Books wot I 'ave read
 

Well, are reading....

You wait for ages then have a birthday and a host of new books come along.

One of my sisters bought me a book called "The ghosts of Biggin Hill". I havn't had time to read it yet, but some of the pictures are new to me. Quite disturbing is one near the back of the book, The Aerocobra a split second before it went in at last years Air Fair.

Another arived today "The years flew past" by the late great friend of PPRuNe, "Bee Beamont. Again I have only had a chance to skim it and check out some of the photos, but the Prologue is one of the most touching pieces of writing I have come across in a long time.

Don't disturb me, I'm going to be tied up for the next few days.

Try "Only Owls And Bloody Fools Fly At Night" by W/C 'Tom' Sawyer. Interesting insight into Bomber Command ops throughout the war. He was the Wingco of my Dad's squadron and was a real character.

In the same vein

"Lancaster Target" by Jack Currie is a classic, bringing a Lancaster home at night without ailerons,,,, <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

"No Moon Tonight" by Don Charlwood

Wunper

There was a thread not so long ago in the Mil section about good books. I got hold of Sagittarius Rising by Cecil Lewis and Fate is the Hunter by Ernest K Gann on the recommendations of other PPRuNers and they are fabulous reads.

Tonks <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

Urhhh,

Gentlemen of adventure - Ernest Gann. .In the Company of eagles - Ernest Gann. .The High and the Mighty - Ernest Gann. .Song of the Sirens - Ernest gann (about Boats). .Think like a bird - Alex Kimball (from memory). .Propellorhead - Antony Woodward. .Hell On earth - Mel Rolfe. .The Ghost of flight 401 - JOhn Fuller. .Airframe - Michael Critchon. .Over to You - Roald Dahl. .Going Solo - Roald dahl. .Mosquito Victory - Jack Currie. .Wings Over Georgia - Jack Curry. .Gift of Wings - Richard bach. .Biplane - Richard Bach. .Round the Bend - Neville Shute. .Stranger to the Ground - Richard Bach. .Reach for the Sky - . .Enemy Coast Ahead - Guy Gibson. .Illusions - Richard Bach

And dare I say I just can't get to grips with any Exupery???

In addition to the thread that Tonkenna mentions there is also this older R&N thread, "Read any good books?" that has been archived:. .<a href="http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=70&t=000003" target="_blank">http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=70&t=000003</a>

"Bomber' by Len Deighton is great.

Recently finished reading Sir Stanley Hookers fascinating autobiography "Not much of an Engineer" Had to castigate the kind pilot type gentleman who lent it to me for preventing me getting any sleep for two nights, being unable to put the book down.

Sir Stanley, in case you didn't know, worked at Rolls Royce starting with Merlin superchargers and then developing their early jet engines before moving to Bristol Siddeley where he was responsible for developing the Olympus and the Pegasus among others. Finally, back to Rolls to get the RB211 working and earning, after the original company fell over in '71.

**********************************. .Through difficulties to the cinema

Blacksheep, must agree with you there, a very interesting and unputdownable book.

I loved the part where Hooker took Lord Hives to see Frank Whittle to get RR to take over the jet engine development.

Whittle was explaining how simple the whole thing was and Hives said " don't worry, my engineers will soon design the simplicity out of it" :)

A couple of other books which typify some of the incredible flying that was done in the war in aircraft with minimal navigation aids.

'We Landed by Moonlight' by Hugh Verity is a history of the clandestine missions into France by the Lysanders and Hudsons from Tempsford.

'Bring Back My Stringbag' by John Kilbracken tracks his career in the FAA flying these supposedly obsolete aircraft on missions that nothing else could do - Atlantic convoys, Artic convoys and shipping strikes.

Both are excellent reads and thoroughly recommended as something a bit different from Spitfire aces and bombers to Berlin.

RD

"Zero" by Masatke Okumiya and Jiro Horikoshie. WWII in the Pacific from the Japanese side. Published by Bantam 1957, republished 1991. A very unusual and illuminating take on a story we generally only hear from the US viewpoint.

