Anyone read any good books ?
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Glancing at this thread made me cringe, am I really that sad? So I had a quick check on the old bookcase and sure enough there were just too many of the aviation titles shown on the long list for me to escape any vestige of individuality. Thus with my anorak exposed, I can only offer a couple of extra little gems, which although not mentioned, do deserve being hunted down and read by those with a similar literary flying addiction.
The first is a WWII autobiography by James Goodson called Tumult in the Clouds. A quite incredible personal story, but also great descriptions of fellow RAF and US pilots and the life that they experienced during the air war over Europe.
The second title really will be a hunt as it always sells out after a reprint and will probably only be found second hand. In fact the story goes that it was highly sought after during WWII by pilots, changing hands at £5 a copy. It is written by RFC veteran V.M. Yeates and is called "Winged Victory". It is a novel about flying on the Western Front in WWI and given the author's experience and the fact that he died aged 37 of tuberculosis due to war strain (technically called Flying Sickness D) makes it all the more poignant and moving. For those of us who love watching the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden, reading this book really brings home the experience of flying those amazing First World War Machines.
(Oh and finally, in case the penny hasn't dropped with any non-believers........ Fate is the Hunter, good book!)
The first is a WWII autobiography by James Goodson called Tumult in the Clouds. A quite incredible personal story, but also great descriptions of fellow RAF and US pilots and the life that they experienced during the air war over Europe.
The second title really will be a hunt as it always sells out after a reprint and will probably only be found second hand. In fact the story goes that it was highly sought after during WWII by pilots, changing hands at £5 a copy. It is written by RFC veteran V.M. Yeates and is called "Winged Victory". It is a novel about flying on the Western Front in WWI and given the author's experience and the fact that he died aged 37 of tuberculosis due to war strain (technically called Flying Sickness D) makes it all the more poignant and moving. For those of us who love watching the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden, reading this book really brings home the experience of flying those amazing First World War Machines.
(Oh and finally, in case the penny hasn't dropped with any non-believers........ Fate is the Hunter, good book!)
Last edited by Flyer Flier; 7th Oct 2003 at 20:55.
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Page 2 of the thread and still no-one has mentioned"Flight to Arras" or "Wind, Sand and Stars" by Antoine de St Exupery!
It must have been an oversight!
To the list I'd like to add,
"Echoes in the Sky" an anthology of aviation verse from the two world wars by Ronald Dixon, ISBN07137 12716 and,
"Dancing in the Skies" an autobiography of an Icelandic fighter pilot in WWII, by Tony Jonsson, ISBN 1-898697-03-5.
"The Ghost of Flight 401" and "The Airmen who would not die" are also worth a read. Can't remember the author, Lyall Watson rings a bell.
It must have been an oversight!
To the list I'd like to add,
"Echoes in the Sky" an anthology of aviation verse from the two world wars by Ronald Dixon, ISBN07137 12716 and,
"Dancing in the Skies" an autobiography of an Icelandic fighter pilot in WWII, by Tony Jonsson, ISBN 1-898697-03-5.
"The Ghost of Flight 401" and "The Airmen who would not die" are also worth a read. Can't remember the author, Lyall Watson rings a bell.
Carbonfibre-based lifeform
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I'd add Antony Woodward's Propellerhead which is not only a very funny book in its own right, but includes some wonderful quotes from other aviation writers, and also Bob Buck's North Star Over My Shoulder which chronicles his career from mail flying in the 20's to captaining 747s and is a fascinating aviation autobiography.
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If any of you can get hold of it I would also recommend "A Standard Pilot's Notes" by Nigel Hamlin-Wright.
Published by Chocks Away it is a short book but worth reading.
My wife bought me my copy for Christmas. Although I had finished it by Boxing Day it was worth reading for sure.
Published by Chocks Away it is a short book but worth reading.
My wife bought me my copy for Christmas. Although I had finished it by Boxing Day it was worth reading for sure.
Thread Starter
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And 'The Big Show' by Pierre Closterman........
and 'The One that got away'..........
and 'Cheshire VC'.........
and 'Tornado Down' by John Peters & John Nicholl (don't bother with 'Team Tornado' though by the same authors)
I'm sorting through my bookshelf as we speak
Arc
and 'The One that got away'..........
and 'Cheshire VC'.........
and 'Tornado Down' by John Peters & John Nicholl (don't bother with 'Team Tornado' though by the same authors)
I'm sorting through my bookshelf as we speak
Arc
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Just bought Killing Zone, having been reminded by this thread to read it.
About half way through, so far I'm thinking "I know most of this stuff, I wouldn't be that stupid". Hmm. Which, I wonder, of the following is true:
About half way through, so far I'm thinking "I know most of this stuff, I wouldn't be that stupid". Hmm. Which, I wonder, of the following is true:
- I'm going to be one of the ones who survive
- all the other pilots who killed themselves by being stupid thought exactly as I do now.
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Fate is the Hunter - well, I'll be logging off any minute soon. Thanks for reminding me, there's nothing like a good re-read. Just finished a 2nd pass on Propellerhead. Bang on.
Not convinced about the killing zone. The subjects are good but there's nothing that really substantiates the 'zone' itself, i.e. Is it really a 'zone' or is it merely the typical hours done by privates before they pack it in for other reason (medical, cash, boredom, whatever).
Not convinced about the killing zone. The subjects are good but there's nothing that really substantiates the 'zone' itself, i.e. Is it really a 'zone' or is it merely the typical hours done by privates before they pack it in for other reason (medical, cash, boredom, whatever).
to sail beyond the sunset
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Here is an idea.
