What's your favorite aviation book?

[fodrv7]

To save looking through the whole post here is a list of most of the books.
Apologies DR if this is a bit long.

Pete.

100 Missions North Ken Ball
A Gift of Wings Richard Bach.
A Good Clean Fight Derek Robinson
A Hostage to Fortune Ernest K. Gann
A Test Pilot's Story Jeffrey Quill
A Thousand Shall Fall Murray Peden
A Town like Alice Nevil Shute
Adak Andrew Jampoler
Aiming High Jon Johanson
Alone Over the Tasman Sea Francis Chichester
Always Another Dawn Jr. A. Scott Crossfield with Clay Blair
America from the Air: An Aviator's Story Wolfgang Langewiesche
An Ode to the Big Bird Bert Stile
Apollo- Race to the moon Murray and Cox
Artful Flying Michael Maya Charles
Autobiography of Eddie Rickenbacker unknown author
Back to the Barrens Erickson's
Bax Seat - Gordon Baxter
Because I fly Helmuth H. Reda
Better Aerobatics Alan Cassidy
Biplane Richard Bach
Bird of the islands;: The story of a flying boat in the South Seas P. G. Taylor
Black Watch Earnest K. Gann
Boys, Bombs, and Brussel Sprouts Murray Peden
Broken Wings, The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Air Armada Bob Kelly. (RV Driver)
Building Aeroplanes for 'Those Magnificent Men Air Commodore Allen Wheeler
Bury Us Upside Down Rick Newman & Don Sheppard
Call to the winds P. G. Taylor
Carrying the Fire Mike Collins
Chickenhawk Robert Mason
Cloud Dance?s Alaskan Chronicles Unknown
Coffee, Tea, or Me? unknown author
Dead Weight Brian Lecomber
Digital Apollo: Human and Machine in Space Flight David A Mindle
Down to a Sunless Sea David Graham
Failure is Not an Option Gene Kranz
Fate is the Hunter Ernest K. Gann
Fire and Air Patty Wagstaff
First Light Geoffrey Wellum. (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ. 2002).
First Man, James Hansen, biography of Neil Armstrong.
Fix the Rising Sun Charles N. Hill
Flight of Passage: A Memoir Rinker Buck
Flight of the Intruder Stephen Coonts
Flight of the old dog. unknown author
Fly for Your Life, Larry Forrester
Fly Low Fly Fast Inside the Reno Air Race Robert Gandt
Flyboys. Bradley
Flying Carpet Greg Brown
Flying North in California Tom Parker
Flying the Old Planes, Frank Tallman,
Flying Tiger Tex Hill
Fool's Errand Marc Norman
FOREVER FLYING R.A. Bob Hoover.
Forgotton island P. G. Taylor
Fortress Without a Roof Morrison
Free Flight. Douglas Terman
Frigate Bird P. G. Taylor
From the Flightdeck Series Ian Allen
Gabby, a Fighter Pilot's Life, Francis Gabreski.
God is my Copilot unknown author
Gunship: Spec Death Zybel
Hostile Skies David Morgan
How Apollo Flew to the moon. W. David Woods
I Could Never Be So Lucky Again. unknown author
Illusions Richard Bach.
IN the Wet Nevil Shute
Instrument Flight Training Manual Peter Dogan
Into the Mouth of the Cat Malcom McConnell
It Is This Way With Men Who Fly Frank K. Thomas
It's Me Again Donald Jack
Kelly...More than my share of it all. Clarence L Johnson.
Kill Devil Hill Harry Combs
Langley Memoir on Mechanical Flight Samuel Pierpont Langley and Charles M. Manly
Last Man on the Moon Eugene Cernan
Lindbergh A. Scott Berg
Listen, the Wind Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Lost Moon Jim Lovell
Medusa?s Child John J. Nance
Mirage, James Follet.
Mountain Flying Sparkey Imeson
My Secret War Richard S. Drury
Night Flight Antoine de St. Exupery
No Parachute Arthur Gould Lee
No Visible Horizon Josh Ramo
North Star Over My Shoulder Robert Buck
North to the Orient Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Nothing Chance
On the Beach Nevil Shute
Once a Fighter Pilot Jerry W. Cook
Our Flight to Adventure Tay and Lowell Thomas, Jr
Pacific flight;: The story of the Lady Southern Cross P. G. Taylor
Palace Cobra Ed Rasimus
Pandora?s Clock John J. Nance
Piece of Cake Derek Robinson
Pilot Tony Le Vier
Pobererezney the Story Begins Paul Pobererezney.
Propellorhead Antony Woodward
Reach For The Sky Paul Brickhill
Rocket Men. Craig Nelson
Rolling Thunder, Mark Berent
Round the Bend Nevil Shute
Sagittarius Rising Cecil Lewis
Sailors to the End Gregory Freeman
Sigh for a Merlin Alex Henshaw
Skunk Works Ben R. Rich
Skunkworks unknown author
Sled Driver unknown author
Slide Rule Nevil Shute
Song of The Sky, Guy Murchie
Sopwith Scout 7309 P. G. Taylor
Space James Michener
Spirit of St. Louis Lindbergh
Splash One Tiger. Chick Childerhose
Starfighter David L. Bashhow
Stick and Rudder Wolfgang Langewiesche
Straight On Till Morning Mary S. Lovell
Stranger to the Ground, Richard Bach
Stuka Pilot Unknown author
Tale of a Tiger R. T. Smith
Talk Down Brian Lecomber
Termite Hill Wilson
That's Me in the Middle Donald Jack
That's My Story Douglas Corrigan
The Battle of Britain Richard Hough and Denis Richards
The Big Show (Le Grand Cirque) Pierre Closterman
The Bridges at Toko-Ri James Michener
The Complete Taildragger H. S. Plourde
The Dangerous Skies A. E. Clouston
The Disciple Steven Coonts
The Few Alec Kershaw
The Fighter Pilots Edward Sims
The First and the Last Galland
The Flight of the Mew Gull Alex Henshaw
The Flying Carpet Richard Halliburton
The Flying Tiger?s Diary Charlie Bond
The Fullness of Wings Gary Dorsey
The High Road to China Jon Cleary
The Intruder Stephen Coonts
The Plan: Memories of the BCATP James N. Williams
The Power to Fly The development of the Piston Aero Engine L.J.K Stetright
The Pre-Astronauts - manned ballooning on the threshold of space Craig Ryan
The Ravens Christopher Robbins
The Right Stuff, Tom Wolfe
The Shepherd Fredrick Forsythe's
The Sky Beyond P. G. Taylor
The Sky Beyond P. G. Taylor
The Steep Ascent Anne Morrow Lindbergh
The Sudden Sky B. Michelaard
The Untouchbles Brian Shul
The Wild Blue, Walter Boyne
The World Aloft Guy Murchie
They Gave Me a Seafire R Mike Crosley
Think Like a Bird Alex Kimbell
Thirty seconds over Tokyo unknown author
Thud Ridge, Jack Broughton
Thunderbolt! Robert S. Johnston
To Fly and Fight a biography of P-51 Col. Bud Anderson.
True North George Erickson
Trustee from the Toolroom Nevil Shute
Turn Killer Brian Lecomber
Unlocking the Sky Glen Curtis and the race to invent the airplane
Up in Harms Way R Mike Crosley
VH-UXX;: The story of an aeroplane, P. G. Taylor
Voyager Jeana Yeager
Vulcan 607 Rowland White
Wager with the Wind James Greiner
We Seven Mercury Astronauts
Weather Flying Robert Buck
West With the Night Beryl Markham
When Thunder Rolled Ed Rasimus
Where No Birds Fly Phillip Wills
Wild Blue - Stories of Survival from Air and Space unknown author
Wind, Sand and Stars Antoine de St. Exupery
Yeager Yeager
You Want To Build And Fly What? Dick Starks
Zero Three Bravo Mariana Gosnell
Flames In The Sky Pierre Closterman
Flames In The Sky Pierre Closterman
Air Vagabonds Anthony Vallone

[panhandler1956]

Peter,
Thanks for doing this!

[Bob Axsom]

Pete I have a request, please edit your message above to include "Fighter Pilot" Robin Olds with Christina Olds and Ed Rasimus. It is a new book (2010) and 108 pages into 386 I am finding it a great read. I think your list is very important. I have already used it to pay obscenely high prices for some of the long out of print rare ones and Fighter Pilot should not be missed while it is fresh and currently available at new book prices.

Bob Axsom

[wjnmd]

The book "I Could Never Be So Lucky Again" was written by none other than Jimmy Doolittle. I'm looking for a copy.

Bill Near

[mikehoover]

Just finished "Return Of The Enola Gay" by Paul Tibbets. A great read about the life of the man tasked with delivering the first atomic bomb in war. Non-apologetic to the very end.

[gipsowh]

Here's a good read - totally aviation. Be forewarned that you will laugh out loud at "Moondog's Academy of the Air and Other Disasters" by Pete Fusco. Pete is a good friend and always has a story. You will enjoy his sense of humor and writing.

[fodrv7]

Bob,
'tis done.
That makes two with almost the same title. I recommended THE Fighter Pilots, by Edward Sims. A comparison of the USAF, RAF and Luftwaffe in WWII, with chapters by the top aces describing a particular battle. I give it 9 out of 10.

Further to my list.
1. Anyone one who wants it as a MS Word doco, sorted by both Title and Author should email me; nematode@internode.on.net
2. I have started adding a column listing the forum member who recommended each book, so you may find books recommended by those with similar tastes. Give me a while to collate it all.

Pete.
Pete I have a request, please edit your message above to include "Fighter Pilot" Robin Olds with Christina Olds and Ed Rasimus.

Bob Axsom

[Bob Axsom]

I read this book right after completing Pierre Clostermann's "The Big Show" where he brings up his strong dislike for the 8th Air Force, their poor performing airplanes, and their loud Johnny-Come-Lately glory hogging pilots. I don't believe he ever said he met Robin Olds but if he did I'm sure he didn't like him. I enjoyed reading both books but having been an enlisted man in the Air Force for 4 years I am amazed at the crude behavior of the officers described in the Robin Olds book. At the same time I admired his focus and dedication. A very informative book and I liked it. Just starting Vulcan 607.

Bob Axsom

[Jaypratt]

Peter thanks for the list of books. I would like a copy of it.
I might say, Sir Fransis Chitchester has several books. One was abour him flying from Aukland to London. 'Flight of the Gipsy Moth' mabe ?? I read it about 40 years ago so my memory might be off a little.
Thanks for sharing
jay-pratt@sbcglobal.net

[terrye]

Most of my favorites have already been listed, but here are a few more.

