart of the Storm
All by David Beaty.
(Actually, all his aviation based novels are good.)
Alternatively, excellent U.S.Navy Air Vietnam novels by Gerry Carroll -
Ghostrider One
North SAR
No Place to Hide
The late Jack Curry.
I'd suggest reading his books in this order:
Wings Over Georgia (flying training under the Arnold Scheme).
Lancaster Target (describes his time flying Lancasters on ops, mainly from Wickenby. There's an amazing account of returning from a mission without ailerons after they were torn off in a cu-nim).
Mosquito Victory (screened from ops, instructing on Halifaxes and then posted to a Mosquito squadron).
Cracking stuff.
I'd suggest reading his books in this order:
Wings Over Georgia (flying training under the Arnold Scheme).
Lancaster Target (describes his time flying Lancasters on ops, mainly from Wickenby. There's an amazing account of returning from a mission without ailerons after they were torn off in a cu-nim).
Mosquito Victory (screened from ops, instructing on Halifaxes and then posted to a Mosquito squadron).
Cracking stuff.
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: West Sussex
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Jonathan Livingstone Seagull gives us all hope, sounds like a good Test Pilot but applies to sailors too !
A couple of very good books are ' Harrier -Ski-Jump to Victory ' which despite the title has a lot of good gen', as the author the late John Godden worked at Kingston P.R. ( I used to work with him on occasions, can't understand how he died so young ) - the book has first-hand accounts by Sea Harrier & GR3 pilots as soon as they came back - though as John was in BAe P.R. I suggest reading Jerry Pooks' book straight afterwards !
The other book I was going to mention is not directly aviation related, but
'Lost Voices' of the R.N. by Max Arthur is a cracking read.
Incidentally my local fish & chip shop ( Petworth ) has a large painting of HMS Hood on the wall; it turns out that the woman who runs it now is grand-daughter of one of the 3 survivors...
I've seen a comment recently mentioning the Hood should have been one of those battlecruisers converted into aircraft carriers; well it could hardly have done any worse, and might have been jolly useful !
A couple of very good books are ' Harrier -Ski-Jump to Victory ' which despite the title has a lot of good gen', as the author the late John Godden worked at Kingston P.R. ( I used to work with him on occasions, can't understand how he died so young ) - the book has first-hand accounts by Sea Harrier & GR3 pilots as soon as they came back - though as John was in BAe P.R. I suggest reading Jerry Pooks' book straight afterwards !
The other book I was going to mention is not directly aviation related, but
'Lost Voices' of the R.N. by Max Arthur is a cracking read.
Incidentally my local fish & chip shop ( Petworth ) has a large painting of HMS Hood on the wall; it turns out that the woman who runs it now is grand-daughter of one of the 3 survivors...
I've seen a comment recently mentioning the Hood should have been one of those battlecruisers converted into aircraft carriers; well it could hardly have done any worse, and might have been jolly useful !
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: UK
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Not sure about JLS being pure fantasy - it is a strong allegory (almost a eulogy) for military fast jet training. Brilliant!
Druid's Circle by HW Dean
Anything by EK Gann (great books on sailing too)
Anything by the wonderful Harald Penrose
Francis Chichester's book on his Tiger Moth adventures - superb.
The Right Stuff
There are also fascinating biographies on Roy Chadwick (AVRO chief designer) and Roy Fedden (Bristol's Chief Engineer) but you'll have to search for the titles.
Druid's Circle by HW Dean
Anything by EK Gann (great books on sailing too)
Anything by the wonderful Harald Penrose
Francis Chichester's book on his Tiger Moth adventures - superb.
The Right Stuff
There are also fascinating biographies on Roy Chadwick (AVRO chief designer) and Roy Fedden (Bristol's Chief Engineer) but you'll have to search for the titles.
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Still in the Midland Radar overhead
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Think Like a Bird: An Army Pilot's Story Alex Kimbells exploits as an Army Air Corps pilot starting in Austers then Beavers is an excellent read in my opinion
His description of a glide from 10,000ft to base at night is brilliant
VEEPS..
His description of a glide from 10,000ft to base at night is brilliant
VEEPS..
Join Date: Mar 2006
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Francis Chichester
The later 'Sir' Francis Chichester's book on Gypsy Moth adventures ( adapted into a seaplane, and along the way involving a complete rebuild & re-rig at Lord Howe Island, & inventing new navigation methods to get there later used in WW2 ) is titled ' The lonely Sea & The Sky '.
On his return from sailing around the world in 'Gypsy Moth 4' - a boat most sailors would regard unmanageable for a short trip singlehanded - he was knighted with Sir Francis Drake's sword...
Luckily Gypsy Moth 4 has been saved from her dry berth at Greenwich, restored and has taken various novices around the world again recently, though not without 'interfacing' with a reef !
DZ
On his return from sailing around the world in 'Gypsy Moth 4' - a boat most sailors would regard unmanageable for a short trip singlehanded - he was knighted with Sir Francis Drake's sword...
Luckily Gypsy Moth 4 has been saved from her dry berth at Greenwich, restored and has taken various novices around the world again recently, though not without 'interfacing' with a reef !
DZ
Join Date: Apr 2008
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West with the Night - Beryl Markham (Evocative account of her life in Kenya in the 20's and 30's as a pioneering flier, who made the first solo Atlantic crossing from East to West in 1936. A contemporary of Karen Blixen, of "Out of Africa" fame.)
Sigh for a Merlin - Alex Henshaw (Very readable book by this legendary pilot, who seemed able to express himself in print with the same skill he showed in the cockpit. I am proud to have his autograph,)
The Concorde Story - Christopher Orlebar (In my opinion, the best of the many books on this subject, written by a man who really knows what he is talking about - having been a Concorde pilot.)
Vulcan Test Pilot - Tony Blackman (Another master work, by a man who is writing from first-hand knowledge.)
Sigh for a Merlin - Alex Henshaw (Very readable book by this legendary pilot, who seemed able to express himself in print with the same skill he showed in the cockpit. I am proud to have his autograph,)
The Concorde Story - Christopher Orlebar (In my opinion, the best of the many books on this subject, written by a man who really knows what he is talking about - having been a Concorde pilot.)
Vulcan Test Pilot - Tony Blackman (Another master work, by a man who is writing from first-hand knowledge.)
"Fate is the Hunter" is an excellent read. My paperback copy was beginning to fall to bits when, by chance, I happened across a first edition hardback copy a couple of weeks ago...
"Sigh for a Merlin" is good, but "Flight of the Mew Gull" is exceptional. How the heck did he do it?
"Vulcan Test Pilot" is also superb.
"Sigh for a Merlin" is good, but "Flight of the Mew Gull" is exceptional. How the heck did he do it?
"Vulcan Test Pilot" is also superb.