Lindsay Todd Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Hi, I was lucky to inherit a complete set of Aircraft of the Fighting Powers published from circa 1939-45 with technical data and 3 views of most of the types of the period. I also have to admit to a soft spot for Jonathon Livingston Seagull, I probably first read it at about age 10, now in my forties! Lindsay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Just don't trust the 3 views in AFP. They are normally way out. A bit better toward the later volumes. PaulMatt's Historical Aviation Albums are fantastic books for the scale builder if you can find them Also the old Nye and Wylam plan books if you can ever find them Any my favourite modelling book. Cal Smith on Model Building. Loads of plans etc. IT was my greatest inspiration whne I was startring out in 1952. A bit rarer than hens teeth. Roamer came from that book last year.Edited By Peter Miller on 10/01/2010 08:46:25 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Irvine Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Eric, The "dreamland" books, Dale Brown, the first was "Flight of the Old Dog". The Good Shepherd might be Richard Bach. My favourite of his is Jonathan Livingston Seagul. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Irvine Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Hi, The Shepherd, could also be Frederick Forsyth. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bandit Posted January 13, 2010 Author Share Posted January 13, 2010 Hi All, Just had Fly for your life ( the story of Bub Tuck) and Nine lives (Alan Deere) drop through the letter box. so I've got some good reading to do until the snow melts. In the mean time I remember that I have two limited edition books commissioned by W H Smith some years ago in aid of the RAF benevolent fund with accounts of one days experience by 25 surviving pilots of the battle of Britain. The other is from surviving members of Bomber Command aircrew giving accounts of their experiences. Hope I've not lent them out and not had them returned. Cheers, Chris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichB Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Favourite books are "Sigh for a Merlin" by Alex Henshaw and "Vulcan 607".Edited By RichB on 13/01/2010 22:28:59 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Observers book of Aircraft? Remember them - I've still got them - 1955 to 70. The aviation books that set me going were the 4 Famous Fighter/Bombers of the Second World War by William Green. As a 12/13 year old they were the first books that I found really interesting to read.More recently "Not much of an engineer" the autobiography by Sir Stanley Hooker shows just what these amazing people crammed into their lives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Irvine Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 If you enjoyed Vulcan 607, try "Phoenix Squadron" by the same author. It's about one of the last Buccaneer operations by the navy when they "Showed the flag" over British Honduras in 1972 to deter the US trained Guatemalan forces from invading. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Wood Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 Len Deighton's 'Bomber' is a superb novel. It's a tragic, harrowing tale in many ways, set during the 'Battle of the Ruhr' about a disastrous Lancaster raid on a town in that part of Germany. It was written in 1970, but time has not dulled its magnificence. As usual with Len Deighton, it's exhaustively researched & has real authenticity. Anyone with an interest in WW2 aviation should read it. It's a shame it was never made into a film. Patrick Bishop's 'Bomber Boys' is an excellent account of Bomber Command. His 'Fighter Boys' is equally good. Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bandit Posted January 18, 2010 Author Share Posted January 18, 2010 Richard, Fighter boys and Bomber boys are both good reads, did them before Christmas. Just reading First Light, Geoffrey Wellum, recommended by Julian and Wingman, I'll second it, just cant put it down. Chris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Wood Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Hi Chris, I'll look out for First Light. Another good one is 'Men of Air' by Kevin Wilson - another one on Bomber Command.It's quite a heavy read but well worth it. When they started at their operational squadrons they were told they had six weeks to live & to go off & make their wills. Bet they were'nt told that when they volunteered. Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buster prop Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 One of the best (fiction) books I've read about WW2 flying is 'Goodbye Mickey Mouse' by Len Deighton. It's about a Mustang pilot in the 8th AAF, there's a background story about the new pilot being a General's son who has to prove himself etc but the descriptions of what it's like to routinely fly 6 hour missions, dogfights and the camaraderie among the pilots is really great. The cover says that the only other way to know more about flying a P51 (other than by reading the book) is to go and fly one. I believe it. Highly recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buster prop Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 'I Learned About Flying from That' was originally a column is an RAF publication called Air Clues. It was classified so you woudn't have seen it in WHS, ILAFFT was stories from pilots who learned by their mistakes. One that comes to mind was about a Harrier pilot who left his ejection seat pins in, took off and had engine problems, tried to eject and couldn't so he had to get the plane back to base. He did, to a heroes welcome but had to confess to his boss that he couldn't have ejected anyway, Lucky guy! That's where ILAFFT came from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bandit Posted January 30, 2010 Author Share Posted January 30, 2010 Buster, Couldn't agree more "Goodbye Micky Mouse" was one of the best fictional reads I've had,but I gave away most of my old books and mags back in the early 90's. I have found my copies of two limited edition books that I had brought for me in the late 80's "So many" is some surviving members of bomber command memories of just one raid they carried out. "So Few" is a book with the memories of 25 members of fighter command who fought in the Battle of Britain. It contains hand written accounts from each member surviving at the time the book was written, of one days fighting. It was just after reading "So Few" that I met Jim Lacey at the PFA rally at Cranfield in 1982 He flew a Miles Magister in with a wicked cross wind, side slipped it in for a brilliant three pointer. Some one else tried it later in the day and almost ground looped. Just finishing the Eflight Taylorcraft 450 today, then I think I'll re-read them both with a decent bottle of plonck Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delta Whiskey Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 My favourite so far, was an auto biography called "Chicken Hawk" Me being a heli flyer too, this was about a US fixed wing crop sprayer, who signed up to fly Heli's just before the Vietnam war started, of course he we sent out, and the book was about his flying and what he saw. Very good read, though I can't remember who the pilot / author was. Must find the book and have a 2nd read now I mention it !Edited By Delta Whiskey on 30/01/2010 09:34:58 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Posted by Delta Whiskey on 30/01/2010 09:34:09:My favourite so far, was an auto biography called "Chicken Hawk" Me being a heli flyer too, this was about a US fixed wing crop sprayer, who signed up to fly Heli's just before the Vietnam war started, of course he we sent out, and the book was about his flying and what he saw. Very good read, though I can't remember who the pilot / author was. Must find the book and have a 2nd read now I mention it !Edited By Delta Whiskey on 30/01/2010 09:34:58 Excellent book - bit of a shock at the end though. Apparently he (Robert Mason) paid the penalty and has written several books since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 buster prop mentioned 'Air Clues'. It's now online here, if anyone' s interested. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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