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"The Eighth Passenger" by Miles Tripp from The Works in paperback for £2:99. story of a Lancaster crew flying from Chedburgh,suffolk with No 218 Squadron. Interesting revised edition with details of post war crew finding and thoughts on the bombing campaign. Read this when I was at school in late sixties still a good read. Essential reading for students of the RAF bombing offensive.
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"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."
"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."
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Black Lysander, by John Nesbitt-Dufort, one of the early Special Duties Lysander pilots picking up agents from Occupied Europe. He started flying in the early 1930s, flew Siskins, Havocs, and after the war flew cargo around the Mediterranean in an Avro York. Got himself stranded in France on one of his pickup operations and was rescued a few months later by one of his mates flying a a borrowed Anson. A very entertaining read.
If you can't get a hard copy of V.M. Yeates's 'Winged Victory', it's reason enough to buy a Kindle for this book alone.
Others from my library:
Ralph Barker's History of the RFC in WW1
Paul Ritchie's 'Fighter Pilot'
Leonard Cheshire's 'Bomber Pilot'
- all good reads.
If you can't get a hard copy of V.M. Yeates's 'Winged Victory', it's reason enough to buy a Kindle for this book alone.
Others from my library:
Ralph Barker's History of the RFC in WW1
Paul Ritchie's 'Fighter Pilot'
Leonard Cheshire's 'Bomber Pilot'
- all good reads.
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Will be most interested in 'The Eighth Passenger' as, By coincidence, I actually live on part of what used to be Chedburgh Airfield, where the womens accomodation blocks used to be!. Lovely village.
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Jem60,
Hope you will enjoy the book. A Lancaster NF955 of No. 218 Squadron coded HA:H had its starboard engines cut on take off Chedburgh 24 April 1945 hit a hedgerow on the Bury to Haverhill road and blew up near the WAAF site at 07:00hrs all seven crew killed.
Hope you will enjoy the book. A Lancaster NF955 of No. 218 Squadron coded HA:H had its starboard engines cut on take off Chedburgh 24 April 1945 hit a hedgerow on the Bury to Haverhill road and blew up near the WAAF site at 07:00hrs all seven crew killed.
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Thanks T.21. Our only pub, 'The Marquis Cornwallis' has many Lancaster 'photos in it, indeed, the village sign has a Lancaster flying over a field being harvested. Next to it is the War Memorial to the Polish and other squadrons that operated from Chedburgh. Regards, John.
A great read
The History of New York, Rio and Buenos Aires Airline from inception to being taken over by Pan Am. A fantastic insight into the politics of aviation even in those early years.
The Aerodrome - Rex Warner
A truly ground breaking novel. Research it, then if
intrigued, as many readers will be, get hold of it.
Superior to 1984 and Brave New World. A forgotten masterpiece of 20th century English lit. The cover quote says - "Probably the only novel of its time to understand the dangerous yet glamorous appeal of fascism and the less confident, only half-satisfactory answer of traditional democracy". First published in 1941, Anthony Burgess says in his introduction - do not read this introduction first, unless you don't mind major plot details given away".
It is about England, only insofar as "the Village" is given distinctively English characteristics, like the pub - no nationalities or city or country names are ever mentioned, and half the characters have titles rather than names: the Rector, the Squire, the Flight Lieutenant, the Air Vice-Marshal. It is, certainly, about the allure of fascism, but, to return to Burgess, it is an "ambiguous" book, and an academic examination of fascism it is not. There is lovely detail given to character and descriptions of the Village. It also is a black comedy so dark that almost the only chuckles it elicits are nervous ones. Bloody unusual, this duck. Burgess mentioned that he read it several times. I can see why. It is a strange and mysterious book.
The Flight-Lieutenant told us that he had accidentally used live instead of blank ammunition in the machine-gun whose performance he had been demonstrating. "The old boy took it right in the face, " he said, "and went over like a ninepin." He smiled as he recalled the scene to his memory, then added in a more serious voice: "It was a really bad show."
A truly ground breaking novel. Research it, then if
intrigued, as many readers will be, get hold of it.