Heaven's Breath: A Natural History of the Wind by Lyall Watson

de-fin-ing the wind: The Beaufort Scale and How a 19th Century Admiral turned Science into Poetry by Scott Huler

Wind by Jan DeBlieu

Windswept: The Story of Wind and Weather by Marq De Villiers

The Invention of Clouds by Richard Hamblyn

[fodrv7]

Bob,
Thanks for putting me on to "Vulcan 607".
What an extraordinary book.
What an extraordinary feat.

Our British cousins at there best.

Pete.

[fodrv7]

Peter thanks for the list of books. I would like a copy of it.
I might say, Sir Fransis Chitchester has several books. One was abour him flying from Aukland to London. 'Flight of the Gipsy Moth' mabe ?? I read it about 40 years ago so my memory might be off a little.
Thanks for sharing
jay-pratt@sbcglobal.net

As I do not check VAF every day, requests for the Aviation Book List should be sent to;
nematode@internode.on.net

Pete.

[az_gila]

Peter thanks for the list of books. I would like a copy of it.
I might say, Sir Fransis Chitchester has several books. One was abour him flying from Aukland to London. 'Flight of the Gipsy Moth' mabe ?? I read it about 40 years ago so my memory might be off a little.
Thanks for sharing
jay-pratt@sbcglobal.net

...be this book...

http://www.amazon.com/Solo-Sydney-Sir-Francis-Chichester/dp/0851772544

But this similar titled one is a sailing book, his yacht was called the "Gipsy Moth" - not the de Havilland plane of the same name...

http://www.amazon.com/Gipsy-Circles-World-Francis-Chichester/dp/0071414282

But it's a sailing book, his yacht was called the "Gipsy Moth" - not the de Havilland plane of the same name...

[Bob Axsom]

I am well started into this book. It is a large format book - like a coffee table book and not too thick. The quality of paper etc. appears to these untrained eyes at top grade glossy. When I first opened it I felt a little like it was going to be a familiar style biography of a WWII pilot. I knew of Francis Gabreski from reviewing Ace statistics in my high school days but no personal details. I am finding this book very engrossing and very good. Even though I remember the attack on Pearl Harbor many personal details and facts about the airplane performance that as a young school boy I thought were great are revealed in summary very candidly and personally as if the man was a friend and he was simply talking to you about them. Gabby was Polish and he spoke the language which allowed him to get to the war in Europe and a temporary assignment into a Polish fighter squadron to learn their tactics and relay them to the US Army to improve performance by the US fighters organizations.

This is a whole different style that any fighter biography I have read before and it is very good so far.

The book is expensive - I paid $30 to Amazon for it.

Bob Axsom

[sonny junell]

Fate is the Hunter,

Chuck Yeager Auto

Bob Hover Auto

[handkas]

Fate is a hunter.
Night flight, and generally Saint-Exupery's books
as I'm Polish- 303 Squadron by A.Fiedler, about Hurricane & Spitfire fighters during The Battle of Britain.

[Bob Axsom]

"Gabby a Fighter Pilot's Life" was very good. In the book I sensed a difference in my reference point as I read through the years.

The early part (the largest part) of the book covers operations in Europe where he became the top US ace before a low pass prop strike caused his plane to be disabled and ultimately resulted in ... Then he went to Korea and was stationed at K-14 and K-13. In the late 60's he completed his career in the Air Defense Command on Long Island.

During the WWII part my reference point was that of a school boy and a reader of books and watcher of movies. During the Korean Part my reference point was was that of a young (19) USAF Airman radio mechanic stationed at K-2 but had been to K-9, K-8, K-14, K-16 and K-55 in 1956 after the shooting war had ended. During the ADC part my point of reference was that of a young man on his first civilian job as an electrical inspector on the F-101B Voodoo production line at McDonnell Aircraft in St. Louis.

As a non flying lover of airplanes your perception of them is shaped by others and it tends to be a little on the idealistic side. In this book Francis Gabreski gives his personal observations of how they flew and their limitations against the enemy, the weather and operational requirements. He achieved "Ace" status in P-47 Thunderbolts in Europe and again in F-86 Sabres in Korea but in addition he touched on the P-26, P-38, P-39, P-40, P-51/F-51, P-59, P-80, F-94, F-100, F102 and the F-101B Voodoo. On page 156 there is a photo of three F-101B Voodoos (the 2-place interceptor model) flying down the East River in New York. You can imagine my reaction when he said on page 157:

I soon found out that as an intercepter the F-101 was a super airplane, particularly when you kicked in the afterburner. It was capable of going Mach 1.7 without any trouble.

In the book he mentioned Robert Johnson's book Thunderbolt, which has been recommended several times in this thread so I have placed my order through abebooks for a copy.

Bob Axsom

[fodrv7]

In the book he mentioned Robert Johnson's book Thunderbolt, which has been recommended several times in this thread so I have placed my order through abebooks for a copy.

Bob Axsom

Excellent book.
Well written. He takes you right into the cockpit of this huge fighter.
More like a single engined, single seat DC7.
Amazing the punishment it took and still flew.

Pete.

[mustang68w]

Bob Hoover Auto
Stick and Rudder
No Visible Horizon
A Hundred Feet Over H**l
Hammer from Above-Marine Air Combat Over Iraq

[jrs14855]

I just read the Hoover book for the first time. There are some important lessons to be learned from this book. Hoover has allegedly crashed more airplanes than perhaps any other pilot. The Shrike accident, both engines out shortly after takeoff, is to me one of the most important lessons. The pitch control failure on takeoff in the F86 is another. The basic lessons are never give up and don't stop flying the airplane until its parked. Read the book.

[Bob Axsom]

I just finished Robert S. Johnson's Book "Thunderbolt." My age must be catching up with me - I'm glad I read it - I learned many things that I did not know before - I'm glad I'm done with it. Even though the book is written in first person it does not consistently give me the feeling that the words are coming from Mr. Johnson. There are times when co-author Martin Caidin comes across very strongly in artistic descriptions - kind of artificial actually.

Bob Axsom

[fodrv7]

Bob,
You are obviously more perceptive the I. I do not remember picking that when reading it, though it is 3 years since I read it. Maybe it's my rough, indiscriminate Australian approach.

I do remember being severely impressed with the Thunderbolt, which I had previously written of as an obese tank.
As he points out, it could not stay with the Spit in a climb or an FW190 in a turn, but what an indestructible fighting machine.

Maybe time to hunt for another PG Taylor book.
All of these are poetry.

Bird of the islands: The story of a flying boat in the South Seas
Call to the winds
Forgotton island
Frigate Bird
Pacific flight: The story of the Lady Southern Cross
Sopwith Scout 7309
The Sky Beyond
VH-UXX: The story of an aeroplane

Pete.

[eric_marsh]

I just got Stick and Rudder for Christmas. I must say that it's a great book. Easy to read and understand. I see why it's still popular almost seventy years after it was written.

[Bob Axsom]

I just got Stick and Rudder for Christmas. I must say that it's a great book. Easy to read and understand. I see why it's still popular almost seventy years after it was written.

I've heard about the book for decades but I have never actually even seen a copy. I don't usually like "How To" books but this may be an exception. I got the novel "Piece of Cake", also recommended here, for Christmas. Have to read it first. I better order "Stick and Rudder" now or I will rationalize it is not for me again by the time I finish "Piece of Cake".

Bob Axsom

[David Paule]

"27 Years of the AVator" is great!

I'd held off buying it because I thought it would include all the first flight articles and the travel logs and things like that. I was wrong. It turns out that the book is simply building tips, how-to articles, discussions of options and some of the pitfalls that can grab you. It's well organized by topic

The only gripe I've got is that it covers 1980 through 2006, and some of the topics are slightly dated.

This is sort of a general book, and if I'd known of it a while ago I'd have gotten a copy for a Xenos-building friend.

If you have the Bingelis books, add this to the bookshelf. It's a good one.

[Slow Mover]

Just finished Riding Rockets by Mike Mullane. A compelling account of his experience as a space shuttle astronaut. Very well written, many humorous stories and insider details. It makes being an astronaut sound even better than I thought it would be.

[Bob Axsom]

The start is so bad I would never have read beyond the first ten pages if it were not for the recommendations here. As it is, it is tough reading about totally irresponsible people - hope it gets better.

Bob Axsom

[lucky]

The start is so bad I would never have read beyond the first ten pages if it were not for the recommendations here. As it is, it is tough reading about totally irresponsible people - hope it gets better.

Bob Axsom

That book is awesome. Suck it up! Remember, it's a satire, fiction, loosely based on history....it had me in stitches and was much better than the awesome BBC mini-series based on the book.

[kevinh]

Stick and Rudder

My favorite part: The appendix where he talks about how these new fangled tri-gear planes are the future/so much better than tail draggers. :o

(I love tailwheels also - but it was funny)

[Peterk]

I just got Stick and Rudder for Christmas. I must say that it's a great book. Easy to read and understand. I see why it's still popular almost seventy years after it was written.

His son has written several books. "Aloft," just recently made available in the U.S. (???) is a great collection of several aviation articles that he wrote over the years for Atlantic, Outside and others. The ValueJet story is amazing as is the one with the details about the corporate jet/B737 collision over the Amazon.

[rv7boy]

I really appreciate folks contributing to this thread. I have purchased aviation books based on recommendations here, and I sometimes wonder if I will ever find time to read all of them.

I received a Kindle ebook reader (WiFi plus 3G...thank you, Dear! :D ) and am wondering if anyone has a listing of which books are available for download to the Kindle. For me it's been a manual process to search for each title in the Amazon Kindle store, but it would be so convenient if we had a listing of which ones are ebooks.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks and Happy New Year!

[Bob Axsom]

That book is awesome. Suck it up! Remember, it's a satire, fiction, loosely based on history....it had me in stitches and was much better than the awesome BBC mini-series based on the book.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions. I will set it aside and cut my losses.

Bob Axsom

[ScottSchmidt]

This has been fun to read. I will have to agree that is difficult to pick one book.
From an engineering standpoint I enjoyed reading "Skunk Works" and "Voyager".
Autobiography: Hoover and Yeager were both great although I liked Hoover better just because he is such a fun guy to talk with.

I will also put a plug in for "Fate is the Hunter". I need to re-read this book.

If I was forced to pick a favorite, I would have to say it was the book my wife and I put together about building the RV-10:)

You are all making me wish I had more time to read.

[Colin McG]

Bob,

I hope you stuck with it. Not without controversy for it?s less than ?gung-ho? portrayal but I think I liked it even more for that. Goshawk Squadron, A Good Clean Fight and Hornet?s Sting are also good.

