A very good military read
ARA still exists, it has an interesting heritage: https://www.ara.co.uk/about-ara/our-heritage/
I finished Mike Bannister's 'Concorde' recently. It's a good read and certainly provides a very clear insight into what happened to the Air France Concorde at Gonesse. To get back on track a bit.... I also really enjoyed 'Fall Out Roman Catholics and Jews' by Tony Haig-Thomas, and 'Lightnings to Spitfires' by Clive Rowley. Perhaps they have been mentioned before...
I finished Mike Bannister's 'Concorde' recently. It's a good read and certainly provides a very clear insight into what happened to the Air France Concorde at Gonesse. To get back on track a bit.... I also really enjoyed 'Fall Out Roman Catholics and Jews' by Tony Haig-Thomas, and 'Lightnings to Spitfires' by Clive Rowley. Perhaps they have been mentioned before...
I enjoyed this pilot's story. The title was an unfortunate choice given the self-immolation by the Reds earlier this year, but don't let that put you off, it is a very good read, especially if you like your stories from the cockpit unembellished by political correctness.
The final chapters are a brief description of his time with the Reds; the rest of the book is best described as a 300-page love letter to the Buccaneer, Hunter and Fleet Air Arm. Buy it and enjoy, you will not be disappointed.
The final chapters are a brief description of his time with the Reds; the rest of the book is best described as a 300-page love letter to the Buccaneer, Hunter and Fleet Air Arm. Buy it and enjoy, you will not be disappointed.
Last edited by mike rondot; 9th Sep 2023 at 23:35. Reason: resize pic
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May I recommend something completely different, The Letters of Private Wheeler, 1809-1828. He fought with Wellington's army throughout most of the Peninsula Campaign and, although having only a basic education, writes vividly of the experiences of the ordinary soldier. In fact, he write so well, that John Keegan said. "In a later age he would have become a successful war correspondent... He was one of military history's great originals".
You can buy the book from Amazon and Waterstones, and I highly recpmmend it.
You can buy the book from Amazon and Waterstones, and I highly recpmmend it.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and recommend a series of novels by an ex AAC pilot, Karl Jackson, entitled, “Harry’s Game”.
Over 9 books, they follow the life of RAF pilot Harry Cornwall through WW2. Book One starts in France in Spring 1940 and covers the Battle of France and the retreat and evacuation from Dunkirk.
The following books include: the Battle of Britain, the early defence of Malta,(including Faith, Hope and Charity. Any author that does that has to worth a read), a flag waving tour of the USA, a second tour in Malta(flying reconnaissance in Martin Marylands and Spitfires), a tour on Mosquitoes and flying Lysanders into occupied France. A posting to a Tempest Sqn, a secondment to an American P38 Sqn to mention just a few of the plot lines.
They are available in the Amazon Kindle store and as soon as you look at the link you’ll see that there is a HUGE twist in the tale.
However, I found the author’s style of writing very immersive, so give them a try.
Over 9 books, they follow the life of RAF pilot Harry Cornwall through WW2. Book One starts in France in Spring 1940 and covers the Battle of France and the retreat and evacuation from Dunkirk.
The following books include: the Battle of Britain, the early defence of Malta,(including Faith, Hope and Charity. Any author that does that has to worth a read), a flag waving tour of the USA, a second tour in Malta(flying reconnaissance in Martin Marylands and Spitfires), a tour on Mosquitoes and flying Lysanders into occupied France. A posting to a Tempest Sqn, a secondment to an American P38 Sqn to mention just a few of the plot lines.
They are available in the Amazon Kindle store and as soon as you look at the link you’ll see that there is a HUGE twist in the tale.
However, I found the author’s style of writing very immersive, so give them a try.
The following users liked this post:
I’m going to go out on a limb here and recommend a series of novels by an ex AAC pilot, Karl Jackson, entitled, “Harry’s Game”.
Over 9 books, they follow the life of RAF pilot Harry Cornwall through WW2. Book One starts in France in Spring 1940 and covers the Battle of France and the retreat and evacuation from Dunkirk.