Superior to 1984 and Brave New World. A forgotten masterpiece of 20th century English lit. The cover quote says - "Probably the only novel of its time to understand the dangerous yet glamorous appeal of fascism and the less confident, only half-satisfactory answer of traditional democracy". First published in 1941, Anthony Burgess says in his introduction - do not read this introduction first, unless you don't mind major plot details given away".
It is about England, only insofar as "the Village" is given distinctively English characteristics, like the pub - no nationalities or city or country names are ever mentioned, and half the characters have titles rather than names: the Rector, the Squire, the Flight Lieutenant, the Air Vice-Marshal. It is, certainly, about the allure of fascism, but, to return to Burgess, it is an "ambiguous" book, and an academic examination of fascism it is not. There is lovely detail given to character and descriptions of the Village. It also is a black comedy so dark that almost the only chuckles it elicits are nervous ones. Bloody unusual, this duck. Burgess mentioned that he read it several times. I can see why. It is a strange and mysterious book.
The Flight-Lieutenant told us that he had accidentally used live instead of blank ammunition in the machine-gun whose performance he had been demonstrating. "The old boy took it right in the face, " he said, "and went over like a ninepin." He smiled as he recalled the scene to his memory, then added in a more serious voice: "It was a really bad show."
SPITFIRE - THE BIOGRAPHY ILLUSTRATED
This book is not entirely new. First published in 2006, it was then entitled Spitfire: The Biography. While the text contents remains basically the same, this new edition is in large-format hardback and enhanced by many photographs, making for a more ambitious and impressive publication.
The biography illustrated
The word illustrated in the title of the new edition is fully justified. Upon opening the covers one is immediately struck by all the beautifully printed black-and-white photographs. Some of the arguably best vintage Spitfire photos have been included, and although many of them will be known from other books, plenty of space has been offered to print them in half-page , full-page or even centrefold format. The quality of photo printing with regard to contrast, resolution and level of detail is as good as you will find in a quality photo album, and thick, premium-quality paper adds to the impression. It is presumably because of this that the publisher has claimed this book to be “quite simply the most beautiful book of its kind”. Whether it is so or not is a matter of discussion, but for a die-hard Spitfire enthusiast such as myself this book may well be worth purchasing solely for the number and reproduction quality of these old but invaluable photos by Charles E. Brown, John Yoxall and various war correspondents.
Document of the Spitfire era
For the history purist, this book may appear biased. According to Glancey, Spitfire pilots were better than their German opponents, the Spitfire itself superior or at least on par with the Messerschmitt Bf 109, and besides, the Spitfire was the greatest fighter of the war. Glancey is excited about his subject, it shows, and he seems to write for those who love the aircraft regardless, not to those that are searching for dry facts and cold-hearted analysis.
Jonathan Glancey is the editor of the Guardian, not a professional historian, although he apparently followed the subject of the book since boyhood. His departure from the dry, factual style of a history lesson (admittedly over-represented in Spitfire literature) to a well-written collection of semi-personal essays is a knowing choice, and in my opinion a successful one. It makes the book highly accessible for anyone with the slight interest in wartime history, yet never dull to read, even to those who know a lot about
the Spitfire already.
It should be said that the word biography may appear misleading. This book does not offer a complete development history of the Spitfire, nor does it cover its operational use in sufficient detail. Rather than that, it is the celebration of the Spitfire legend. His book is a biography of a great phenomenon – the collective fascination by one great piece of British engineering. Glancey attempts to portrait the era which created the Spitfire and how the aircraft itself captured everyone’s imagination in the dire days of 1940 to become the symbol of the British cause in the war, its freedom and defiance, and remained so ever since. From the 1930s, when flying was a luxury for the wealthy who could afford it, through war years when the Spitfire so captured public imagination not only in the UK but worldwide. Notably, where other Spitfire books end with the aircraft’s withdrawal from service in the 1950s, Glancey continues with the Airfix modelling frenzy, the aircraft’s lasting footprint in post-war movies, Triumph sports car and Spitfire Ale, ending with the description of the small but prospering Spitfire restoration industry of today.