I recently finished ?Air Vagabonds? by Anthony Vallone and thoroughly enjoyed it. The true story a light aircraft ferry pilot in the 1970?s and 80?s. Makes you really appreciate your GPS.

For those that like ?Vulcan 607? by Rowland White, his latest, ?Phoenix Squadron?, is another Boy?s Own gripping read.

[339A]

This book is fantastic!! :) Read it while on vacation this past week. Written by Laura Hillenbrand (http://laurahillenbrandbooks.com/) it is an amazing story about human survival. While the book is not specifically about flying, I couldn't put it down! Must read :cool:

[Peterk]

This book is fantastic!! :) Read it while on vacation this past week. Written by Laura Hillenbrand (http://laurahillenbrandbooks.com/) it is an amazing story about human survival. While the book is not specifically about flying, I couldn't put it down! Must read :cool:

Scott is correct...very good book. Same gal that wrote "Seabiscuit". They are some great descriptions of the awful flying characteristics of the B-24, one of the war's first bombers. A four engine bomber, it was not known to stay in the air long on 3 engines. You won't be sorry you read it.

[Bob Axsom]

I gave up on "Piece of Cake". I bought "Stick and Rudder" and just started it but it is giving me pain to read already. I will stick with it for a while but it starts out as interesting as a book on how to hammer nails. I read "Seabiscuit" when the book first came out and it was outstanding. I'll have to keep "Unbroken" in mind but I can't hold back a little doubt on the ability of the lady to describe flight characteristics of a B-24 accurately after all these years.

Bob Axsom

[rv7boy]

I just finished "Calculated Risk: The Extraordinary Life of Jimmy Doolittle-Aviation Pioneer and World War II Hero" by Jonna Doolittle Hoppes a granddaughter of Doolittle.

I thought the insights into a few of the personal family situations that Doolittle faced in his life could only be told by a member of his family. I'm not sure they've ever been revealed in any other account of his life. This is an excellent account of Gen. Doolittle's life as well as his accomplishments. He didn't always make decisions based on popularity, but he always had his reasons for his decisions. And those who served under his military command had the highest respect for him.

Available as an ebook.

[MartinPred]

Maybe not the best, but I'm hoping it's a good one...

My book has been out for a couple of months now. It's all about my experiences flying the Predator over Iraq and Afghanistan:

http://www.amazon.com/Predator-Remote-Control-Afghanistan-Pilots-Story/dp/0760338965

And I'm planning on going to Oshkosh again this year. So find me and the Lemon Squeeze in the RV area and I'll be happy to sign a copy.

-Matt
N402BD

[Peterk]

I gave up on "Piece of Cake". I bought "Stick and Rudder" and just started it but it is giving me pain to read already. I will stick with it for a while but it starts out as interesting as a book on how to hammer nails. I read "Seabiscuit" when the book first came out and it was outstanding. I'll have to keep "Unbroken" in mind but I can't hold back a little doubt on the ability of the lady to describe flight characteristics of a B-24 accurately after all these years.

Bob Axsom

Bob,

It is very slow at times, they spend a lot of the book floating around in the pacific in a raft. If you like books that zip along, this is not it. As for her description of the B-24, she was quoting several pilots, many of them still alive. In fact, her attention to detail is almost unbearable...even the last 20 pages of the book list the source of every comment. Good luck with your search.

[339A]

I gave up on "Piece of Cake". I bought "Stick and Rudder" and just started it but it is giving me pain to read already. I will stick with it for a while but it starts out as interesting as a book on how to hammer nails. I read "Seabiscuit" when the book first came out and it was outstanding. I'll have to keep "Unbroken" in mind but I can't hold back a little doubt on the ability of the lady to describe flight characteristics of a B-24 accurately after all these years.

Bob Axsom

I have tried twice to get through Stick and Rudder never made it.... you're right Bob. I know it's a aviation classic, but it's laborious to read. :(

I never read Seabiscuit, not a horse fan. She does a great job of telling Louis Zamperini's story. She spent seven years on research/writing the book. His ordeal has been written about before. BTW he is still alive and busy at 93 living in Hollywood. Looks like a movie deal is underway for this one also...

Regards,

[zilik]

I have tried twice to get through Stick and Rudder never made it.... you're right Bob. I know it's a aviation classic, but it's laborious to read. :(

I never read Seabiscuit, not a horse fan. She does a great job of telling Louis Zamperini's story. She spent seven years on research/writing the book. His ordeal has been written about before. BTW he is still alive and busy at 93 living in Hollywood. Looks like a movie deal is underway for this one also...

Regards,

I read Stick and Rudder years ago and found it a good read. My views may change if I pick it up again.

Last week my wife picked up a copy of Unbroken and its in the it's in the reading queue. Current book is Capt Jepp and the little black book. So far Capt Jepp is good reading but I am able to put it down.

Happy Flying

[Colin McG]

I've just finished "Empire of the Clouds ? When Britain?s Aircraft Ruled the World" by James Hamilton-Paterson and what a fantastic read. It will appeal more to the Brits and Canadians amongst us as it's the tale of the glory days of British aircraft design and how it was ground to pieces by successive governments and general incompetence. I mention Canadians as one of the key test pilots, Bill Waterton, was Canadian.

I really enjoyed Hamilton-Paterson's style and could completely empathise with his feelings as he describes watching a pair of Jaguars flying through a valley, below the level of his car. This is someone who not only understands what it's like to be fascinated with aircraft but can write about it.

For those who fondly remember the Hunter, Javelin, Vulcan and TSR2 this is a must.

[panhandler1956]

So many great books, so little time. For the Walter Mitty types, which I am one of, this is a must read.
I have read a lot of fighter pilot works and this one rises to the top for me. Not dogfighting, but these guys definitely 'flew airplanes'.
My 2 cents.
Brent

I ordered this book from Amazon after reading Doug Reeves editorial recently. The writing style is very authentic which is unusual to me and and the photographs are personal with a very "unstaged" look about them. Some of the language is very raw but for an adult that has served in the military overseas it is something you will probably acknowledge as familiar. So far it is an interesting read about a special unit in a tough time. Having met Dick Rutan and getting an air to ground pirep from him when trying to get out of Jackson Hole an number of years ago my interest was aroused when Doug said he was part of the unit covered by the book. The man gets more fascinating even as the years would normaly dull the Voyager memory. I have a two autographed airplane photos on my wall. One is of the Voyager and written on it is "Bob - Get up to 14,000 thru the hole - It doesn't look to bad west Happy Flying Dick Rutan". That was his pirep to me in 1993.

Bob Axsom

[Bob Axsom]

I am reading Volume III "The Tragedies" - man this is special! Written in first person by this pilot from the depths of his private soul. This is not a flowery "avaition" book written by some self proclaimed expert at arms length from the truth.

Bob Axsom

[Closterman]

My list :

- Le Grand Cirque (The big show) from Pierre Clostermann. WW2 french Ace Pilot. It's like my bible for me ! I have this book in 4 different edition and even one autographied by Clostermann !!

- Chasseur de nuit, les combattant aveugle (Don't know the exact name in english, but the translation are : Night fighter, blind combatant). It's the history of the first night fighter equiped of radar (WW2). The story are tell by a radar operator. His pilot was John Cunningham, who become the De Haviland chief test pilot.

- Feux du ciel (Flames in the sky) from Pierre Clostermann. It's 9 aviation story of the WW2.

[pkill]

?CW2? by Layne Heath ISBN 0-380-71000-5 Helicopters in Viet Nam.

And, if we get the books on tape, we can continue to build (or fly) and still be well read !

[Buggsy2]

....or anyone whose passion in aviation focusses on small, uncontrolled GA airports and the communities around them, I vote for Zero 3 Bravo (Mariana Gosnell).

There was another book similarly titled (phonetic letters of the airport ID) about life at a mid-west airport that I liked better. Anybody remember that book?

[jimevison]

Another vote for "Fate is the Hunter" as my favorite.

"Stick and Rudder" should be required reading for the PPL IMHO.

[David Paule]

Gotta recommend this excellent book.

It's by Rinker Buck, and is an excellent story of the rebuilding of a Cub and flying it across the country. The author was fifteen and his brother was seventeen when they flew from NJ to the West Coast.

Dave

[mculver]

Couple more Richard Bach books:

Biplane (my fav)
Jonathan Livingston Seagull

[Bob Axsom]

Well I ordered it - it is new. I thought the book Seabisquit by the author was outstanding and this book (Unbroken) was recommended here so it is worth trying.

Bob Axsom

[humptybump]

Illusions ? Yes.
Cannibal Queen? Yes.
Flight of Passage? Top of my list.

[339A]

Well I ordered it - it is new. I thought the book Seabisquit by the author was outstanding and this book (Unbroken) was recommended here so it is worth trying.

Bob Axsom

Bob, I'm quite interested to hear your review of Unbroken. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Just keep in mind that the story is not so much about flying. It is about the human will to survive. I couldn't put it down for long...

Enjoy,

[pierre smith]

Once you start reading this book, it's really hard to put down!

Best,

[Joel Medeiros]

If you really want to get to the roots of Home Building "The Bishops Boys" by Tom Crouch can't be beat. As a Smithsonian Air and Space Curator Tom has covered the Wright Brother?s story from cartel to grave. A very good read

[Barry]

This book written by Giles Whittell ISBN 978-0-00-723536-0 is about the women pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary. They with their male conterparts were charged with ferrying all RAFand US Airforce planes arround Britain and eventually mainland Europe during the second world war. Twenty five Ameriacn women pilots led by Jacqueline Cochran also joined the ATA. The books is a very good read and I am sure anyone interested in WW2 and aviation wont be disappointed.

[Bob Axsom]

When I read Doug's editorial about his son reporting on Nimitz as his project it reminded me of the book published in the 70s I think by the Naval Institute Press (I remember years by where I was working - when I bought it I was working on F-15 or the startup of the F-18 in St. Louis - transfered to Huntington Beach in 1978). I'm not at home now so I can't get the publication details. It is 574 pages long in the main body plus many pages of detailed index, etc. and it covers his life from a boy in Texas until he died (in California I believe - could be wrong). It focuses on the war in the Pacific and it gives details of the war and actions of the major military heads including the first application of carrier based air power in a battleship minded Navy. It was one of the finest books I have read - probably a little long for Doug's son to read now but maybe someday. It is simply entitled "Nimitz."

Bob Axsom

P.S. The author is E.B. Potter.