The following books include: the Battle of Britain, the early defence of Malta,(including Faith, Hope and Charity. Any author that does that has to worth a read), a flag waving tour of the USA, a second tour in Malta(flying reconnaissance in Martin Marylands and Spitfires), a tour on Mosquitoes and flying Lysanders into occupied France. A posting to a Tempest Sqn, a secondment to an American P38 Sqn to mention just a few of the plot lines.
They are available in the Amazon Kindle store and as soon as you look at the link you’ll see that there is a HUGE twist in the tale.
However, I found the author’s style of writing very immersive, so give them a try.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08JC5MS...rwt_sb_pc_tukn
Over 9 books, they follow the life of RAF pilot Harry Cornwall through WW2. Book One starts in France in Spring 1940 and covers the Battle of France and the retreat and evacuation from Dunkirk.
The following books include: the Battle of Britain, the early defence of Malta,(including Faith, Hope and Charity. Any author that does that has to worth a read), a flag waving tour of the USA, a second tour in Malta(flying reconnaissance in Martin Marylands and Spitfires), a tour on Mosquitoes and flying Lysanders into occupied France. A posting to a Tempest Sqn, a secondment to an American P38 Sqn to mention just a few of the plot lines.
They are available in the Amazon Kindle store and as soon as you look at the link you’ll see that there is a HUGE twist in the tale.
However, I found the author’s style of writing very immersive, so give them a try.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08JC5MS...rwt_sb_pc_tukn
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I’ve just finished ‘Eject Eject’ and I found it a very good read, indeed. Highly recommended.
Having worked on escape and survival systems for nearly 50 years - 11 of them in R&D with a well known purveyor of Gentleman’s (and now Ladies) explosive airborne furniture - I was particularly pleased to see John N has clearly explained the difficulties with integrating the ‘female’ (other genders are apparently now available!) form into a system designed specifically for males…..We got there eventually, though. 😉
I am now halfway through ‘Typhoon’ and so far, it’s a belter! Beautifully written, Holding even my wandering attention, it’s a page turner for sure one of the easiest reads I’ve had in years.
As a ‘vocational’ pilot myself and who served on the most prodigious of the Jaguar Sqns (II(AC)) Mike’s explanation of the many challenges facing Jag operators at the time is eye opening. I wonder how many of those challenges would have been solved if the Jag had continued in service with its proposed major upgrade in place? . However, It was so sad to see the hierarchies BOI default position - ‘pilot lost control’ - in many of the tragic losses experienced on the Force.
great stuff, both. 🫡 THANK YOU!
Having worked on escape and survival systems for nearly 50 years - 11 of them in R&D with a well known purveyor of Gentleman’s (and now Ladies) explosive airborne furniture - I was particularly pleased to see John N has clearly explained the difficulties with integrating the ‘female’ (other genders are apparently now available!) form into a system designed specifically for males…..We got there eventually, though. 😉
I am now halfway through ‘Typhoon’ and so far, it’s a belter! Beautifully written, Holding even my wandering attention, it’s a page turner for sure one of the easiest reads I’ve had in years.
As a ‘vocational’ pilot myself and who served on the most prodigious of the Jaguar Sqns (II(AC)) Mike’s explanation of the many challenges facing Jag operators at the time is eye opening. I wonder how many of those challenges would have been solved if the Jag had continued in service with its proposed major upgrade in place? . However, It was so sad to see the hierarchies BOI default position - ‘pilot lost control’ - in many of the tragic losses experienced on the Force.
great stuff, both. 🫡 THANK YOU!
“The Right of the Line,(The RAF in The European War 1939-45 )” by John Terraine
A tremendous, heart-warming story of the light blue. A masterful summary of operations and personnel, attitudes and heroism and duty at all levels. In it he argues cogently that the RAF took the traditional superior placing of “The Right of the Line”, because of its achievements and sacrifices in WW2. If you accept that then maybe you should also believe that the RAF should have taken over the position of Senior Service within the British Armed forces.