Throughout his story, Glancey makes many digressions and introduces an impressive and highly diversified gallery of men and women connected with the legend and its period in history. R J Mitchell; Douglas Bader; Pierre Clostermann; the author’s own parents; John Magee Jr; Johnnie Johnson; “Srewball” Buerling; Noel Pemberton-Billing; Malcolm Campbell; Hugh Dowding; Diana Barnato-Walker; Jeffrey Quill; Beatrice Shilling; Ezer Weizman; even Laurence Olivier and David Niven. If sometimes a bit unfocused, it’s a heart-rising drama that captures the imagination and reflects the scope of the Spitfire’s impact on its time.
Technical specifications
The last chapter of the book enumerates all the versions of the Spitfire, with technical data and 3-view drawings of selected variants (Mk. I, Mk. V, Mk. XI, Mk. XIV and F.24) to 1/72 scale. There is also a cutaway drawing of the Spitfire Mk. I sourced from the contemporary Aeroplane. All these are a nice touch and should be helpful for modellers.
Jonathan Glancey’s tribute to the greatest British aircraft of all time is first and foremost a great read. The broad view on the Spitfire phenomenon gives it its unique character and makes this book that little bit different. In that it is worth recommending. Also, because of its large format and exquisite photographs, it would not look out of place under the coffee table.
If, on the other hand, you want a detailed history of the Spitfire development, Battle of Britain or similar, you will be better suited by other titles.
For a Spitfire fan, this book is worth purchasing in the new hardback edition due to the many immaculately printed photographs.
If you are looking for a nice Christmas or birthday gift for an aviation enthusiast, this book is a fool-proof choice and should be enjoyed by your nearest and dearest regardless of the level of his/her aviation interest.
Reviewd in 2010 by Martin Waligorski on the Spitfire Site
Jonathon Glancey's Spitfire book that preceded the illustrated version -
This book is not entirely new. First published in 2006, it was then entitled Spitfire: The Biography. While the text contents remains basically the same, this new edition is in large-format hardback and enhanced by many photographs, making for a more ambitious and impressive publication.
The biography illustrated
The word illustrated in the title of the new edition is fully justified. Upon opening the covers one is immediately struck by all the beautifully printed black-and-white photographs. Some of the arguably best vintage Spitfire photos have been included, and although many of them will be known from other books, plenty of space has been offered to print them in half-page , full-page or even centrefold format. The quality of photo printing with regard to contrast, resolution and level of detail is as good as you will find in a quality photo album, and thick, premium-quality paper adds to the impression. It is presumably because of this that the publisher has claimed this book to be “quite simply the most beautiful book of its kind”. Whether it is so or not is a matter of discussion, but for a die-hard Spitfire enthusiast such as myself this book may well be worth purchasing solely for the number and reproduction quality of these old but invaluable photos by Charles E. Brown, John Yoxall and various war correspondents.
Document of the Spitfire era
For the history purist, this book may appear biased. According to Glancey, Spitfire pilots were better than their German opponents, the Spitfire itself superior or at least on par with the Messerschmitt Bf 109, and besides, the Spitfire was the greatest fighter of the war. Glancey is excited about his subject, it shows, and he seems to write for those who love the aircraft regardless, not to those that are searching for dry facts and cold-hearted analysis.
Jonathan Glancey is the editor of the Guardian, not a professional historian, although he apparently followed the subject of the book since boyhood. His departure from the dry, factual style of a history lesson (admittedly over-represented in Spitfire literature) to a well-written collection of semi-personal essays is a knowing choice, and in my opinion a successful one. It makes the book highly accessible for anyone with the slight interest in wartime history, yet never dull to read, even to those who know a lot about
the Spitfire already.