[RV7AV8R]

If you really want to get to the roots of Home Building "The Bishops Boys" by Tom Crouch can't be beat. As a Smithsonian Air and Space Curator Tom has covered the Wright Brother’s story from cartel to grave. A very good read
I'll second that! Every pilot and especially home builders should read the Wright Bros story and the Bishops Boys is excellent!

[sailvi767]

Unbroken is a outstanding book. You will enjoy it!!!


George

[Bob Axsom]

I never read anything like it before - "Unbroken" is unforgetable. It is not for wimps. Thanks for the recomendations.

Bob Axsom

[fodrv7]

Thanks Bob, ordered "Unbroken" and the Amazon recommended "Lost in Shangri-La".

Will report further.

Pete.

[DanWright]

How to Fly by Gordon Baxter (I'm old)

[339A]

I never read anything like it before - "Unbroken" is unforgetable. It is not for wimps. Thanks for the recomendations.

Bob Axsom

Top Notch! Glad you enjoyed it. It IS an unbelievable story. Absolutely amazing what the human body/spirit can endure... He is still alive today, really something.

Scott

[rjtjrt]

In the same vein as Unbroken, but not aviation related, is:-
A Fortunate Life (ISBN: 0140081674 / 0-14-008167-4)
by A.B. Facey

John

[B-Binns]

Inside the Sky - a Meditation on Flight (by William Langewiesche / the son, not the father); and The Right Stuff (by Tom Wolfe)

[pierre smith]

"The Few" is about the few guys who volunteered to help defend England in spite of the U.S.'s "neutrality" laws. The copywright is 2006, by Alex Kershaw....a very good read.

Best,

[yakdriver]

"The Wartime Journals of Charles A. Lindbergh" is a great insight of the period of 1938 - 1945 from the day to day journals of Lindbergh. It is very readable not boring at all. Out of print but Amazon always has copies.
"American Patriot" by Robert Coram Story of Medal of Honor winner Col. Bud Day. Great story of a true hero. He spent several years as a POW in Vietnam and John McCain credits him with saving his life. Well written and a book you can't put down.
"Lost in Tibet" by Starks and Murcutt True story of a LB30 crew flying the Hump in WWII blown off course and ending up in Tibet. Another can't put down.
"Lindbergh" by A. Scott Berg Best biography of Lindbergh I have read. Goes into a lot of the Medical and Scientific accomplishments as well as the flying. Great read if you are interested in Lindbergh.

[Bob Axsom]

I am a slow methodical reader but given enough time even a slow reader accumulates a lot of cherished books. I saw this one recommended in this thread and having worked in aerospace for 50 years, of course I had heard of Kelly Johnson of the Lockheed Skunk Works fame so I decided it was time to read his book. I ordered it through Amazon.com as a used book. In time it came and I was out of new books so I started reading it right away. Like I said I worked in the business for a long time and sometimes in conjunction with Lockheed or later Lockheed Martin but I was not a swooning fan of Kelly Johnson or the company - they were just the competition or a partner in a project (and one time an agonizing disappointment).

This book is added to my collection as one of my personal favorites. If you are interested in reading of great piloting and/or combat experiences you will not find them in this book. This book is about developing airplanes from a personal inside point of view from a man who lead the effort and made it happen. I see apparent flaws in his thinking, I do not agree with the Skunk Works approach without reservation because I have seen the failures of this approach when applied without great personnel with the right talent applied in the right way from top to bottom. That very stirring of emotion and object oriented thought is at least part of the validity of this book. There is a very personal exposure of the man and his life as well, although it is brief, it is moving.

One bonus I found in my personal copy is C. L Kelly Johnson's personal signature on the title page in the book. I had to check the back side of the page to verify the indention of the signature to verify that it was real. I never thought of autographs in a book as anything special but when I think that at one instant in this great man's life he spent it writing his name right here in my book where I am looking at it right now 21 years after his death - well it just takes on a special significance.

Peter in Australia, you need to read this one if you haven't already.

Bob Axsom

[Bob Axsom]

This 350 page book is a very good supplement to "Kelly" because it gives a different perspective and many personal inputs on Kelly Johnson, Ben R. Rich, the Lockheed Skunk Works, their products and the political & military environment they dealt with. Several times I got bogged down and had to brute force my way through parts that I just got tired of reading but I found it worth the effort.

Bob Axsom

[fodrv7]

Bob,
'Skunk Works' is brilliant.
'More than my share of it' has just arrived, but I am still in the midst of "Nimitz". You know I am an Aussie, not an anAmerican, but if I was, Nimitz would make me very proud. It's not an aviation book, but a wonderful insight into want American initiative can do when the stakes are high.
Meanwhile, over a glass of red I am flirting with "Flying the SR-71 Blackbird'.
looks very promising. Will reoprt further
Meanwhile, WingmanCam.com is surging.

Regards,

Pete.

[Bob Axsom]

I have it as a prized book in my collection. I read it in the mid 70's and it still stirs memories. One could make a case for it as an aviation book at the macro level since it covers the development of carrier aircraft utilization as decisions were made during the war in the Pacific during WWII. I visited his home town in Texas years after I read the book - because I had read the book.

Glad to hear about wingmancam.



Bob Axsom

[wjnmd]

I am currently reading "Moondog's Academy of the Air and other Disasters" by Pete Fusco. Recommended by a couple of guys I met at AirVenture. Very funny book about a guy working his way up through the ranks to fly for the majors. I wonder if Doug Reeves got the name for the family dog from this book. One of the guys who told me about it said it was "laugh out loud funny". I agree.

[Bob Axsom]

I read "Skunk Works" and I agree, it is a good book. It complements "Kelly" very well. I was surprised to read that a SR-71 landed where I was stationed long ago at what used to be called K-2 Air Base. I'n sure that got everyone's attention.

I am currently nearing the end of "Fight: My Life in Mission Control" by Chris Kraft. Even though I worked directly on Mercury there were things I learned that were real jaw droppers for me. On Gemini I was a foreman in the Electronic Equipment Division and all we did was make a converter (flight electronic box) for it so the inside operations information was all new to me. I had NO IDEA how significant that project was and its facilitating effect on the timely success of Apollo. Chris Kraft probably is not a person I would like to work with because of a lot of personality vibes that just seem wrong but he tells it as he lived it and much of it is not pretty. I knew John Yardley personally and Kraft's description of the encounters with him through page 277 (where I currently am in the book) seem reasonable - just for calibration. When he calls someone out as an incompetent or otherwise undesirable person to be working in the manned space program including one of the original 7 astronauts I have to believe it. At this point in the book Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee have just been burned to death in Apollo testing - a very sad time and low point in the US Manned Space program. I usually read late at night and this book is one that I have no difficulty picking up exactly where I left off in the time line and the intensity level. I look forward to the next 78 pages.

Bob Axsom

[pilotian]

Did anyone mention "Hauling Checks" ? Great book! Must read

[Bob Axsom]

http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq186/raxsom/Astronauts.jpg

This is my copy of a photo of the original 7 astronauts given to all McDonnell Aircraft employees one day during the Mercury Project. While reading Flight ... by Chris Kraft I found it very interesting to refer to it. The photo was taken in front of a full size display of the Mercury Capsule with the escape tower attached, outside of building 102 (when it was still two stories) by the fountain.

I underlined several passages in this book on p.139 I underlined Shepard's response "Roger Liftoff and the clock is started" and added that's my clock:
http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq186/raxsom/OTDMercury.jpg
I inspected the detail build up, final assembly and I independently ran the several hour long functional & final acceptance test before delivery to the Cape. Pretty heady stuff for a young guy.

Then on p.249 after Chris Kraft described the lavish provision on food, booze and women by North American in conjunction with their early Apollo Management Meetings, "I do know that I'd never seen anything like this from the McDonnell people in St. Louis, where the entertainment highlight of a management meeting might be a boxed lunch in a conference room with Mr MAC himself." I added "YES!." Maybe you had to work there when J.S. McDonnell ran the company to fully appreciate the significance of the statement - it was a very good time.


Bob Axsom

[Jerry Fischer]

The flying Marine, by Joe Foss. One of the first books I read and sparking my interest in aviation.

[VCMaine]

Non fiction. You are in the cockpit with Air Force Ace Robin Olds from WWII to Vietnam. He pulls no punches, in the air or on the ground. Best book I've read in a long time....

[panhandler1956]

Non fiction. You are in the cockpit with Air Force Ace Robin Olds from WWII to Vietnam. He pulls no punches, in the air or on the ground. Best book I've read in a long time....

I love this book!

[tjyak50]

"When Thunder Rolled" by Ed Rasimus.
Rockin good book.

[David Paule]

I read a pretty good one about Skylab a long time ago, and can't seem to find it on the bookshelf right now. It was probably "A House in Space" by Cooper.

There's an excellent book from an American who worked on MIR. This one is more recent, called "Off the Planet" by Linenger. It's a very good book.

Dave

[highflight42x]

"Flights of Passage", Samuel Hynes (captures perfectly the feeling of being an aviator in 1944-45, a young man coming of age during the end of the global conflagration)

"Tumult in the Clouds", James Goodson (Delves into the amazing characters of the men/boys of the famous 4th FG. He actually knew J.G. Magee, and first saw the "High Flight" poem pinned on a hanger wall at an RAF training station)

[rjtjrt]

Air Disaster (Vol. 1) (978-1875671113): Macarthur Job
and Volumes 2 and 3.
Excellent clinical analysis of airline accidents from around the world by a world renown safety analyst/writer, but written in such a way as to be difficult to put down.
John

[bkilby]

Just wanted to thank everyone for recommending this book.. I'm almost done and it has to be one of my favorite books of all time.. I can't help but think about his escapades in WWII/Korea and how they apply to our current obsession with improving safety in the community. Robin would have the crew chief walk him through the start procedures for a new aircraft and just jump in go.. w/o knowing approach speeds, stall characteristics, limitations, and sometimes how to work the radios, etc.. Those guys would have to figure it out and adjust, more often than not testing these aircraft limitations in actual combat (ie, finding out the hard way a P-38 will tuck its nose and lose total elevator authority in a steep dive approaching Mach 1). If a guy has one bad rivet in his bird these days he gets reemed for it in the online community. ;)

Non fiction. You are in the cockpit with Air Force Ace Robin Olds from WWII to Vietnam. He pulls no punches, in the air or on the ground. Best book I've read in a long time....

