What aircraft book to read next?

[big bloke]

After reading about it on here, i've just finished reading "skunk works", and really enjoyed it.

What should i be reading next?

I should say, WW2 war birds are my normal subject, but that was one of the best books i've read in years, and i get through about 3 books a month minimum

[Simpo Two]

Are you more interested in the hardware or the people that flew them?

[big bloke]

either

[tank slapper]

Riding Rockets by Mike Mullane is very good. He was a Space Shuttle astronaut and gives a good account of the earlier part of the shuttle programme.

A Fiery Peace in a Cold War, by Neil Sheehan is a biography of Bennie Schriever, who was a bomber pilot in WW2 and went on to head the USAFs strategic missile programme during the cold war. Not so much an aircraft book as such, but there's a lot of interesting background and history that is aviation related.

The Wild Blue by Stephen Ambrose, about flying B-24s over Germany in WW2.

[Simpo Two]

This has a bit of both - comparing fighter aces/leaders across four wars:

http://www.amazon.com/Aces-Command-Fighter-Pilots-...

[magpie215]

I enjoyed reading Vulcan607 (Black Buck raid on the Falklands)

[tight5]

I enjoyed 'Apache' by Ed Macy .

[jmorgan]

Most Dangerous Enemy by Stephen Bungay. Account of Battle of Britain.

[jjones]

chickenhawk

rotary wing, but christ what a book

[pacman1]

jjones said:

chickenhawk

rotary wing, but christ what a book

Indeed, one of the few books I've bothered to read more than once.
I just shoved 'chickenhawk' into the search function on here, it gets mentioned on many a book thread.
Perhaps if the OP does the same he can browse those threads for further inspiration too.

[Zaxxon]

As said, Chickenhawk, possibly the best war book ever.

Thud Ridge
Low level Hell
Snake Pilot
When Thunder Rolled
Palace Cobra
100 Missions North
Naked in Da Nang

[SammyW]

jjones said:

chickenhawk

rotary wing, but christ what a book

+1

Fantastic book.

[rhinochopig]

I started a wiki for military book recommendations in this section. Can't find it now though but worth searching for as it has some good recommendations.

[big bloke]

Thanks so far guys, looks like there's loads out there to keep me going

[Jimbo.]

Stephen Ambrose's "The Wild Blue" is good.

[wolves_wanderer]

Chickenhawk is great. Sigh for a Merlin is well worth a read

[LimaDelta]

+1 to a lot of the above, especially Vulcan 607, Chickenhawk and Riding Rockets.

"Fate is the hunter" is excellent and shows a much ignored side of civil aviation during WWII.

"Empire of the Clouds" was a fantastic but depressing read about the decline of British aircraft manufacturing at the dawn of the jet age.

Also Chuck Yeager's autobiography is a cracking read.

[knight]

tank slapper said:

The Wild Blue by Stephen Ambrose, about flying B-24s over Germany in WW2.

Reading this now and am enjoying it.

Also recommend Bomber Boys and Fighter Boys by Patrick Bishop, very good reading

[Elroy Blue]

Zaxxon said:

As said, Chickenhawk, possibly the best war book ever.

Thud Ridge
Low level Hell
Snake Pilot
When Thunder Rolled
Palace Cobra
100 Missions North
Naked in Da Nang

You stole my library!!

Thay buried us upside down. Setting up of the Misty FACs in vietnam. Many well known names feature and it's superb.

[ditchvisitor]

Chickenhawk is awesome!! It's a right of passage to read it when at Shawbury!!
Snake pilot is great too, also First Light by Geoffrey wellum.