It should be said that the word biography may appear misleading. This book does not offer a complete development history of the Spitfire, nor does it cover its operational use in sufficient detail. Rather than that, it is the celebration of the Spitfire legend. His book is a biography of a great phenomenon – the collective fascination by one great piece of British engineering. Glancey attempts to portrait the era which created the Spitfire and how the aircraft itself captured everyone’s imagination in the dire days of 1940 to become the symbol of the British cause in the war, its freedom and defiance, and remained so ever since. From the 1930s, when flying was a luxury for the wealthy who could afford it, through war years when the Spitfire so captured public imagination not only in the UK but worldwide. Notably, where other Spitfire books end with the aircraft’s withdrawal from service in the 1950s, Glancey continues with the Airfix modelling frenzy, the aircraft’s lasting footprint in post-war movies, Triumph sports car and Spitfire Ale, ending with the description of the small but prospering Spitfire restoration industry of today.
Throughout his story, Glancey makes many digressions and introduces an impressive and highly diversified gallery of men and women connected with the legend and its period in history. R J Mitchell; Douglas Bader; Pierre Clostermann; the author’s own parents; John Magee Jr; Johnnie Johnson; “Srewball” Buerling; Noel Pemberton-Billing; Malcolm Campbell; Hugh Dowding; Diana Barnato-Walker; Jeffrey Quill; Beatrice Shilling; Ezer Weizman; even Laurence Olivier and David Niven. If sometimes a bit unfocused, it’s a heart-rising drama that captures the imagination and reflects the scope of the Spitfire’s impact on its time.
Technical specifications
The last chapter of the book enumerates all the versions of the Spitfire, with technical data and 3-view drawings of selected variants (Mk. I, Mk. V, Mk. XI, Mk. XIV and F.24) to 1/72 scale. There is also a cutaway drawing of the Spitfire Mk. I sourced from the contemporary Aeroplane. All these are a nice touch and should be helpful for modellers.
Jonathan Glancey’s tribute to the greatest British aircraft of all time is first and foremost a great read. The broad view on the Spitfire phenomenon gives it its unique character and makes this book that little bit different. In that it is worth recommending. Also, because of its large format and exquisite photographs, it would not look out of place under the coffee table.
If, on the other hand, you want a detailed history of the Spitfire development, Battle of Britain or similar, you will be better suited by other titles.
For a Spitfire fan, this book is worth purchasing in the new hardback edition due to the many immaculately printed photographs.
If you are looking for a nice Christmas or birthday gift for an aviation enthusiast, this book is a fool-proof choice and should be enjoyed by your nearest and dearest regardless of the level of his/her aviation interest.
Reviewd in 2010 by Martin Waligorski on the Spitfire Site
Jonathon Glancey's Spitfire book that preceded the illustrated version -
" /> Last edited by Fantome; 14th Mar 2015 at 09:28.
Just read Mike Brooke's trio, Bucket of Sunshine, Follow me Through and Trials and Errors. Enjoyed all of them, not least the names that came up of guys I had known. Well written and enjoyable books, all of them.
'Adventure with Fate' by Harald Penrose. Published Airlife 1984. A beautifully written and interesting retrospective of test flying with Westlands at Yeovil, by their then Chief Test Pilot.
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For further descriptions of Westlands and the activities, people and achievements at Yeovil the following is an interesting book,
"From Lysander to Lightning" by Glyn Davis. The story of Teddy Petter, Aircraft designer.
ISBN 978-0-7524-9211-7 published by the History Press.
"From Lysander to Lightning" by Glyn Davis. The story of Teddy Petter, Aircraft designer.
ISBN 978-0-7524-9211-7 published by the History Press.
'Adventure with Fate' by Harald Penrose. Published Airlife 1984. A beautifully written and interesting retrospective of test flying with Westlands at Yeovil, by their then Chief Test Pilot.
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by Mort Mason. One of my favourite books on bush flying in Alaska. Good fun and lots of..interesting situations
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Mosquito Down! by Frank Dell (published last summer) is a 'Must read' for anyone interested in training and flying operationally with the RAF 1941-1946, Bomber Command ops and flying the Mosquito.
Dell was shot down over Germany in 1944 while flying with the RAF Light Night Striking Force. His account of the years leading up to the mission in which his Mosquito was hit, being thrown through the roof of his spinning and disintegrating aircraft, tumbling through the air and then descending by parachute for about 20 minutes is fascinating and would alone have made an excellent book but his memoir doesn't stop there - far from it!