[Bob Axsom]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Axsom
I worked on Skylab for around 7 months as the MDAC-E resident rep at Eagle Picher in Joplin, MO for the development, fabrication, test and acceptance of the large NiCad batteries in the Airlock Module for power on the dark side. So after reading a couple of books leading up to the point in time when Skylab became the US space program I thought I would find something covering the Skylab project. I went to Amazon and ordered Homesteading Space: the Skylab Story by David Hitt, Owen Garriott and Joe Kerwin, copyrighted in 2008. It is 517 pages long and it has no detail index at the back that would make it useful as a reference book. I am only on page 88 and it is so directionless that I can only force myself to read a couple of pages at a time. It is like a committee collected information from various sources and organized it chronologically and published it. I will read it because I worked on the project but I think I made a poor choice - there must be a better book covering the Skylab Project. I will update this in a few months when I finish the book (hopefully).

Bob Axsom
9-28-11 now on page 307 and the feeling is much the same but at least it is out of the MSFC back patting phase and is into the second crew part of the mission. I can only read a couple of pages at a time but I recognize the value of the content and appreciate the effort made to get it in print - it's just hard to read. Once during a design review on a much later project a board member stated that the project needed to review the flight operational failure causes of several prior missions flown by the US, Russia and Japan and to present the results of the investigation to the operations personnel to make them aware of the past failures in an effort to avoid similar mistakes. If no one documents this stuff in any form it is impossible to do such research. The project for which this was done had the lowest command error rate of any mission being flown in the three plus years it was flying. The book has value but it is not overly enjoyable.

I will keep reading and update later.

Finished - I may be the only private citizen that has read the whole thing. The latter part of the book is better but it is a hard read. The part covering the third crew is OK, the Science chapter is better and Alan Bean's transcribed notes from his private inflight log is even a little better. It is a limited view from the inflight operational side of the space project and I am predjudiced a little against that shallow view. However, I have a much better appreciation of the project that I had when it flew back in 1973.

Bob Axsom

[David Paule]

Bob,

See message 331. There is a better book on Skylab and a decent one on MIR, too..

Dave

[Mark12A]

Anything by Ernest K. Gann
God is my Co-Pilot by Robert Scott
Flight of the Intruder and Intruders by Stephen Coonts

Not necessarity a strictly aviation book, but the biography of John Boyd, arguably the best fighter pilot of the modern era.

[Finley Atherton]

The Last Explorer by Simon Nasht


This book details the life and almost unbelievable exploits of the Australian, Sir Hubert Wilkins and includes lots of amazing aviating.

In particular he was the first to conceive of, and use aircraft in the polar regions.
With Ben Eielson ( American Aviation Hall of Fame) as the pilot they were the first to fly an aircraft (Lockheed Vega) over the Arctic Ice Cap from Point Barrow to Norway. Wilkins was a superb navigator and managed to navigate directly to their destination through thunderstorms and blizzards using dead reckoning and sextant sightings and with the compass shifting through more than 300 degrees of magnetic variation. The American Geographical Society described this as a "feat in navigation which can be confidently declared unparalleled in the history of flying".

He had lots of other "Firsts" in aviation but aviation was only part of this incredible man's life. For instance he was held in high regard by the American Military. In 1959 the nuclear powered submarine Skate became the first submarine to surface at the Pole, where it held a memorial service and scattered the ashes of the Australian, Sir Hubert Wilkins.

See Amazon Books (http://www.amazon.com/Last-Explorer-Hubert-Wilkins-Exploration/dp/1559708255) for a brief description and reader reviews.

Fin
9A

[Bob Axsom]

The Last Explorer by Simon Nasht


This book details the life and almost unbelievable exploits of the Australian, Sir Hubert Wilkins and includes lots of amazing aviating.

In particular he was the first to conceive of, and use aircraft in the polar regions.
With Ben Eielson ( American Aviation Hall of Fame) as the pilot they were the first to fly an aircraft (Lockheed Vega) over the Arctic Ice Cap from Point Barrow to Norway. Wilkins was a superb navigator and managed to navigate directly to their destination through thunderstorms and blizzards using dead reckoning and sextant sightings and with the compass shifting through more than 300 degrees of magnetic variation. The American Geographical Society described this as a "feat in navigation which can be confidently declared unparalleled in the history of flying".

He had lots of other "Firsts" in aviation but aviation was only part of this incredible man's life. For instance he was held in high regard by the American Military. In 1959 the nuclear powered submarine Skate became the first submarine to surface at the Pole, where it held a memorial service and scattered the ashes of the Australian, Sir Hubert Wilkins.

See Amazon Books (http://www.amazon.com/Last-Explorer-Hubert-Wilkins-Exploration/dp/1559708255) for a brief description and reader reviews.

Fin
9A

I've got to stop doing this - I have 3 backed up to read while I slogged through my Skylab book - but your description is too compelling to let it pass. However, my next read is "One Good Run: Legend of Burt Munro" by Tim Hanna, the amazing life story of the motorcycling speed legend who inspired the hit movie "The World's Fastest Indian".

Bob Axsom

[Bob Axsom]

As the cover states "The Amazing life story of the Motorcycling Speed Legend who inspired the hit movie "The World's Fastest Indian". If you missed the movie becuase of the poor distribution - well, you missed a great one. So how is this an aviation book, well did you know he built a glider from bamboo in his youth - it's in there. But more importantly it goes deep enough to capture the focus and dedication one can give to developing a high performance speed machine. On page 110 after a paragraph telling of the birth of his son it goes on for several pages describing in fastenating detail how he made new heads for the engine and a little later on, connecting rods just a step or two short of mining the ore himself. Maybe this will appeal more to those that have already built their RVs and are modifying them for speed than those that are still working on the original build. If you are modifying your RV for speed, this will inspire you by this man's relentless pursuit of excellence with modest resources.

Bob Axsom

[rjtjrt]

The Amazing life story of the Motorcycling Speed Legend who inspired the hit movie "The World's Fastest Indian". If you missed the movie becuase of the poor distribution - well, you missed a great one.

Bob Axsom

Bob

I agree, the movie "The World's Fastest Indian" is a must see movie.

John

[Bob Axsom]

As the cover states "The Amazing life story of the Motorcycling Speed Legend who inspired the hit movie "The World's Fastest Indian". If you missed the movie becuase of the poor distribution - well, you missed a great one. So how is this an aviation book, well did you know he built a glider from bamboo in his youth - it's in there. But more importantly it goes deep enough to capture the focus and dedication one can give to developing a high performance speed machine. On page 110 after a paragraph telling of the birth of his son it goes on for several pages describing in fastenating detail how he made new heads for the engine and a little later on, connecting rods just a step or two short of mining the ore himself. Maybe this will appeal more to those that have already built their RVs and are modifying them for speed than those that are still working on the original build. If you are modifying your RV for speed, this will inspire you by this man's relentless pursuit of excellence with modest resources.

Bob Axsom

One of a kind! The depth of his pursuit in the search of speed - especially in the engine are difficult to imagine. Makes me feel like a slacker. The book just kept getting better all the way to the end. I think it may be better appreciated with age but anyone that has experimented with their RV in search of speed will feel a little relationship with the content.

Bob Axsom

[rjtjrt]

"Softly Tread The Brave A Triumph Over Terror,and Death By Mine Disposal Officers John Stuart Mould,G.C.,G.M.,and Hugh Randal Syme,G.C.,G.M,and Bar"
Author - Ivan Southall

Hard to find now. The title is self explanatory, but refers to Britain in WWII.
It has a lot of modern day/current relevance to the counter IED work in Afghanistan today, with the same cold courage.

John

[newt]

"Stick and Rudder", but only because it calls the elevator, "flippers."

"The Compleat Taildragger" works well for me too.

And Fred Hoinville's "Halfway to Heaven" is a good read if you can find it, and you like aviation biographies.

- mark

[izzybear]

Without a doubt, Piece of Cake. Get the BBC produced movie while you are at it. No better footage of Spits anywhere even though the book was based on a Hurricane squadron.

Lucky

I have been looking for that movie for years - I saw a part of it on TV... probably in 1998, and I haven't been able to find it and now I know why... because I was looking for it as, "Pieces of Eight" instead of "Piece of Cake"!!:eek: Like I said, I only saw a part of the mini series but my-oh-my that was an awesome WWII/flying movie!

[Bob Axsom]

I've read a few books covering flight where altitude becomes distance and although I'm just getting into this one it has grabbed my attention firmly. The subtitle is "JPL and the American Space Program 1976-2004". Since I worked in the American Space Program from April 1959 to September 31, 2004 with the last 19 years at JPL and know some of the people mentioned in the book you might think I'm prejudiced but I don't think so. I have read other books on the subjects and felt a little obligation to read rather than being drawn into it historically and personally.

Bob Axsom

[pilotian]

Hauling checks! Best book I have read in a long while....

Story about a check hauler and the wacked up life style he lives!!!!

Took me a day to read it was so good.
http://www.haulingchecks.com/

[denbobp]

The RV8 builders manual and the VAF Forums....sorry couldn't resist:D:D

[NYTOM]

I never read anything like it before - "Unbroken" is unforgetable. It is not for wimps. Thanks for the recomendations.

Bob Axsom

Always looking for recommendations on this forum for that special "Can't put it down" book that you don't want to end, I took a chance on "Unbroken" and took it on vacation with me. It is without a doubt one of the finest books I've ever read. I've always had a lot of respect for our WWII vets but after reading this it is truly amazing what these men endured for the freedom we enjoy and sometimes take for granted. A must read for any American. And yes, I couldn't put it down.

[Bob Axsom]

I have 29 of his books in my library and I recently bought my 30th called Sea Witch. It actually contains three totally unrelated novellas "Sea Witch" about a black cat Catalina called Sea Witch and her crew in WWII, "The 17th Day" about an American pilot flying and S.E.5A with the RFC in WWI and "Al-Jihad" about a woman and a man flying a V-22 Osprey in recent times going to steal lots of money. The first two were terrific and the third one is starting off that way even though the subject seems unusual for a Coonts hero - I'll bet it comes around in the end.

Bob Axsom

[Greg Arehart]

"Glacier Pilot" by Beth Day (1957)

If you are interested in early flying in Alaska, this is a good biography about one of the early (and finally successful) bush pilots, Bob Reeve. A friend found this at a used book sale (50c) and sent it to me. Looks like they are available on Amazon for a buck or so used.

Greg

[Finley Atherton]

QF32. Written by the pilot of the Qantas A380 that had a massive engine explosion soon after takeoff from Changi Airport in Nov 2010.

I always knew this was a serious incident but I did not realise how close it came to being one of the worlds worst air disasters. Fascinating and scary stuff as it details the sequence of events with descriptions of the Airbus systems including fly by wire, electronic check lists and how the modern computer controlled aircraft copes with unprecedented multiple systems failure.
On the day they happened to have 5 pilots in the cockpit with two of them being senior check pilots and it is interesting to see the cockpit crew management procedures used.

