What aircraft book to read next?
Discussion
I've just got hold of:
Spitfire a test pilot's story - Jeffrey Quill http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0947554726
Sigh for a merlin - Alex Henshaw http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0947554831
Spies in the sky - Taylor Downing http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1408702800
Spitfire on my tail - Ulrich Steinhilper http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spitfire-My-Tail-View-Othe...
Lancaster - Leo McKinstry http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/071952363X
Spitfire Manual 1940 (Amberley Press) http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1848684363
Avro Lancaster Haynes Manual http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1844254631
Also take a look at:
Tail End Charlies - John Nichol / Tony Rennell http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tail-End-Charlies-Battles-...
Fighter boys - Patrick Bishop http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fighter-Boys-Saving-Britai...
Bomber boys - Kevin Wilson http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bomber-Boys-Dambusters-blo...
The man who flew the memphis belle - Robert Morgan & Ron Powers http://www.amazon.co.uk/Man-Who-Flew-Memphis-Belle...
Lancaster: The biography - Tony Iverson http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lancaster-Biography-Tony-I...
Edited by Crafty_ on Sunday 27th November 20:29
Vietnam Phantom pilot Mark Berent wrote a series of fictional but fact based books covering Vietnam from a pilots viewpoint, I thoroughly enjoyed them. Start off with Rolling Thunder. There are five books in total and they paint an interesting picture of the war in Vietnam.
I'm currently reading Shadow Flights by Curtis Peebles, its about the US overflights of Russia during the cold war by U2's and the like. Am enjoying that so will be on the lookout for Dark Eagles by the same author, it covers the development of Americas Black projects-SR-71, Stealth, US captured MIG's.
I'm currently reading Shadow Flights by Curtis Peebles, its about the US overflights of Russia during the cold war by U2's and the like. Am enjoying that so will be on the lookout for Dark Eagles by the same author, it covers the development of Americas Black projects-SR-71, Stealth, US captured MIG's.
Reading 'Fate is the hunter' at the moment and considering when it was written I am shocked at how many aviation feelings he has articulated better than I could even feel, my favourite quote so far is "A pilot may earn his full pay for the year in less than 2 minutes. At the time of the incident he would gladly return the entire amount for the privilege of being elsewhere."
brenflys777 said:
Reading 'Fate is the hunter' at the moment and considering when it was written I am shocked at how many aviation feelings he has articulated better than I could even feel, my favourite quote so far is "A pilot may earn his full pay for the year in less than 2 minutes. At the time of the incident he would gladly return the entire amount for the privilege of being elsewhere."
A friend of a friend was a long term pilot with Delta. He'd bought my friend a copy of fate is the hunter, and we chatted about that for some time.He said he reckoned on average he earned his pay twice a year.
I was amused when he was recounting a tale of an issue where the throttle was stuck on takeoff power on one engine and wouldn't back off, he asked me 'so what would you do?' and was surprised when like most people with half a brain cell I replied 'kill the fuel flow to that engine'. Apparently no-one he'd spoken to previously had a clue.
Some books to read next?
Here's a small (miniscule) selection of ones you may enjoy
If you can't read the spine writing on the heaviest handled book you will not be surprised to eventually make out that it is
Chickenhawk
and a selection box of Cassell favourites (£4 at a local charriddee shop) also worth a butcher's...
These weren't put together for the response to the question, note Pratchett too, they are simply in my "Ready use book" shelf up top
edited for the dreadful spoilling wot I dun
Here's a small (miniscule) selection of ones you may enjoy
If you can't read the spine writing on the heaviest handled book you will not be surprised to eventually make out that it is
Chickenhawk
and a selection box of Cassell favourites (£4 at a local charriddee shop) also worth a butcher's...
These weren't put together for the response to the question, note Pratchett too, they are simply in my "Ready use book" shelf up top
edited for the dreadful spoilling wot I dun
Edited by perdu on Thursday 5th April 11:13
Phoenix Squadron - Rowland White (Vulcan 607)
Fighter - The True Story of Battle of Britain - Len Deighton
Goodbye, Mickey Mouse - Len Deighton (Fiction) Set in Britain in early 1944 it tells the story of the 220th Fighter Group of the US Eighth Air Force in the lead up to the Allied invasion of Europe
Fighter - The True Story of Battle of Britain - Len Deighton
Goodbye, Mickey Mouse - Len Deighton (Fiction) Set in Britain in early 1944 it tells the story of the 220th Fighter Group of the US Eighth Air Force in the lead up to the Allied invasion of Europe
On the top picture in my post above there's a cream hardback book with a blue title box
"Evidence In Camera" by Constance Babington Smith. It's the story of RAF photo recce in and before WW2
It is an amazing tale of the early work by Sidney Cotton, freelancing around Nazi Germany. It tells how he was invited by top German officials to see their wonderful works.He didn't tell them he had superb cameras taking pictures down below all the time
If you can find it it's well worth reading, it goes on to discuss target photo interpretation, Peenemunde was well covered ISTR
It's in my well thumbed row
"Evidence In Camera" by Constance Babington Smith. It's the story of RAF photo recce in and before WW2
It is an amazing tale of the early work by Sidney Cotton, freelancing around Nazi Germany. It tells how he was invited by top German officials to see their wonderful works.He didn't tell them he had superb cameras taking pictures down below all the time
If you can find it it's well worth reading, it goes on to discuss target photo interpretation, Peenemunde was well covered ISTR
It's in my well thumbed row
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