Searching for a good read...
Originally Posted by time expired
To add to the above
Does any one of the Canadian contributors know where I can find a
copy of Chuck Childerhose`s Splash One Tiger?.
Does any one of the Canadian contributors know where I can find a
copy of Chuck Childerhose`s Splash One Tiger?.
It is Chick not Chuck:
R. J. Childerhose actuallyI am trying to find a copy of his " Wild Blue " Where where you when the Sabres flew?
A great book about learning to fly in the RCAF then flying Sabres in Europe in the 50s and doing Sabre ferry flights to Europe from Canada. I and my friends, the ones who can read, have worn my copy out.
A very funny book!
It was published by Hoot Productions but darned if I can find them or him.
There is also a series of books by Daniel V Gallery, commander of USS Guadalcanal when they captered U-505,
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/ref...niel_v_gallery
They are humourous looks at flying in the USN - the adventures of W/C Curly Cue - Ens. Willy Wigglesworth and an assorted gang of "Characters".
"Stand By to Start Engines" "Eight Bells and all's well" " Capt. Fatso" ect.
A nice relaxing read.
One Canadian book well worth the read is " A Thousand Shall Fall " by Murray Peden about flying in Bomber Command during WW2.
http://214squadron.atspace.com/id63.htm
Another series of books by Don McVicar about Ferry flights during WW2 http://www.biblio.com/author_biograp...n_McVicar.html
I have signed copies of all of his books and was fortunate to call him a friend.
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That gentleman came into the RN at the end of WWII, became an FAA pilot and flew everything from Fulmers to Phantoms. Wonderfully funny and professional gentleman. It was VERY cool to go to the FAA Museum with him and see some the aircraft that he actually (as in that machine, not just the type) on display.
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The Eighth Passenger
An absolute must if you can find it, The Eighth Passenger (Miles Tripp). An articulate, intelligent and perfectly harrowing account of a Lancaster crew on ops in late 1944/45, told by the bomb aimer.
Also, Inside the Sky (William Langewiesche). A collection of essays on flight. Worthwhile for the chapter on bad weather flying alone.
Samurai (Saburo Saki). An extraordinary Japanese aviator who may be most respected for his skill as a fighter pilot and best remembered as one of the few ever to return - honourably - from a 'suicide' mission. Read this and being lost, low on fuel and over water will never seem daunting (or even worrisome) again. Did I mention being wounded? No? Okay, well that too.
Also, Inside the Sky (William Langewiesche). A collection of essays on flight. Worthwhile for the chapter on bad weather flying alone.
Samurai (Saburo Saki). An extraordinary Japanese aviator who may be most respected for his skill as a fighter pilot and best remembered as one of the few ever to return - honourably - from a 'suicide' mission. Read this and being lost, low on fuel and over water will never seem daunting (or even worrisome) again. Did I mention being wounded? No? Okay, well that too.
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Searching for a good read
For airline flying in the 1960s try Arthur Whitlock's excellent "Behind the Cockpit Door"
For a good hidtorical read about the DH Comet Racer "The Dangerous Skies" by A E Clouston.
For a good hidtorical read about the DH Comet Racer "The Dangerous Skies" by A E Clouston.
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Hope the link below works:
If not it's THE DAILY TELEGRAPH BOOK OF AIRMENS OBITUARIES.
Absorbing stuff - a common thread when reading the life stories is the huge number of opportunities open to motivated men (and women) to go off and fly for a living in decades gone by. Compare this with the situation today!!!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Daily-Telegr.../dp/1902304993
If not it's THE DAILY TELEGRAPH BOOK OF AIRMENS OBITUARIES.
Absorbing stuff - a common thread when reading the life stories is the huge number of opportunities open to motivated men (and women) to go off and fly for a living in decades gone by. Compare this with the situation today!!!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Daily-Telegr.../dp/1902304993
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For those who enjoyed Jack Broughton's "Thud Ridge", his sequel "Going Downtown" is a good read, though not as visceral as the original.
Try Rosario Rausa's "Gold Wings, Blue Sea" about Skyraider missions in Vietnam;
and a wonderful WW2 book I found recently, Hajo Herrmann's "Eagle's Wings" sees war from the Luftwaffe pilot's perspective, quite the best aviation book I've read for a long time.
