Aviation Good Reads?
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NEVIL SHUTE wrote many excellent books on aviation.It may be difficult to find his work today.
ERNEST GHAN books are pretty hard to beat".Fate Is The Hunter" is his masterpiece.
ERNEST GHAN books are pretty hard to beat".Fate Is The Hunter" is his masterpiece.
Sagittarius Rising by Cecil Lewis
"Nanette" Edwards Park...his love affair with a P 39 in New Guinea.
"Angels 20" is the extended version of his WW2 story.
"Zero" biog of Saburo Sakai, one of Japan's leading aces. Survived the war.
"Song of the Sky" Guy Murchie. Was a Navigator on C54s and Libs travelling around the world WW2.
"No Moon tonight" A Bomber Command classic like a "Piece of Cake"
Once was a kid who could recite you the last chapter of "Enemy Coast Ahead" but that was many thousands? of books ago, long forgotten now.
The original Pan paperback edition is mildewed, cockroach chewed, battered and worn..and always a top read.
"Lindberg" his bio, the story of the trans Atlantic flight, interwoven with his early flying exploits, barnstorming, mail pilot etc..that set him up with experience for the 'big one' Extraodinaire !!
Bit hard to contemplate hand flying for 36 hours, over water, thru difficult weather, in an age of unreliable engines, in an aeroplane with very little or no forward vision.!
Seems like sitting at home playing Russian roulette all day.!
But it worked !! Thankfully. Hence THE book.
"Angels 20" is the extended version of his WW2 story.
"Zero" biog of Saburo Sakai, one of Japan's leading aces. Survived the war.
"Song of the Sky" Guy Murchie. Was a Navigator on C54s and Libs travelling around the world WW2.
"No Moon tonight" A Bomber Command classic like a "Piece of Cake"
Once was a kid who could recite you the last chapter of "Enemy Coast Ahead" but that was many thousands? of books ago, long forgotten now.
The original Pan paperback edition is mildewed, cockroach chewed, battered and worn..and always a top read.
"Lindberg" his bio, the story of the trans Atlantic flight, interwoven with his early flying exploits, barnstorming, mail pilot etc..that set him up with experience for the 'big one' Extraodinaire !!
Bit hard to contemplate hand flying for 36 hours, over water, thru difficult weather, in an age of unreliable engines, in an aeroplane with very little or no forward vision.!
Seems like sitting at home playing Russian roulette all day.!
But it worked !! Thankfully. Hence THE book.
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I agree with the thread author - Matt Hall's book is a ripper, and eminently relatable!
Another I picked up on Amazon recently is Owen Zupp's '50 Tales of Flying, from Biplanes to Boeings'. Fantastic stories about all facets of flying. Owen is a commercial pilot with thousands of hours on multiple types and has lessons and stories we can all relate to and learn from. I can not recommend it highly enough!
Another I picked up on Amazon recently is Owen Zupp's '50 Tales of Flying, from Biplanes to Boeings'. Fantastic stories about all facets of flying. Owen is a commercial pilot with thousands of hours on multiple types and has lessons and stories we can all relate to and learn from. I can not recommend it highly enough!
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NEVIL SHUTE wrote many excellent books on aviation.It may be difficult to find his work today.
'Seize the Reckless Wind' by John Gordon Davis is also a good read but probably very hard to obtain a copy now.
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One which I stumbled on by complete accident was The Bomber Boys (Booktopia - The Bomber Boys, Heroes Who Flew the B-17s in World War II by Travis L Ayres, 9780451228710. Buy this book online.)
Started reading the book and couldn't put it down!
The other book which I have just started is indeed Fate is The Hunter. Only read the prologue and the first chapter but such a good read so far.
Matt Hall's book is looking like it could be of interest, and I didn't mind QF32.
Started reading the book and couldn't put it down!
The other book which I have just started is indeed Fate is The Hunter. Only read the prologue and the first chapter but such a good read so far.
Matt Hall's book is looking like it could be of interest, and I didn't mind QF32.
ditto the other plugs here for this one. . . . . 'Serge' is the totally authentic ex-RAAF F/A 18 driver with a sharp mind and consummate ability as a writer.
How he progresses from a wide eyed boy at an airshow having a good chat with the late Ross Fox, who was there displaying his F/A 18, to being a graduate of the top gun school at Willytown is must read for any young blade aspiring to the RAAF's upper echelons, at least in the aviating way.