He made his way across Nazi Germany to occupied Holland to try to meet the Allied advance. Despite a number of very narrow escapes, he successfully evaded capture and reached Holland five days later.
Posted as 'Missing', and presumed dead, he had joined a Dutch Resistance group and worked with them for some months “making a nuisance of ourselves behind enemy lines”, eventually managing to link up with British forces - an armoured car nosing up a road turned out to be the lead recce vehicle of the British 2nd Army.
Demobbed in 1946, he joined BEA and retired 30 years later as Chief Pilot (Technical).
One of the many strengths of this excellent book is that he wrote down his experiences not long after returning to Britain. The notes he made while events were still fresh in his mind enable him to give fascinating and vivid accounts of his experiences in what is a commendably modest, gripping and inspirational book.
Dell was shot down over Germany in 1944 while flying with the RAF Light Night Striking Force. His account of the years leading up to the mission in which his Mosquito was hit, being thrown through the roof of his spinning and disintegrating aircraft, tumbling through the air and then descending by parachute for about 20 minutes is fascinating and would alone have made an excellent book but his memoir doesn't stop there - far from it!
He made his way across Nazi Germany to occupied Holland to try to meet the Allied advance. Despite a number of very narrow escapes, he successfully evaded capture and reached Holland five days later.
Posted as 'Missing', and presumed dead, he had joined a Dutch Resistance group and worked with them for some months “making a nuisance of ourselves behind enemy lines”, eventually managing to link up with British forces - an armoured car nosing up a road turned out to be the lead recce vehicle of the British 2nd Army.
Demobbed in 1946, he joined BEA and retired 30 years later as Chief Pilot (Technical).
One of the many strengths of this excellent book is that he wrote down his experiences not long after returning to Britain. The notes he made while events were still fresh in his mind enable him to give fascinating and vivid accounts of his experiences in what is a commendably modest, gripping and inspirational book.
'High Endeavour' by Edward Seago is the engagingly told and beautifully illustrated story of Jimmy, a circus man, who at the outbreak of war was determined to join the RAF and learn to fly. That he succeeded in this monumental task was greatly against the odds, as he had to learn from scratch mathematics, as he had no formal schooling at all. Seago was an artist of great talent, as the paintings in this book attest. Whether he really knew a 'Jimmy' or not, as well as the story line makes out, it is not possible to be sure. It is an intriguing question. And if he did exist, did he survive the war?
The passages about learning to fly, and then what it was like for Jimmy to become one with his aircraft, as he had with circus animals, are exceptionally well written.
Seago's choice of a few lines of Wordsworth as a title page quote is just right -
Whose high endeavours are an inward light
That makes the path before him always bright;
Who, with a natural instinct to discern
What knowledge can perform, is diligent to learn;
The passages about learning to fly, and then what it was like for Jimmy to become one with his aircraft, as he had with circus animals, are exceptionally well written.
Seago's choice of a few lines of Wordsworth as a title page quote is just right -
Whose high endeavours are an inward light
That makes the path before him always bright;
Who, with a natural instinct to discern
What knowledge can perform, is diligent to learn;
Last edited by Fantome; 16th Mar 2015 at 16:48.
Just re-reading Vincent Orange's biography of Sir Keith Park. Great story of an outstanding officer and airman, but I am struck particularly by the apparent vicious back stabbing and whingeing of many very senior officers, in some cases carrying grudges from Staff College time to higher realms of strategy and to appointments at air rank. and during wartime.
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P.G. Taylor
If you can find them anything written by Sir Patrick Gordon Taylor is a good read. His titles include:
1935 – Pacific Flight
1937 – VH-UXX
1939 – Call to the Winds
1948 – Forgotten Island
1953 – Frigate Bird
1963 – The Sky Beyond
1964 – Bird of the Islands
1968 – Sopwith Scout 7309
If you can find them anything written by Sir Patrick Gordon Taylor is a good read. His titles include:
1935 – Pacific Flight
1937 – VH-UXX
1939 – Call to the Winds
1948 – Forgotten Island
1953 – Frigate Bird
1963 – The Sky Beyond
1964 – Bird of the Islands
1968 – Sopwith Scout 7309