Anyone read any good books ?
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: SELondon
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I agree wholeheartedly with Penguina, I picked up a book about Amy Johnson by Constance Babington-Smith (great name) at Hendon a couple of years ago and was hooked, despite having no interest in Amy before that.....in fact I still don't know what made me buy the book......it was a superb page-turner.
As a result, I picked up the 'Amy Johnson-Queen of the Air' book and 'Amy Johnson-Enigma in the Sky' and was equally impressed.
As far as the others people have mentioned, 'First Light' is the Battle of Britain book.....excellent.
One (out of print) book I haven't seen mentioned so far which I picked up second-hand is by the late great Frank Tallman USN aviator and top movie pilot......his book 'Flying the Old Planes' is superb, it is a great book to dip into, if only to snigger at Frank's brilliant metaphors contained in his experiences of flying everything from a Curtiss Jenny to a B-17.
I usually avoid aviation fiction like the plague.....except V.M.Yeates superb WWI novel 'Winged Victory' and Brian Lecomber's books.
Next on the shelf to be read are Alex Henshaw's 'Flight of the Mew Gull' and 'Sigh for a Merlin'
Tim
As a result, I picked up the 'Amy Johnson-Queen of the Air' book and 'Amy Johnson-Enigma in the Sky' and was equally impressed.
As far as the others people have mentioned, 'First Light' is the Battle of Britain book.....excellent.
One (out of print) book I haven't seen mentioned so far which I picked up second-hand is by the late great Frank Tallman USN aviator and top movie pilot......his book 'Flying the Old Planes' is superb, it is a great book to dip into, if only to snigger at Frank's brilliant metaphors contained in his experiences of flying everything from a Curtiss Jenny to a B-17.
I usually avoid aviation fiction like the plague.....except V.M.Yeates superb WWI novel 'Winged Victory' and Brian Lecomber's books.
Next on the shelf to be read are Alex Henshaw's 'Flight of the Mew Gull' and 'Sigh for a Merlin'
Tim
"Flight of the Mew Gull" by Alex Henshaw - from the moment I started reading I couldn't put the book down and the solo record from London to Cape Town which he achieved in just over 4 days in the 1930s STILL stands!!
Alex Henshaw was airborne again recently in one of the Spitfires which celebrated the 70th anniversary of the type.
Alex Henshaw was airborne again recently in one of the Spitfires which celebrated the 70th anniversary of the type.
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Alex Henshaw was airborne again recently in one of the Spitfires which celebrated the 70th anniversary of the type.
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Originally Posted by Fly Stimulator
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.
Hear hear! 'Propellerhead' is a great read! made all the more funny if you learned to fly in a Thruster Microlight!
And 'Solo' an adult book by Roald Dahl is interesting. A lot about his young life, but a fair chunk about his time learning to fly.