The book starts off a bit slow as it details the early life of the pilot but gets more interesting (to a pilot) when he joins the Australian Airforce.

Fin
9A

[Spartacus]

Ground Zero- great book. Reading now Fate is the Hunter.

[Jerry Fischer]

Flying Marine. Biography I read in the 50's while at the St. Pete Public Library down on Mirror Lake Dr in St. Pete as a boy. I have always appreciated aviation and the challenges it brings by the stories shared by those who choose to fly.

[Bob Axsom]

This book was written by Eddie Rickenbacker and copyrited in 1967. I got a used copy through Amazon.com for around $10 but they have new ones for $71 and a copy signed by Eddie Richenbacker for $438. I have read a lot of books in my 76 years but this is at the top with Charles Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis." I knew Eddie Rickenbacker was a top ace in WWI and I knew that he was associated with the ownership or management of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and I had long ago read of his survival on the Pacific after a plane crash but these were just things in an amazing life that eclipses any that I have any familiarity with. This book and Lindbergh's are the only times I have experienced the feeling that I am being told the story of an amazing life by the person who lived it and the story is so much bigger than I could have imagined. In my little collection I have Doolittle, Yeager, Rutan & Yeager, Hoover, Anderson, Olds, Glenn, Gabreski, Munro and many other l important life stories but none comes close to the scale of this one.

I'm not a regular poster on this site anymore but I had to come back and share this.

Bob Axsom

[Skykingbob]

My favorite is KILL DEVIL HILLS by Harry Combs. A great book that contains the birth of the E/AB in its purest form. Great info and quotes from the men that launched an venue that all of us are now enjoying in building our magic carpets of metal! :D

http://www.amazon.com/Kill-Devil-Hill-Harry-Combs/dp/0940053020/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361726548&sr=1-4&keywords=harry+combs+books

Also worth reading is THE WRIGHT BROTHERS the authorized biography by Fred Kelly. Wilber approved the content.

http://www.amazon.com/Wright-Brothers-Biography-Dover-Transportation/dp/0486260569/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361726678&sr=1-11&keywords=the+wright+brothers

[Bruce]

Viper Pilot by Dan Hampton

Wild Weasel missions. Very good read.

[mannanj]

Just ordered Rickenbacker's autobiography from Abe books. If you read a lot and you haven't gone to their site, you're missing out.

[YellowPeril]

Wot a Way to Run a War!: The World War II Exploits and Escapades of a Pilot in the 352nd Fighter Group

by Ted Fahrenwald

Only out on Kindle now. You won't regret it!

[Bob Axsom]

On this morning of March 10, 2013 I just finished reading this new book "A Higher Call" by Adam Makos with Larry Alexander that was published just two months ago in January 2013. It is a well written dual biography about pilots, one German (bf109) and one American (B-17) who died 8 months apart in 2008. On the dust jacket it is advertised as a New York Times Best Seller. The theme "An incredible true story of combat and chivalry in the war-torn skies of World War II" about Franz Stigler and Charlie Crown's encounter over Europe sells the book no doubt but I personally found the story of Franz Stigler's experience in WWII by far the most interesting.

I cannot vouch for the accuracy of all the details (such as when the radio operator in the B-17 is described as caring a lot about his transistor chips when the transistor was not invented until 1947) but for this reader that was a young school boy during WWII the mix of fact and art did not turn it into a work of fiction.

Well worth reading in my opinion.

Bob Axsom

[Don]

Thanks for the book review Bob - and moreover, welcome back. I've missed reading your posts.

[bwestfall]

I'm a bit late to the party as this is the first time I've seen this thread but it's quite fascinating and full of many a book I've not heard of. It's hard to pick a favorite but I'd probably say Fate is the Hunter because that was the first aviation book I read as a teen that really turned me on to flying (which has otherwise ruined the rest of my life :)).

Fate is the Hunter - first real page turner that I read as a teen
Rickenbacker - by far the most amazing book I've read
Hoover's Forever Flying - I used to keep several paperback copies around to give to any pilot I came across who hasn't read it.

One I did not see mentioned at all in this thread that I'll add is Forgotten Eagle: Wiley Post, America's Heroic Aviation Pioneer by Bryan Sterling & Frances Sterling. Post was quite the aviation pioneer and seems all but forgotten today.

[AeroDog]

Jerrie Mock was the first women to fly around the world solo, which she did back in the 60s in a Cessna 170 (could have been a 180). Three Eight Charlie chronicles the flight. Good read.

Jerre

[gerrychuck]

The Bandy Papers by Donald Jack; a hilarious account over three novels of a hapless but very fortunate Sopwith Camel pilot in WWI. Think "Being There" as an aviation story;)

Fail-Safe by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler; scared the **** out of me as a teenager and still does

Reach for the Sky by Paul Brickhill; if you're not inspired by the story of Douglas Bader, the legless British ace of the Battle of Britain, you don't like aviation

Anything ever written by Neville Shute

[Chino Tom]

Anything ever written by Neville Shute

Neville Shute Norway, a very interesting guy. Best know for his book "On the
Beach". He was also a famous aircraft engineer having worked on the R100
airship. Check out his Wiki profile. My flight instructor, John Hazlett, first
enlightened me to his books in the early 70's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevil_Shute

[Barry]

This is a very well written and interesting book by Don Charlwood.
I don't think this book has been mentioned so far on this forum.
It is his story of how he and 19 other Australians left their homes to go to the UK to join the RAF at the outbreak of WW2. The 20 first went to Canada to train as navigators before going to England. The book covers the experience of the 20 navigators flying bombers over Germany. Don Charlwood was the first of the 20 to make it to the goal of 30 missions before eventually returning to Australia. Of the 20 young men you left Australia only 5 survived the war. It is a detailed account of the life of a crew flying dangerous missions out of England also giving details of life in England at that time.
If you are interested the book ISBN number is 9 780907 579977

Barry RV6A

[Bob Axsom]

The Last Explorer by Simon Nasht


This book details the life and almost unbelievable exploits of the Australian, Sir Hubert Wilkins and includes lots of amazing aviating.

In particular he was the first to conceive of, and use aircraft in the polar regions.
With Ben Eielson ( American Aviation Hall of Fame) as the pilot they were the first to fly an aircraft (Lockheed Vega) over the Arctic Ice Cap from Point Barrow to Norway. Wilkins was a superb navigator and managed to navigate directly to their destination through thunderstorms and blizzards using dead reckoning and sextant sightings and with the compass shifting through more than 300 degrees of magnetic variation. The American Geographical Society described this as a "feat in navigation which can be confidently declared unparalleled in the history of flying".

He had lots of other "Firsts" in aviation but aviation was only part of this incredible man's life. For instance he was held in high regard by the American Military. In 1959 the nuclear powered submarine Skate became the first submarine to surface at the Pole, where it held a memorial service and scattered the ashes of the Australian, Sir Hubert Wilkins.

See Amazon Books (http://www.amazon.com/Last-Explorer-Hubert-Wilkins-Exploration/dp/1559708255) for a brief description and reader reviews.

Fin
9A

WOW! What an explorer and what a man. You are justifiably proud of your countryman's achievements. It is good that his life and achievements are respected by a fellow countryman these long years since he was shunned by many in Australia. I can only imagine the personal life of he and his wife of 29 years. The apparent sabotage of the submarine in his arctic ice cap expedition was a heartbreaker.

Thanks for recommending the book.

Bob Axsom

[mill2978]

I just finished reading "Warbird Recovery" by Gordon Page

From the back of the book:

"April Fool?s Day, 1992. Author Gordon R. Page receives a call from a business associate offering him the chance to travel to Russia in hopes of acquiring a rare World War II fighter plane. He?s waited for this call for years?and it?s not a joke. Packed with action, intrigue, and danger, Warbird Recovery delivers Page?s gripping true story of his journey to Russia to recover the aircraft and fulfill a lifelong dream. "

http://www.warbirdrecovery.com/

This is a great adventure from the US to Siberia in search of WWII aircraft. I started reading it while waiting for a commercial flight and couldn't put down. Gordon's description of air travel in Russia made my cramped seat in a 737 seam like first class.

I really enjoyed the book, a nice light hearted read, like talking to friend over a beer. I recommend it to anyone.

[N804RV]

What's your favorite aviation book?

1) "The Wild Blue" - Stephen Ambrose. True story about B24 Liberator crews. And in particular, George McGovern and his crew.

2) "Instrument Flying" - Richard Taylor. The most readable book on the subject as far as I'm concerned.

3) "The Right Stuff" - Tom Wolfe. I read this book as a teenager. It was one of the books I credit with inspiring me to read. It also inspired me to drink and smoke and chase women. But, that's another story....

3) "Flight of the Intruder" - Stephen Coonts. Yeah, I know... But, its still a good read!

4) "Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators" - H.H. Hurt. I got a copy of the NAVWEPS 00-80T-80 binding years ago, when I was on active duty. Its one of the best aviation reference books out there real pilots and wannabes like me.

[Finley Atherton]

WOW! What an explorer and what a man. You are justifiably proud of your countryman's achievements. It is good that his life and achievements are respected by a fellow countryman these long years since he was shunned by many in Australia. I can only imagine the personal life of he and his wife of 29 years. The apparent sabotage of the submarine in his arctic ice cap expedition was a heartbreaker.

Thanks for recommending the book.

Bob Axsom

Bob,

Yes - what a man! I recently read the book again and continue to be amazed at the exploits and achievements of this unassuming and largely forgotten man.

Fin
9A

[jrs14855]

Jerrie Mocks airplane was a Cessna 180. It is on display at Air and Space. She is 87 years old.

[Bill Dicus]

Have really enjoyed Shute's books and my favorite was SLIDE RULE. It's a wonderful and factual story. Sorry if it was mentioned before and I missed it!

[rjtjrt]

Bill
I haven't read it for many years, but Neville Shute's book "Requiem for a Wren" was a good read.
I also enjoyed reading "Heaven Next Stop" by Gunther Bloemertz, even though on that major Internet book seller it has poor reviews.
A more recent book, by a WWII German ace (275) is "My Logbook" by Gunter Rall, who went on to a long career in the modern German Air Force, and eventually to become its Commanding Officer in the 1970's.
Regards
John

[Bob Axsom]

I grew up during WWII and I've read a lot of books about it but this one takes it to a level I had never seen before.