DCD
Try Rosario Rausa's "Gold Wings, Blue Sea" about Skyraider missions in Vietnam;
and a wonderful WW2 book I found recently, Hajo Herrmann's "Eagle's Wings" sees war from the Luftwaffe pilot's perspective, quite the best aviation book I've read for a long time.
DCD
As I said in another thread, "Six Feet Over" by Peter Charles is a "good read" - about 10,000 hours on Tiger Moths and Pawneees, etc, crop spraying around the world. Started in aviaton as a lad, with the ATA.
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Guy Murchie "Song of the Sky". A navigators perspective.
Murchie was obviously a great influence on Richard Bach's early flying books. His narrative style of framing topics about navigation within a flight across the Atlantic must have been the inspiration for Bach's "Stranger to the Ground," another great book about flying. Murchie takes you on journies through the evolution of early ocean navigation, celestial navigation, and flight. Fascinating even for non-pilots and non-science oriented readers. A master of explaining complex phenomenon, "Song of the Sky" will leave the reader with an appreciation of man's long struggle to conquer the ocean and sky. If you like Richard Bach or Ernest Gann, you will absolutely love "Song of the Sky."
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Here's my first ten desert Island books, not necessarily in this order.
Kelly - More than my share of it all
Kelly Johnson and Maggie Smith
Biographical account by the man behind the Starfighter, U-2, SR-71 and a lot more besides.
Shadows
Michael I. Draper
Three sides of the air war and airlift in Biafra. Federal Nigerian, Biafran and the humanitarian airlift.
The ATL-98 Carvair
W. Patrick Dean
The individual history in depth of each Carvair built.
Twilight of the Pistons - Air Ferry
Malcolm Finnis
The history of Manston based Air Ferry
Miles Aircraft The Early Years 1925-1939
Peter Amos
All you could ever want to know about the origins and history of this unique British Company
Red Eagles
Steve Davies
The fullest account possible of American owned and operated Migs over the Nevada desert, the ultimate in dissimilar air combat training.
Comets and Concordes and those I flew between
Peter Duffy
Iconic tales from the cockpit by a man who has every right to recall history as it was made.
Behind the cockpit door
Arthur Whitlock
Quality biographical book by a man who bridges radial engines and wide bodies.
Wings of the CIA
Frederic Lert
One of the better researched CIA/ Air America histories
Take off to Touchdown - Invicta Airways
Malcolm Finnis
Comprehensive history of this airline through its many incarnations.
Hope these suggestions help.
Be lucky
David
Kelly - More than my share of it all
Kelly Johnson and Maggie Smith
Biographical account by the man behind the Starfighter, U-2, SR-71 and a lot more besides.
Shadows
Michael I. Draper
Three sides of the air war and airlift in Biafra. Federal Nigerian, Biafran and the humanitarian airlift.
The ATL-98 Carvair
W. Patrick Dean
The individual history in depth of each Carvair built.
Twilight of the Pistons - Air Ferry
Malcolm Finnis
The history of Manston based Air Ferry
Miles Aircraft The Early Years 1925-1939
Peter Amos
All you could ever want to know about the origins and history of this unique British Company
Red Eagles
Steve Davies
The fullest account possible of American owned and operated Migs over the Nevada desert, the ultimate in dissimilar air combat training.
Comets and Concordes and those I flew between
Peter Duffy
Iconic tales from the cockpit by a man who has every right to recall history as it was made.
Behind the cockpit door
Arthur Whitlock
Quality biographical book by a man who bridges radial engines and wide bodies.
Wings of the CIA
Frederic Lert
One of the better researched CIA/ Air America histories
Take off to Touchdown - Invicta Airways
Malcolm Finnis
Comprehensive history of this airline through its many incarnations.
Hope these suggestions help.
Be lucky
David
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This historical novel is NOT about aviation, but about the most advanced transportation system at the time....it WAS the aviation of their day...sea travel.
PIRATES OF BARBARY
Corsairs, Conquests, and Captivity in the Seventeenth-Century Mediterranean
By Adrian Tinniswood
I found out that many of the Barbary Corsairs were white and "christian", and many of the white and even English Barbary Corsairs preyed on British shipping! They even did shore raids into Italy, France, Spain, Ireland, and England.
I love this book!
