Aviation Good Reads?
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Aviation good reads
For something non-military, go for a book called 'Propellerhead' by an Enlish guy named Antony Woodward - very funny book. This is one review I found:
Anthony Woodward was never remotely interested in flying. And you don't have to be either to enjoy Woodward's book Propellerhead which tells the story of the author's hilarious and foolhardy attempts to learn to fly a microlight. The main motivation behind Woodward's determination to get his wings is to get the girls. Ever since his mate Richard had returned from Africa having learnt to fly, women seemed to flock to him. Richard had become "a person of deeper substance; tinged with a romantic whiff of intelligence, wealth and daring. Or so the girls plainly seemed to think." Incredulously, and infuriatingly, the bank manager had become a babe magnet. Having gone through long periods of unrelieved celibacy Woodward decides to join a flying syndicate (comprising of Richard and an eccentric Norfolk landowner and his son) and spends the weekends with his head in the clouds and his heart in his mouth. A kind of Those Magnificent Men Behaving Badly in Their Flying Machines, Propellerhead recalls one astonishing aeronautical escapade after the other--such as the time Woodward finds himself slap-bang in the middle of the flight path of a Battle of Britain fly-past. As you read about the hapless pilot's close shaves, near misses and direct hits don't be surprised to find yourself instinctively adopting the crash position........"
Anthony Woodward was never remotely interested in flying. And you don't have to be either to enjoy Woodward's book Propellerhead which tells the story of the author's hilarious and foolhardy attempts to learn to fly a microlight. The main motivation behind Woodward's determination to get his wings is to get the girls. Ever since his mate Richard had returned from Africa having learnt to fly, women seemed to flock to him. Richard had become "a person of deeper substance; tinged with a romantic whiff of intelligence, wealth and daring. Or so the girls plainly seemed to think." Incredulously, and infuriatingly, the bank manager had become a babe magnet. Having gone through long periods of unrelieved celibacy Woodward decides to join a flying syndicate (comprising of Richard and an eccentric Norfolk landowner and his son) and spends the weekends with his head in the clouds and his heart in his mouth. A kind of Those Magnificent Men Behaving Badly in Their Flying Machines, Propellerhead recalls one astonishing aeronautical escapade after the other--such as the time Woodward finds himself slap-bang in the middle of the flight path of a Battle of Britain fly-past. As you read about the hapless pilot's close shaves, near misses and direct hits don't be surprised to find yourself instinctively adopting the crash position........"
On my shelf:-
Fate is the hunter- e gann
Test pilot- Neville duke (hunter tp)
Test pilot- Brian trubshaw (concord ctp)
Flying doctor stories series- bill marsh
Flying doctor- Clyde Fenton
A view from the hover- John farly (harrier ctp)
The big show- Pierre clostermann
Fighter pilot- Paul richy
Bomber boys- Kevin Wilson
Chickenhawk- Robert mason
Wind, sand and stars- st. Expery
Slipping the surly bonds- McGraw hill
Jonathan Livingston seagull- r Bach
Balus series- James Sinclair
Wild blue- David fisher and William Garvey
Killing zone- McGraw hill
Air America- Christopher Robbins
I think there's more that I've lent out and never got back...but any of the above are great...if I could only take one with me on holiday? Hmmmm...
Good thread...I've a few more to add to the growing library now! Ta!
Fate is the hunter- e gann
Test pilot- Neville duke (hunter tp)
Test pilot- Brian trubshaw (concord ctp)
Flying doctor stories series- bill marsh
Flying doctor- Clyde Fenton
A view from the hover- John farly (harrier ctp)
The big show- Pierre clostermann
Fighter pilot- Paul richy
Bomber boys- Kevin Wilson
Chickenhawk- Robert mason
Wind, sand and stars- st. Expery
Slipping the surly bonds- McGraw hill
Jonathan Livingston seagull- r Bach
Balus series- James Sinclair
Wild blue- David fisher and William Garvey
Killing zone- McGraw hill
Air America- Christopher Robbins
I think there's more that I've lent out and never got back...but any of the above are great...if I could only take one with me on holiday? Hmmmm...