The good book theme is a recurring one on PPRUNE.
If we had a special book page, with members recommendations, but with links to Amazon so that Danny could earn a few quid in commissions to help fund PPRUNE..
I'd be delighted to shop there.
The good book theme is a recurring one on PPRUNE.
If we had a special book page, with members recommendations, but with links to Amazon so that Danny could earn a few quid in commissions to help fund PPRUNE..
I'd be delighted to shop there.
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Arclite01,
A couple of good books I read lately are:
'Chicken hawk' by Robert Mason, about a chopper pilot flying in Vietnam - true story and a very good read.
Another excellent book is 'God is my co-pilot' by Robert L. Scott.
(http://www.475thfghf.org/Friends/scott.htm)
This pilot flew a P-40 in the second world War - the book was made into a film by the same name - and the author is still roaming the earth aged 90+, again a very interesting read.
Mixturerich.
A couple of good books I read lately are:
'Chicken hawk' by Robert Mason, about a chopper pilot flying in Vietnam - true story and a very good read.
Another excellent book is 'God is my co-pilot' by Robert L. Scott.
(http://www.475thfghf.org/Friends/scott.htm)
This pilot flew a P-40 in the second world War - the book was made into a film by the same name - and the author is still roaming the earth aged 90+, again a very interesting read.
Mixturerich.
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Sod all to do with Private Flying - but I've just read..
"Flight" The biography of Chris Kraft (the first ever mission controller for NASA).
Fascinating book - all about the exploits of test pilots and the space race between the Soviets and the USA.
Fascinating.
"Flight" The biography of Chris Kraft (the first ever mission controller for NASA).
Fascinating book - all about the exploits of test pilots and the space race between the Soviets and the USA.
Fascinating.
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Great Aviation Quotes
Another good book that I have read, and which is also available on-line here is Slipping the Surly Bonds, Great Aviation Quotes by Dave English. Well worth a read.
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No one has mentioned Sheila Scott's books
'On top of the world'
'I must fly'
There is this thread elsewhere in pprune
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...threadid=65903
'On top of the world'
'I must fly'
There is this thread elsewhere in pprune
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...threadid=65903
Simplicate and Add Lightness
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One I'm suprised no-one had listed is Spirit of St Louis , Lindbergh's own account of his Atlantic crossing. A gripping read I thought. I didn't get so far with his autobiography, but I may give it another go.
Another good read, despite the fact that it is only partially devoted to aviation, is Beryl Markham's biography Straight on til Morning . A fascinating social document about an amazing woman. (She made the first solo east-to-west nonstop trans-Atlantic flight in 1936.)
Another good read, despite the fact that it is only partially devoted to aviation, is Beryl Markham's biography Straight on til Morning . A fascinating social document about an amazing woman. (She made the first solo east-to-west nonstop trans-Atlantic flight in 1936.)
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RodgerF,
Good recommendations!
If you like Sheila's two books, you might also be interested in Judy Lomax, Sheila Scott: A Biography (1990).
It's too bad that so few people now remember Sheila Scott. Sure she was mentally ill and a sponger, but she certainly accomplished some extremely impressive aviation feats. I believe that this link is about all that is available on the 'net.
MLS-12D
P.S. to In Altissimus: Also worth reading are Beryl Markham's own book West With the Night (ghostwritten by Raoul Schumacher), and Errol Trzebinski, The Lives of Beryl Markham (1993). The made-for-TV movie Shadow on the Sun (1988) is also good (see generally here).
Good recommendations!
If you like Sheila's two books, you might also be interested in Judy Lomax, Sheila Scott: A Biography (1990).
It's too bad that so few people now remember Sheila Scott. Sure she was mentally ill and a sponger, but she certainly accomplished some extremely impressive aviation feats. I believe that this link is about all that is available on the 'net.
MLS-12D
P.S. to In Altissimus: Also worth reading are Beryl Markham's own book West With the Night (ghostwritten by Raoul Schumacher), and Errol Trzebinski, The Lives of Beryl Markham (1993). The made-for-TV movie Shadow on the Sun (1988) is also good (see generally here).
Last edited by MLS-12D; 18th Oct 2003 at 03:34.
"Chickenhawk" is the definitive book on helicopter flying in Vietnam, but there are more in the same mould.
"Rescue Pilot" by Don McKinnon is worth a read - writing style is a bit odd, but the descriptions of the early days of helicopter flying in the US Navy are worth a read.
"Rescue Pilot" by Don McKinnon is worth a read - writing style is a bit odd, but the descriptions of the early days of helicopter flying in the US Navy are worth a read.
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Time to resurrect this thread. I have just been reading The Mad Major, autobiography of Chris Draper, who flew under the London bridges with his Auster. Terrific read. Talk about member of the awkward squad!
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/...+mad+major&x=0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Draper
QDM
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/...+mad+major&x=0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Draper
QDM
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I think all my favorites are already mentioned. One that I don't think has been yet is the excellent 'F4 Phantom. A pilot's story' by Robert Prest. And has anyone mentioned Brian Lecomber's novels? - all quite excellent. And Richard bach's 'A Gift of Wings', 'Stranger to the Ground', ans some others but not that seagull book which did little for me.
I, too, am currently reading Wellum's 'First Light'. It's superb!
SSD
I, too, am currently reading Wellum's 'First Light'. It's superb!
SSD