Richard Wood Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 'Bomber' covers a Lancaster raid over the Ruhr in 1943. Although it's fiction, Deighton's thorough research into his subject gives it real authenticity. Events in Britain & Germany are covered over a 24 hour period and Deighton's detailed, lucid style communicates the hard reality of an air raid from both perspectives. The breakdown of a pilot approaching the end of a tour is poignantly described. Written over 40 years ago, it's still highly recommended reading. Edited By Richard Wood on 17/04/2012 08:51:57 Edited By Richard Wood on 17/04/2012 08:52:16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Yes, its an excellent read - I'd recommend it too. Also worth reading is the partner book "Fighter". This was a very different book to "Bommber" as it wasn't fiction - it is actually an analysis of the Battle of Britian. Deighton's thorough research - which Richard mentions above - is obvious throughout and his skills as a novelist means he presents the history in a very easy to read style. Both of these are good reads for different reasons. Bomber a work of fiction, a damn good novel. Fighter a historical account very well written and researched. BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Wood Posted April 18, 2012 Author Share Posted April 18, 2012 Another Deighton book of interest is 'Goodbye Mickey Mouse'. Based on an American P51 squadron stationed in England in 1944. Deighton spent six years researching this fictional work & it's evident in the sheer detail & knowledge of the P51 he conveys in the book and the very convincing evocation of an American WW2 air base in England and life in Britain in 1944. Deighton's 'Blitzkrieg' is interesting too - a fascinating factual account of the German army in WW2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger in Dubai Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Gets the thumbs up from me. Very good book with lots of detail, so much so that you actually feel part of the crew on board the aircraft. Edited By Roger in Dubai on 09/05/2012 14:10:10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spice Cat Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Bomber was made into an audio book narrated by Tom Baker. I used to listen to it in the car and it was a very moving account narrated by an actor with a perfect voice for the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Wood Posted May 10, 2012 Author Share Posted May 10, 2012 Yes, Bomber is available on Kindle from Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rolls Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Bomber and Goodbye Micky Mouse I thoroughly enjoyed. Fighter was a decent historical analysis, but one thing I found odd - he claimed that the turning radiius of the Bf109 was superior to that of the Hurricane and Spitfire because of its smaller wingspan. Not so.. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rolls Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Oh, and in Goodbye Micky Mouse he inferred that the USAAF preferred the P-51 to the P-47because it was cheaper. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Wood Posted May 10, 2012 Author Share Posted May 10, 2012 Apparently many pilots preferred the P47 to the P51 for quite a few reasons - better armament, stronger construction etc ,but the P51 was a lot cheaper & possibly had better range for bomber escort missions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ERIC CLAPHAM Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Dare I put Tom Clancy's " Fighter Wing " forward for yet another good read . Another very well researched book on the USAF fighter wing . His military books also include a nuclear sub. issue called -funnily enough- "Submarine " and another of the the Armoured Cavalry regiment - " Armoured Warfare." These books are not fiction. All three are good reads if you are of a military bent . E.C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buster prop Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 I've read Bomber and Goodbye Mickey Mouse, both excellent. Another book which I recommend is 'First LIght' by Geoffrey Wellum. Wellum was a Spitfire pilot who joined the RAF just before WW2 broke out. His (autobiographical) book describes initial training, flying Tiger Moths then Harvards and going on to a Spitfire squadron. He flew in the Battle of Britain, patrols over France and later in the book, Malta. All well written and completely absorbing. It is on Kindle, that's where I read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Cole Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Posted by Mike Rolls on 10/05/2012 08:29:20: Fighter was a decent historical analysis, but one thing I found odd - he claimed that the turning radiius of the Bf109 was superior to that of the Hurricane and Spitfire because of its smaller wingspan. Not so.. Mike No he doesn't. He shows a diagram of the theoretical turning circle in a vertical bank at 300 mph and 10,000 feet for the 3 aircraft at half-fuel weight, and shows the Bf109E has a smaller radius than the Hurricane 1 and Spitfire 1. He adds "Note the way in which neither wingspan nor wing-loading is decisive in the matter of the tightest turning circle" . It's worth noting that all 3 aircraft would be at 7 g or above in those conditions; not practical for an extended turn in those days with no G-suits. The 109 would be at 8.1 g, so its "advantage" is essentially theoretical. Blitzkreig is another of his historical works, and there's Blood, Tears and Folly. He was co-author of Airshipwreck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Hickson Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Nice one, downloading the audio book now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 John None of those fighters could sustain such a high g turn for long as they would loose speed very rapidly. The lower wing loading of both the Hurricane and Spifire would allow them to achieve a smaller turn radius than the Bf109 at a slower speed, particulalry close to the stall, and was indeed used as a means of escaping from a 'tail chase'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Cole Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Simon: I was not really commenting on the performance of the 3 fighters. I was pointing out that Len Deighton had been mis-quoted. .And noting that his comparison was not of a sustainable comparison. With which you seem to agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.