Many good laughs in this one, but also the grimmer aspects of good men being led by time serving, purblind, lily-livered lack lustres. 'Serge' does not hold back.
How he progresses from a wide eyed boy at an airshow having a good chat with the late Ross Fox, who was there displaying his F/A 18, to being a graduate of the top gun school at Willytown is must read for any young blade aspiring to the RAAF's upper echelons, at least in the aviating way.
Many good laughs in this one, but also the grimmer aspects of good men being led by time serving, purblind, lily-livered lack lustres. 'Serge' does not hold back.
Last edited by Fantome; 9th Mar 2013 at 19:22.
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NEVIL SHUTE wrote many excellent books on aviation.It may be difficult to find his work today.
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Love the writings of Ernest Gann and PG Taylor. In my opinion though the outstanding No 1 would be "The Spirit of St Louis" by Charles Lindbergh. The autobiography that covers his early years and up to just after his Atlantic flight. His story of having an aircraft designed and built, test flown in a non stop flight across the States and then flown to Paris, all in less time than it would take for CASA to say "You are planning to what?!!" He was very meticulous in his planning but he had no pretentions or any inkling of the fame that would come his way. When he made his last position fix over St Johns New Foundland he had no idea that the world had been hanging on every sighting made during the day and that the world took a collective breath as he passed over the town and headed east and didn't breath out until he was sighted crossing the coast of Ireland.
He was naive to the point where as he nearing Paris and it being late in the day he was wondering to himself whether there might still be someone around who could perhaps give him a hand with the aircraft and perhaps a lift into town.
The book is a great read and it won a Pulitzer Prize. He was as good at writing as he was at aviating. I see it is available on bookdepository. A quote from that book that I have on the office wall is.
‘Is aviation too arrogant? Idon’t know. Sometimes flying feels too godlike to be attained by man.Sometimes, the world from above seems too beautiful, too wonderful, too distantfor human eyes to see, like a vision at the end of life forming a bridge to death.Can that be why so many pilots lose their lives? Is man encroaching on aforbidden realm? Is aviation dangerous because the sky was never meant for him?When one obtains too great a vision is there some power that draws one frommortal life forever? Will this power smite down pilot after pilot until manloses his will to fly? Or, still worse, will it deaden his senses and let himfly on without the vision? In developing aviation, in making it a form of commerce, in replacing the wild freedom ofdanger with the civilised bonds of safety, must we give up this miracle of theair? Will men fly through the sky in the future without seeing what I haveseen, without feeling what I have felt? Is that true of all things we callhuman progress - do the gods retire as commerce and science advance?’
Charles Lindbergh ‘The Spirit of St Louis’ 1953.
He was naive to the point where as he nearing Paris and it being late in the day he was wondering to himself whether there might still be someone around who could perhaps give him a hand with the aircraft and perhaps a lift into town.
The book is a great read and it won a Pulitzer Prize. He was as good at writing as he was at aviating. I see it is available on bookdepository. A quote from that book that I have on the office wall is.
‘Is aviation too arrogant? Idon’t know. Sometimes flying feels too godlike to be attained by man.Sometimes, the world from above seems too beautiful, too wonderful, too distantfor human eyes to see, like a vision at the end of life forming a bridge to death.Can that be why so many pilots lose their lives? Is man encroaching on aforbidden realm? Is aviation dangerous because the sky was never meant for him?When one obtains too great a vision is there some power that draws one frommortal life forever? Will this power smite down pilot after pilot until manloses his will to fly? Or, still worse, will it deaden his senses and let himfly on without the vision? In developing aviation, in making it a form of commerce, in replacing the wild freedom ofdanger with the civilised bonds of safety, must we give up this miracle of theair? Will men fly through the sky in the future without seeing what I haveseen, without feeling what I have felt? Is that true of all things we callhuman progress - do the gods retire as commerce and science advance?’
Charles Lindbergh ‘The Spirit of St Louis’ 1953.
Nunc est bibendum
Another I picked up on Amazon recently is Owen Zupp's '50 Tales of Flying, from Biplanes to Boeings'. Fantastic stories about all facets of flying.
Another good one is by Mike Mullane. All about the Space Shuttle. Funny bloke.
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I can't remember the book but there is a 'comedy' of a Heathrow based Long Haul Carrier and follows a Airline Manager.
Great laugh! Includes a gay assistant mamager..
Great laugh! Includes a gay assistant mamager..
moresome....
Flight of the Mew Gull.
Sigh for a Merlin.