I found it at Amazon...much cheaper as an E-book.
cliff
HNL
PIRATES OF BARBARY
Corsairs, Conquests, and Captivity in the Seventeenth-Century Mediterranean
By Adrian Tinniswood
I found out that many of the Barbary Corsairs were white and "christian", and many of the white and even English Barbary Corsairs preyed on British shipping! They even did shore raids into Italy, France, Spain, Ireland, and England.
I love this book!
I found it at Amazon...much cheaper as an E-book.
cliff
HNL
I was going to start by saying this goes back a bit further than most suggestions but after the previous post it's relatively modern.
I received it as a Christmas present some years ago and at first assumed it was something picked up remaindered by a relation who thought anything about aeroplanes would be suitable for me.
I was wrong - it's a great book. I've lent it to a couple of people who've read it and promptly tracked down a copy for themselves.
Knights of the Air: The Life and Times of the Extraordinary Pioneers Who First Built British Aeroplanes - Peter King. ISBN 9780094681002
It covers Roe, de Havilland, Handley Page, the Short brothers and most of the rest of the UK pioneers up to the time they retired, died, got taken over or whatever.
Several available from the usual sources around the net from a few pounds.
I received it as a Christmas present some years ago and at first assumed it was something picked up remaindered by a relation who thought anything about aeroplanes would be suitable for me.
I was wrong - it's a great book. I've lent it to a couple of people who've read it and promptly tracked down a copy for themselves.
Knights of the Air: The Life and Times of the Extraordinary Pioneers Who First Built British Aeroplanes - Peter King. ISBN 9780094681002
It covers Roe, de Havilland, Handley Page, the Short brothers and most of the rest of the UK pioneers up to the time they retired, died, got taken over or whatever.
Several available from the usual sources around the net from a few pounds.
Behind the cockpit door
Arthur Whitlock
Quality biographical book by a man who bridges radial engines and wide bodies.
Amazon are asking between £214 and £500+ for this book.
Arthur Whitlock
Quality biographical book by a man who bridges radial engines and wide bodies.
Amazon are asking between £214 and £500+ for this book.
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brakedwell
So that's what my (mint) copy is worth, is it? I am not selling, it's a treasure of an aviation book and some things are worth more than money.
Arthur Whitlock paid to have his book published, never got his money back, and I understand when he died his surviving family were left with a loft-full. If anyone knows them, could you have a quiet word please as to the asset they are sitting on (providing they sell them slowly, one at a time)?
RIP Arthur.
Arthur Whitlock paid to have his book published, never got his money back, and I understand when he died his surviving family were left with a loft-full. If anyone knows them, could you have a quiet word please as to the asset they are sitting on (providing they sell them slowly, one at a time)?
RIP Arthur.
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"She'll Never Get Off the Ground" by Robert Serling is one I'd recommend.
I have an extract in my first log book. It says....
"Are you a pilot, Mr. Studebaker?"
"No, I'm not. I suppose ---"
"Then you wouldn't know what I'm talking about. The way pilots feel. The way we feel about the sky and our 'planes and everyone else who flies. It's not something you can put into words, any more than you can describe the colour red. It's a feeling. Like maybe you feel God without ever being able to tell what God looks like. It's a way of life, and everyone who's part of it like .......like the're all a kind of fraternity."
Sums it up for me, more than just a job. A way of life.
Great book.
MB
I have an extract in my first log book. It says....
"Are you a pilot, Mr. Studebaker?"
"No, I'm not. I suppose ---"
"Then you wouldn't know what I'm talking about. The way pilots feel. The way we feel about the sky and our 'planes and everyone else who flies. It's not something you can put into words, any more than you can describe the colour red. It's a feeling. Like maybe you feel God without ever being able to tell what God looks like. It's a way of life, and everyone who's part of it like .......like the're all a kind of fraternity."
Sums it up for me, more than just a job. A way of life.
Great book.
MB
Last edited by Madbob; 4th Aug 2011 at 08:15.
Been shifting the bookcases round and came across "They Led the Way" by Michael Wadsworth. Michael never knew his father, who had been killed flying with 156 Sqn (Pathfinders) when the autor was 10 months old. A fascinating read of Michael's search for his paternal history. Recommended
Last edited by Wander00; 29th Dec 2011 at 11:26.