Sample quotefrom the final pages:
And what of the aircrew, the flyers, the ones who left their burnt bones scattered over all of Europe? In those young men we may discern the many faces of courage, the constitution of heroes: in lonely cockpits at dizzy altitudes, quartering the treacherous and limitless sea, searching the desert’s hostile glare, brushing the peaks of the high mountains, in the ferocity of low-level attack or the long, tense haul of a bombing mission, in fog, in deadly cold, in storm … on fire …in a prison camp… in a skin-grafting hospital … My title shows what I think of them: there is not prouder place, none deserving more honour, than the right of the line.
He does not neglect the groundcrew:
When we look below the ranks of the highest commanders, amid so much heroism, so much military virtue, it becomes invidious to start naming names. The overwhelming majority of the RAF’s million were to be found in the ground crew – that assembly of skilled, educated, individualistic, irreverent, dependable men without whose untiring labours the aircraft would not have flown, the operations would not have happened, the victory could never have been won, and this book would never have been written. The off-hand diffidence of their generation still caused many of them to brush aside their war service with comic or sardonic anecdotes, an attitude reflected in their scurrilous joyful songs , and summed up in what may almost be called the anthem of the “erks” – “Bless (or otherwise) ‘Em All”:
Many of them would rather die than admit to any pride in their part in what they liked to present as the most almighty F**k – Up from beginning to end. “Binding” every inch of the way, they made victory possible; they were splendid.
A tremendous, heart-warming story of the light blue. A masterful summary of operations and personnel, attitudes and heroism and duty at all levels. In it he argues cogently that the RAF took the traditional superior placing of “The Right of the Line”, because of its achievements and sacrifices in WW2. If you accept that then maybe you should also believe that the RAF should have taken over the position of Senior Service within the British Armed forces.
Sample quotefrom the final pages:
And what of the aircrew, the flyers, the ones who left their burnt bones scattered over all of Europe? In those young men we may discern the many faces of courage, the constitution of heroes: in lonely cockpits at dizzy altitudes, quartering the treacherous and limitless sea, searching the desert’s hostile glare, brushing the peaks of the high mountains, in the ferocity of low-level attack or the long, tense haul of a bombing mission, in fog, in deadly cold, in storm … on fire …in a prison camp… in a skin-grafting hospital … My title shows what I think of them: there is not prouder place, none deserving more honour, than the right of the line.
He does not neglect the groundcrew:
When we look below the ranks of the highest commanders, amid so much heroism, so much military virtue, it becomes invidious to start naming names. The overwhelming majority of the RAF’s million were to be found in the ground crew – that assembly of skilled, educated, individualistic, irreverent, dependable men without whose untiring labours the aircraft would not have flown, the operations would not have happened, the victory could never have been won, and this book would never have been written. The off-hand diffidence of their generation still caused many of them to brush aside their war service with comic or sardonic anecdotes, an attitude reflected in their scurrilous joyful songs , and summed up in what may almost be called the anthem of the “erks” – “Bless (or otherwise) ‘Em All”:
Many of them would rather die than admit to any pride in their part in what they liked to present as the most almighty F**k – Up from beginning to end. “Binding” every inch of the way, they made victory possible; they were splendid.
Cheating Death - Combat Air Rescues in Vietnam and Laos. George J. Marrett
I found this an outstanding book.
A really interesting and capable "big-piston" aircraft doing an incredible job.
Well written, no histrionics. These guy's were brave and resourceful.
lsh
I found this an outstanding book.
A really interesting and capable "big-piston" aircraft doing an incredible job.
Well written, no histrionics. These guy's were brave and resourceful.
lsh
Damned Lucky
Memoir (with a ghost writer) of an American B-17 pilot from WW II (my son in law met him in person a few years ago): John Luckadoo.
He really brings the gritty, visceral fear and anxiety of each mission (trying to get to 25 to rotate home before you die in a flaming wreck) of B-17 crews.
Memoir (with a ghost writer) of an American B-17 pilot from WW II (my son in law met him in person a few years ago): John Luckadoo.
He really brings the gritty, visceral fear and anxiety of each mission (trying to get to 25 to rotate home before you die in a flaming wreck) of B-17 crews.