Incredible stories of endurance - 9 hour missions including extensive combat by Zeros were normal.

It includes the unbelievable odyssey of Saburo Sakai who managed 11 hours in the air, attacking the US forces invading Guadalcanal. He was shot up by the rear gunners of a formation of Avengers , and flew 5 hours back to Rabaul blind in one eye, partially sighted in the other, blood gushing from numerous wounds, and his left arm completely immobilised. Had to take his right hand off the control column to try to staunch the wounds, damage to the a/c always rolled it inverted. Lost his maps because the windscreen had been destroyed, this also removed 5 our of his 6 bandages before he got the last one in place whilst his uncontrolled a/c was rolling around it's damaged wing in cloud. Landed at Rabaul,spent two years in hospital and survived the war.

The book is also fascinating because it describes how totally unprepared the Japanese military was for the scale of war they had embarked upon, and how unwilling most of them were to participate in it (but no punches are pulled and there are no excuses- the authors are frank about how exciting the series of early victories were, a tone of penitence and self criticism characterises the whole book and the short sightedness of Japanese High Command is laid bare).

I found it second hand in a market in London - ISBN is 0-553-28872-5. Essential read for anybody seriously interested in this bit of history.

If you want to read more about Saburo Sakai, his own book is titled "Samurai". Great read. Sorry, but I have no ISBN - mine's a 30 year old paperback. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

Add: Le Grand Cirque (the Big Show, by Pierre Clostermann (still going strong at 80 plus, vigorously defending himself against internet calumnists), and Night Flight, by Antoine de St Exupery (OK, anything by him)

Have to agree that "We Landed by Moonlight" is a great book. Hugh Verity died last year.. .Roger Freeman has written some great books about the 8th Army Air Force in the UK.. .I can also recommend "The Forgotten Bomber" by Graham Warner (slight bias here!).. .Must also mention, and this may appeal to those of you with an avionics bent (or just a bent avionics person!), "Confound and Destroy" by Martin Middlebrook and "Instruments of Darkness" by Alfred Price.. .There are so many good books available, unfortunately funds are not!

[ 16 February 2002: Message edited by: Bus429 ]</p>

I've read both threads, this and the archived, and found many books that I must add to my collection, but I cannot believe no-one has mentioned Beryl Markhams 'West with the Night'. Perhaps one of the most beautifully written autobiographies ever.. .This is the Lady made the first solo flight the wrong way across the atlantic, (East to West) not just the first woman, but the first flight, in I think, a Mew Gull.. .White Bear.

For me the best one ever is 'Winged Victory' by W V Yeates (from memory) - all about flying Camels in the First World War, allegedly autobiographical although dressed up as fiction - loaned my copy to younger brother and haven't seen it since!

A very good book of more recent times ie, the life of a RAF Fast Jet Pilot.. .is Robert Prests. .F4. .Phantom . .A pilots story.. .Probably out of print now, but I have a battered copy.

[ 19 February 2002: Message edited by: tony draper ]</p>

I had a look a the 'Photographic Guide to England' last night and its very, very nice. The price at £99 is nearly as heavy as the weight, but it was on offer. I think it was reviewed in this months 'Pilot'

The detail is amazing, I only had a brief look at my local area but found my house and workplace. I think it will help in X-country navigation, but for anyone who likes maps, this will add a whole new dimension.

As the flying fund is quite healthy due to weather-induced ground-hugging, I might go out & buy it, especially as it was on offer.

Gann and Saint Ex, yes.

Amazed that nobody has mentioned Eagle’s Wings by Hajo Hermann. Beautifully written memoirs of a Luftwaffe Major which describes experiences ranging from the Spanish Civil War to desperate ‘Wilde Sau’ ramming of Allied bombers at night. Buy it!

That book or something very like it is available free on the web Mr Who Has Control.

<a href="http://www.multimap.com" target="_blank">www.multimap.com</a>

Just type in your postcode and you get a picky of your house from ten thousand or five thousand feet.. .Had hours of fun with it.. .Found the link on the military forum a while back.. .Great site well worth a visit.

[ 24 February 2002: Message edited by: tony draper ]</p>