Good thread...I've a few more to add to the growing library now! Ta!
Last edited by Unusual-Attitude; 12th Mar 2013 at 05:45.
"Fly For Your Life"
Larry Forrester's biogragphy of Robert Standford Tuck.
WW2 RAF Ace, some new copies are fetching several hundred dollars, 2nd hand still availble at normal prices on the web.
Simply brilliant read!
Larry Forrester's biogragphy of Robert Standford Tuck.
WW2 RAF Ace, some new copies are fetching several hundred dollars, 2nd hand still availble at normal prices on the web.
Simply brilliant read!
Last edited by Obidiah; 14th Mar 2013 at 06:02.
U2s...
"Operation Overflight" Francis Gary Powers, his story. Top yarn
Gives good insight into U2 ops up high in the "death zone", and his shoot down and incarceration in good old USSR.
Nothing changes with regard to bureaucracies tho, CYA 101 and get a scapegoat. And media reporting.
Gives good insight into U2 ops up high in the "death zone", and his shoot down and incarceration in good old USSR.
Nothing changes with regard to bureaucracies tho, CYA 101 and get a scapegoat. And media reporting.
WW2 RAF Ace, some new copies are fetching several hundred dollars, 2nd hand still availble at normal prices on the web.
You have no doubt been a tinny bugger most of your life Centaur old horse
Would be hard graft hunting through tables at say a library sale with the likes of scavengers of our class digging and delving elbow to elbow
and indeed, for the patient, oppies can be gold mines for good reads
'FLY FOR YOUR LIFE' is as others have said a cracker. How Tuck put a shell up the barrel of an ack ack gun trained at him as he was about to dead stick into a confined spot is pure Ripleys.
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
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'Enemy Coast Ahead' by Guy Gibson.
Written after the Dams raid when he was taken off Ops, supposedly permanently. Didn't work out that way though.
Apparently the draft finally published was somewhat censored but the book was recently republished with the censored bits replaced.
Agree with comments re 'Fly for your Life.' A cracking read indeed!
Written after the Dams raid when he was taken off Ops, supposedly permanently. Didn't work out that way though.
Apparently the draft finally published was somewhat censored but the book was recently republished with the censored bits replaced.
Agree with comments re 'Fly for your Life.' A cracking read indeed!
Last edited by Pinky the pilot; 17th Mar 2013 at 03:31.
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Stranger To The Ground - Richard Bach.
Bach is always a good read, but this is gripping stuff of him flying a night mission in a F-84F Thunderstreak to deliver a top secret satchel of documents from England to France at the height of the Cold War and in a deathly thunderstorm...
Air Vagabonds - Anthony J. Vallone
A great read from the hey days of 70's and 80's when crazy ferry pilots delivered single engine aircraft all over the world, across huge oceans with a cabin full of fuel.. There are some hair rising flights that the author had to deal with. Nailbiting read.
Of course as has been mentioned numerously - Fate Is The Hunter.
Bach is always a good read, but this is gripping stuff of him flying a night mission in a F-84F Thunderstreak to deliver a top secret satchel of documents from England to France at the height of the Cold War and in a deathly thunderstorm...
Air Vagabonds - Anthony J. Vallone
A great read from the hey days of 70's and 80's when crazy ferry pilots delivered single engine aircraft all over the world, across huge oceans with a cabin full of fuel.. There are some hair rising flights that the author had to deal with. Nailbiting read.
Of course as has been mentioned numerously - Fate Is The Hunter.
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Night Flight to Arras
Antoin de st Expury has written a coupla good ones re the regular single engine crossings of the South Atlantic in single engined aircraft, solo. An amazing pilot and author, Lyon airport named after him, and wrote a variety of childrens titles. Missing in action over Europe in a reconnassaince P38 late in the War. Have only ever managed to nab one hard copy of his.
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Actually, I find Pprune website a good read. Everything from high drama, facts and farce, all at your fingertips and free too. Best of all is Pprune Aviation History and Nostagia Forum for the oldies.
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