Bob Axsom

[eddieseve]

Full Throttle by John R. Deakin
Stick and Rudder
Yeager, Autobiography
The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

[Dundee Downunder]

by Eric Brown
Quote from Wikipedia:
Captain Eric Melrose "Winkle" Brown, CBE, DSC, AFC, Hon FRAeS (born 21 January 1919) is a British former Royal Navy officer and test pilot who has flown more types of aircraft than anyone else in history, piloting 487 different aircraft.[1] He is also the Fleet Air Arm?s most decorated living pilot and holds the world record for aircraft carrier landings ? 2,407.[2]
Certainly an interesting perspective on military aviation.
Cheers,
Rob Montgomery

[Bob Axsom]

Thanks Bob,
I have added it to the list which I shall update from time to time.

I bought “Carrying the Fire” by Mike Collins from Amazon on someone's recommendation.
I read a book a week (Lately, mostly about American politics and Foreign Policy) and I must say “Carrying the Fire” is one of the most moving books I have read in years.

Pete.

Whoa, take your time reading this one Bob, I sense that it is special! I finished reading "The Man Called Intrepid" recently and about the same time I bought it I bought several others dealing with WWII. I was a young school boy on WWII and was saturated with it as the all consuming focus of our lives. The Man Called Intrepid was to put it mildly, an interesting book with a perspective different from any I have read before. It was so straight and in such detail far removed from the typical biographical hero book that every sense of need has been saturated at a level that is hard to describe. I tried to start another and I just had to put it aside. But... I need to read, so I go on Amazon to see what I can find and in the process I saw "Carrying the Fire by Michael Collins and something stirred in me. I did not consciously remember your recommendation. The book was in the mail box when I got back from the Firecracker 100 race in Marysville, Ohio yesterday. Exhausted from that adventure, I slept for over five hours straight for the firs time in months. So I finally got up after that blissful experience and fixed my usual Sunday bacon, egg (beaters) and biscuit breakfast and open my new book. I read the Forward by Charles Lindbergh and the Preface to the 2009 edition and I know I have a WINNER! I worked on Project Mercury and Skylab and I consider them and Apollo the real pioneering manned space flight projects in my time. I worked on and around a lot of unmanned space flight projects at JPL before I retired and the words of Lindbergh and Collins struck some deep significant responsive chords already. I had to come on here and find out if there had been a recommendation and I found your post. Thanks Pete.

Bob Axsom

[fodrv7]

Thanks, Bob. I enjoyed it, but it must be very special to you.

Meanwhile, what I have been reading lately,

By coincidence, not by deliberate selection, I have just read four books in a row about flying fighters in WWII. Not only that, they were, in order, by an American, a German, a Brit and a Frenchman.(One of them was actually fiction). Altogether this combination of stories really knitted together a picture of what both sides went through and provided a real insight into the aircraft, the pilots and their flying life.

The first was ?A Piece of Cake? by Derek Robinson. Although this is a novel, it is meticulously researched and the characters very well developed and they really come alive. Definitely worth reading.
Next was ?Wot a Way to Run a War? by Ted Fahrenwald, a series of rambling letters home to the USA, covering his day to day life as a fighter pilot in Europe. Whilst there is not a lot of flying in the book it does give an insight into the life of an American fighter pilot in Europe and in particular, England, during WWII.
This was followed by the excellent ?I Flew for the Fufrer? by Heinz Knoke. Really descriptive of both the flying, the aircraft he flew, the fighter pilots life and progress of the war from a German perspective.
But the one that stands out was the last. ?The Big Show? by Pierre Clostemann, a Frenchman flying in the RAF. Probably the most comprehensive book with the, best insight into the life of a fighter pilot I have read. The description of the aircraft he flew, the battles, tactics, losses, pain, fear and successes are masterly. He flew the Spit for a few years with great success and yet describes his frightening first flight in the 2500hp Hawker Tempest. Clostermann also had a few periods between missions as an advisor to the top brass in London, where he gleaned a deal ?intelligence? and so is able to explain much of what was going on behind the scenes. Clostemann doesn?t pull and punches and is often scathing, most notably of the French senior brass?s incompetence. It?s now on the top shelf of my library.

Pete.

[rjtjrt]

Pierre Closterman also wrote a book called "Flames in the Sky".
This is a collection of stories about famous air battles rather than personal reminiscences. It is a good book, but no where near the same quality as The Big Show.
John

[TXTaildragger]

Low and Slow / Mabry Anderson

[tjo]

I just finished "A Higher Call" and highly recommend it. I know earlier someone questioned some of the technological accuracy, but that isn't the point of the book. It is from a perspective of war that is very unique and comes full circle.

Tim

[RV9A Bill]

Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire series has a new addition, s Christmas story about an old pilot(Doolittle raider) and an old B25. Good story. Title " Spirit of Steamboat".

[BillL]

The one book about flight and aviation that stuck with me many years ago was "Operation Overflight" by Gary Powers. I was shocked and saddened by the manner of his death in the helio crash.

[bird]

I remember reading "the fledgling" when I was very young. I will try to find again to see if it still appeals to me. I wanted to fly for as long as I can remember.

The book I remember was not the one about a little girl and a goose, it was about a young boy who saw airplanes overhead and struggled to get an opportunity to get to fly, kinda my own story.


Bird

[KCBerner]

The Last Explorer by Simon Nasht


This book details the life and almost unbelievable exploits of the Australian, Sir Hubert Wilkins and includes lots of amazing aviating.

In particular he was the first to conceive of, and use aircraft in the polar regions.
With Ben Eielson ( American Aviation Hall of Fame) as the pilot they were the first to fly an aircraft (Lockheed Vega) over the Arctic Ice Cap from Point Barrow to Norway. Wilkins was a superb navigator and managed to navigate directly to their destination through thunderstorms and blizzards using dead reckoning and sextant sightings and with the compass shifting through more than 300 degrees of magnetic variation. The American Geographical Society described this as a "feat in navigation which can be confidently declared unparalleled in the history of flying".

He had lots of other "Firsts" in aviation but aviation was only part of this incredible man's life. For instance he was held in high regard by the American Military. In 1959 the nuclear powered submarine Skate became the first submarine to surface at the Pole, where it held a memorial service and scattered the ashes of the Australian, Sir Hubert Wilkins.

See Amazon Books (http://www.amazon.com/Last-Explorer-Hubert-Wilkins-Exploration/dp/1559708255) for a brief description and reader reviews.

Fin
9A

Just finished this on an AA flight today. Great read and highly recommended. As a pilot and a submarine vet, I was riveted with the entire story of this mans life.

[mike newall]

I started this as a quick reply - it developed..


Failure Is Not An Option - Eugene F Kranz.

A true, proper Gentleman - one of my personal heroes and I would love to meet him.

Next

Riding Rockets.

Mike Mullane - a 'grunt' Astronaut !

Very entertaining.

Neither about our area of aviation, but both show commitment, dedication, professionalism to their chosen path.

Glorious stories well told by good men.

p.s.

Fate Is The Hunter.

Read this aged 50 plus.........

Could not believe how much it still related to our tenuous existence as Airline Pilots in 2014......


As a lighter read.

Propellerhead

Antony Woodward

Barking mad tales of ultralight flying and zen like wisdom - alternative.


Then.....


JLS

It has to be the must read for every home grown, basic pilot.

http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1743336-jonathan-livingston-seagull

It gets weird, but ..... I am a Brit.

Novels.

Brian Lecomber - V Good.

All Derring Do in the Caribbean.


Stephen Coonts

What a tale teller.....

From Vietnam to the lower 48 !

Search, read, enjoy.

My favourite - this

http://www.coonts.com/books/others/the-cannibal-queen

Finally - and this relates to us as RV pilots.

Eric Muller wrote a book with Annette Carson called Flight Unlimited.

Ref

http://www.transair.co.uk/sp+Aerobatics-Training-Flight-Unlimited+9643

Available in the US.

Now, Eric and Annette produced this book - something of such subtle beauty - such divine simplicity yet it enthused and allowed us mere mortals to enter into the world of higher aerobatics.

We, as RV pilots enjoy such a privilege, we build and fly aeroplanes that allow us to explore, enjoy and advance our skills beyond our wildest dreams.

Hence the RV Grin.........


So - here are my choices.

I may add to them, but as I sit here, on a cold, Wednesday evening after a 16 hour work day flying our passengers to and from Fueteventura in an A 321,


I need a beer..............

[colojo]

When I was growing up in the 1970's I checked out a big, hardcover book that was the history of Boeing, from its founding to about 1970 or so (it included the 747). It fascinated me and the photos of the factory and airplanes over the years were incredible. It had a major impact on my wanting to fly. It's long out of print but I surf eBay for it from time to time. Still no luck....

[sailvi767]

One summer, America 1927
Bill Bryson

It's a snapshot of one time frame in our country. Lots about Lindbergh and aviation. Touches on many other subjects relevant to the times. Reads like a novel you can't put down.

George

[wirejock]

+1 Cannibal Queen

[DaveWelch]

Our one-room country school had a library of 2 or 3 bookshelves. Thankfully, a small book titled "Eight Hours to Solo" was there. Got me hooked. I read it over, and over, and over.....when I finally took my first flight lesson my instructor said "You've done this before". Haven't found a copy since but I'll keep looking.

[Flying again!]

Great thread!

One not mentioned which is an excellent story about Japan's highest ace is "Samurai!" by Martin Caiden. I read it long ago and was captivated by his heroic 600 mile flight back from Guadalcanal after being wounded and virtually blind. I see it is available from Amazon and is 5 stars.

Another good book mentioned only once on this thread is "Stuka Pilot" by Gunther Just. It is a great story about the most decorated pilot in Germany.

I am an Aeronautical Engineer and have referenced "Fluid Dynamic Lift" and "Fluid Dynamic Drag" by Hoener many, many times.

Too many more to reference at this time!

TJ

[fodrv7]

When I was growing up in the 1970's I checked out a big, hardcover book that was the history of Boeing, from its founding to about 1970 or so (it included the 747). It fascinated me and the photos of the factory and airplanes over the years were incredible. It had a major impact on my wanting to fly. It's long out of print but I surf eBay for it from time to time. Still no luck....


Might have been "Wide-Body: The Triumph of the 747" by Clive Irving.
I to read it years ago and recently obtained a copy for my Son, from Amazon.
It's still available there.
Pete

[fodrv7]

Our one-room country school had a library of 2 or 3 bookshelves. Thankfully, a small book titled "Eight Hours to Solo" was there. Got me hooked. I read it over, and over, and over.....when I finally took my first flight lesson my instructor said "You've done this before". Haven't found a copy since but I'll keep looking.