Chichesters 'Solo' Gipsy Moth on wheels UK to Oz.
and on floats .."Ride the Wind" Trans Tasman and on to Japan
All
Sigh for a Merlin.
Chichesters 'Solo' Gipsy Moth on wheels UK to Oz.
and on floats .."Ride the Wind" Trans Tasman and on to Japan
All
"My Secret War" by Richard S. Drury about his flying Skyraiders during the Vietnam war. Also his description of flying his Skyraider with his flight instruments shot up and having no choice but penetrating huge thunderstorms on his way back to base. Now that was real limited panel flying. His next book was called "Flightlines" and that has 54 separate wonderfully written stories.
Another rare book is "F4 Phantom - A Pilot's story" by Robert Prest published in 1979. RAF pilot story of how he came to fly the F4. One chapter is called "The land of the afterburner" and it makes your hair stand on end.
Then there are the superb writings by one of the finest aviation writers of all time, Len Morgan (USA). His books "View from the Cockpit" and "Vectors" were compiled from his regular column in US Flying magazine.
This Pprune correspondent was privileged to have Len Morgan add a complimentary comment as part of the Introduction to Tall Tails of the South Pacific, a book mentioned earlier in the thread.
Another rare book is "F4 Phantom - A Pilot's story" by Robert Prest published in 1979. RAF pilot story of how he came to fly the F4. One chapter is called "The land of the afterburner" and it makes your hair stand on end.
Then there are the superb writings by one of the finest aviation writers of all time, Len Morgan (USA). His books "View from the Cockpit" and "Vectors" were compiled from his regular column in US Flying magazine.
This Pprune correspondent was privileged to have Len Morgan add a complimentary comment as part of the Introduction to Tall Tails of the South Pacific, a book mentioned earlier in the thread.
Last edited by Centaurus; 10th Mar 2013 at 13:10.
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Hi All,
There are some great titles here, old and new.
Gann is always a favourite and so is Richard Bach. He has a number of titles, but 'Biplane' is a great short read.
Cheers
Owen
Owen Zupp
There are some great titles here, old and new.
Gann is always a favourite and so is Richard Bach. He has a number of titles, but 'Biplane' is a great short read.
Cheers
Owen
Owen Zupp
Darwin Spitfires by Anthony Cooper.
Failure of Triumph by E J Connellan.
A great read on how to start an airline from scratch, dealing with government departments, operating inferior equipment etc.
Failure of Triumph by E J Connellan.
A great read on how to start an airline from scratch, dealing with government departments, operating inferior equipment etc.
Charles Kingsford Smith and Those Magnificent Men by Peter Fitzsimons. A great pilot but hopeless businessman - what's changed?
At War With the Wind by David Sears. The kamikazis nearly turned the Pacific War.
Retribution - The Battle for Japan 1944-45 by Max Hastings. One of my favourite historical authors who explains why the war against Japan was prosecuted so ruthlessly. The political decisions leading up to both the incendiary, and the atomic war, make interesting reading.
1942 by Bob Worth. When we almost lost WW2.
Wings of Destiny by Charles Page. The bio of W/Cdr Charles Learmonth. Deals particularly with 22 Sqdn RAAAf flying Bostons in PNG. The Battle of the Bismarch Sea - the very 1st time an air force completely routed a large naval force - is a highlight of this book.
Whispering Death by Mark Johnston is the story of Aussie airman in the Pacific War. Many were in RAF sqdns, and quite a few with the USAAF. The low level ops done in P-40s, Bostons and Beaufighters is a good read. If you've flown in PNG - you recognise lots of the locations.
happy days,
At War With the Wind by David Sears. The kamikazis nearly turned the Pacific War.
Retribution - The Battle for Japan 1944-45 by Max Hastings. One of my favourite historical authors who explains why the war against Japan was prosecuted so ruthlessly. The political decisions leading up to both the incendiary, and the atomic war, make interesting reading.
1942 by Bob Worth. When we almost lost WW2.
Wings of Destiny by Charles Page. The bio of W/Cdr Charles Learmonth. Deals particularly with 22 Sqdn RAAAf flying Bostons in PNG. The Battle of the Bismarch Sea - the very 1st time an air force completely routed a large naval force - is a highlight of this book.
Whispering Death by Mark Johnston is the story of Aussie airman in the Pacific War. Many were in RAF sqdns, and quite a few with the USAAF. The low level ops done in P-40s, Bostons and Beaufighters is a good read. If you've flown in PNG - you recognise lots of the locations.
happy days,