Available at Amazon . . . for a price.
Pete.

[fodrv7]

I have updated my Word.doc booklist of the titles mentioned on this post, sorted by both Author & Title.

Anyone who wishes to have a copy should email me.

Pete.

[-goose]

Two books that became tatty with constant re-reading when I was a boy are

Enemy Coast Ahead by Guy Gibson - Gibson led the dam buster raids and somehow found time to write a book about this and his wartime experiences at the time.

Fly West by Ivan Southall - Stories of a Coastal Command squadron flying Short Sunderlands during WW2

One I've recently discovered is Fighter Pilot by Paul Richie - this one I found really interesting as Richie flew hurricanes during the battle of France and the book is devoted to this. I have a modern edition but was lucky enough to find a 1942 edition in a bookshop recently, which has interesting differences for the sake of wartime censorship (and propaganda).

My recent favourite is definitely Fate is the Hunter.

[fodrv7]

Best book on Apollo from a 'pilot's' perspective that I have read.

I'm not sure how I found this book, whether it was on this post or if I just stumbled across it on Amazon.
It is by far the best insight into 'flying' the Apollo spacecraft that I have read.
It's not by an astronaut!
But W. David Woods narrative and continual references to the comms with Mission Control and the astronauts description of the mission in post mission briefings, paint a thorough and clear picture of how it was done, from a 'pilots' perspective.

I have read widely on Apollo (and Mercury, Gemini and the Shuttle), books by astronauts, engineers, flight controllers and managers of NASA. And they all paint different aspects of the intriguing picture of an extraordinarily accomplishment.

What 'How Apollo Flew to the Moon' does, is to describe how the astronauts flew the ship, with sufficient technical description to afford an understanding of just what they needed to do, followed by a superb description of the 'cockpit' operation.
The technical stuff is pitch perfect, not dumbed down, but not over the top; clear, concise and easily grasped.
In fact, for the first time I was able to get my head around the 'Orbital Mechanics' of spacecraft rendezvous. That alone made the book wothewhile to me.

But there is so much more.

Pete.

[NYTOM]

Just finished "Jimmy Stewart Bomber Pilot". Have watched this mans movies since I was a little kid " Mister Smith Goes To Washington"etc. Little did I know he was one of America's greatest real hero's. Lot of the content about the eighth airforce.

[Shimoda]

'Some dogs do' by Jez Alborough

(..helps if you have kids to read it to, but not compulsory !!)

http://www.amazon.com/Some-Dogs-Do-Jez-Alborough/dp/076362201X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397439392&sr=8-1&keywords=some+dogs+do

[Shimoda]

'Some dogs do' by Jez Alborough

(..helps if you have kids to read it to, but not compulsory !!)

http://www.amazon.com/Some-Dogs-Do-Jez-Alborough/dp/076362201X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397439392&sr=8-1&keywords=some+dogs+do

....see also : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rb0wiw8RQY

[KCBerner]

I never read anything like it before - "Unbroken" is unforgetable. It is not for wimps. Thanks for the recomendations.

Bob Axsom

For those that haven't heard, Louis Zamperini died today at the age of 97. Trust me, that's not a spoiler for this book. I started reading it knowing he was still alive and it's still the most engaging book I've ever read.

If you haven't read this yet and you're at all interested in WW2 aviation, or just an amazing story of survival of the human spirit, you may want to read it before the movie comes out and you're tempted to take the easy way out.

Rest in Peace Louis, what a life...

[terrye]

I'm currently reading "Three-Eight Charlie" by Jerrie Mock about her 1964 flight around the world in a Cessna 180. Long out of print, this is a 50th Anniversary reprint available in both hardcover (recommended) or softcover.
Available from:
http://phoenixgraphix.us/

[mannanj]

For those that haven't heard, Louis Zamperini died today at the age of 97. Trust me, that's not a spoiler for this book. I started reading it knowing he was still alive and it's still the most engaging book I've ever read.

If you haven't read this yet and you're at all interested in WW2 aviation, or just an amazing story of survival of the human spirit, you may want to read it before the movie comes out and you're tempted to take the easy way out.

Rest in Peace Louis, what a life...


I agree. What a story! If you read at all, you really should read this book. I was saddened to hear of Zamperini's death today. Truly one of America's WWII heros.

[lllewis45]

You have to read "Into the Wind". I don't remember the author, and another friend has it now, but it is the story of Max Conrad and his long distance flights flying Piper airplanes. For example, Casablanca to San Diego.....non stop, in a Comanche 180!!! You will love it.

LLL

[jpowell13]

Laura Hillenbrand packed her book with interesting detail, and Zamperini must have had incredible recall. Unbroken doesn't just tell Zamperini's story, but the stories of dozens of people he encountered. And, she's quite a historian, in that, she helps you understand the worlds Zamperini was passing through in his ordeal. The movie is good, but only scratches the surface. The book could change your life.

[rjbob]

I've read too many aviation books to try to remember a favorite as almost all of them were "favorites". There is one exception, though.
I checked out Weekend Pilot (nonfiction) by Frank Kingston Smith from the school library when I was young. It was in the mid 1950s when I was about 9 or 10 years old. As an airplane fanatic all my life, the book brought to life the reality of flying for me.
After I received my Private in 1968, I subscribed to FLYING magazine and was happy to see that Frank was a columnist there at the time. I was able to enjoy his work for many years after.
Bob

[ShortSnorter]

Don't shoot me if this was in the 40+ pages prior, but Air Vagabonds is a great collection of stories any ferry pilot can appreciate.

http://www.amazon.com/Air-Vagabonds-Oceans-Airmen-Adventure/dp/1588341372

[Palamedes]

"A higher call" by Adam Makos

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Mark Albery]

I'm reading Eric 'Winkle' Brown's 'Wings upon my sleeve'.

He was the FAA's most decorated pilot (that's the Fleet Air Arm for those unfamiliar with that name!). A truly great pilot and a fascinating insight into the history that he had partaken.

You can get a taste of the character from his recent broadcast on Desert Island Discs : http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04nvgq1

[pa24pilot]

Book is by William M. Masland; published in 1984 by Vantage Press

Follows the author's initial flight training in the 1920-30's and eventual progression to Pan Am Captain flying the famous China Clippers. The book finishes with his run from San Francisco to China that occurred immediately before and after the start of WW II. Unable to get to China and unable to return the way he had come, Masland continued west eventually around the world to finish the flight in New York.

A truly fascinating read.

Pat Donovan
PA24 flying
RV9 building

[Saville]

I'm reading Eric 'Winkle' Brown's 'Wings upon my sleeve'.

He was the FAA's most decorated pilot (that's the Fleet Air Arm for those unfamiliar with that name!). A truly great pilot and a fascinating insight into the history that he had partaken.

You can get a taste of the character from his recent broadcast on Desert Island Discs : http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04nvgq1

If you have Netflix streaming you can watch a pretty interesting documentary on Brown with Brown himself commenting:

"Memories of a WWII Hero: Captain Brown's Story"

[jpowell13]

I have some great friends that love to read and recommend good books to me so I don't have to waste my time on bad ones. I'm just finishing up A HIGHER CALL by Adam Makos. It's been reviewed here before, but I'd like to add two cents. It's about b17 pilot Charlie Brown and bf109 pilot Franz Stigler and their amazing encounter over N Germany in WWII. Makos spent a lot of time with the subjects who both lived in N America until their deaths in 2008. Brown and Stigler must have been totally open because the book really goes into the internal conflicts and emotions they had to endure. Brown's survival of 28 combat missions was remarkable. Stigler's survival of more than 400 combat missions seems miraculous. Both were men of faith, a Catholic and a Methodist, who became close friends after the war.

Did you ever read anything by CS Forrester (African Queen and Hornblower books)? THE GOOD SHEPHERD is probably out of print, but I found it at my library. This is another WWII book and a fictional account of a destroyer commander escorting a convoy across the N Atlantic. It's only marginally about airplanes, but has the best description of submarine/destroyer battles I've ever read. (Very similar to dogfights.) Couldn't put it down.

John

[Xkuzme1]

Fate is a hunter.

North Star over my Shoulder by Bob Buck

Bob also wrote Weather Flying.

[xblueh2o]

Lots have been mentioned here before:

Fate is the Hunter. Ernest K Gann. A great read for so many reasons.

Pretty much anything by Bach but Illusions and Nothing By Chance are my favorites. I can smell the summer hay mixed with gas and oil when I read his stuff. I read them over and over.

Failure is Not An Option. Gene Kranz. I have so many questions I would love to ask him after reading the book.

Fighter Pilot. Ed Rasimus. The stories of Robin Olds. What a life he led.

Some that I haven't seen mentioned:

First Light. Geoffrey Wellum. True story of a WWII Spitfire pilot. No special heroics. Just a simple telling of his path through extraordinary times.

Palace Cobra and When Thunder Rolled. Ed Rasimus. Two books about tours in two different aircraft types. F-4 and the F-105. Both are great reads.

A Lonely Kind of War. Marshall Harrison. Stories of a Vietnam era OV-10 Bronco FAC. Thumping great read. I was hooked by the second page and read the entire book in a day.

Hero Found. Bruce Henderson. True story of a SPAD driver POW who managed to escape and evade recapture during the Vietnam war and what a character he was.

[jrs14855]

Fate is a hunter.

North Star over my Shoulder by Bob Buck

Bob also wrote Weather Flying.

Bob was a regular contributor to Air Facts Magazine. In the late 40's?? he was assigned by TWA to fly with Tyrone Power in a DC3 from LA across the South Atlantic to Africa, where they then did a lengthy tour of most of Africa. Bob wrote about this in a series of articles for Air Facts that is fascinating reading. EAA Museum Library has a near complete set of Air Facts.

[jpowell13]

Just finished Glacier Pilot by Beth Day. She tells the story of Bob Reeves who pioneered high altitude glacier landings in the 1930's in order to haul freight to gold miners. Then, with war on the horizon, he flew countless tons of cargo into the Aleutians for the US Army with a Fairchild 71 and and an old Boeing Trimotor biplane.

The book was written in 1957. I can't get my head around the fact that Day was not a pilot. The descriptions of the weather flying, forced landings and airplane maintenance in the harsh Alaskan environment seem totally correct to me. (Or, at least plausible and understandable to a warm weather pilot.)

Many other Alaskan aviators and noteables are included in the book. The old black and white photos are worth the price of the book.

Would be interesting to know if anyone on this site remembers Bob Reeves or Reeves Aleutian Airways.

John

[h&jeuropa]

John,

I spent a year on Shemya island at the western end of the Aleutians in 1967. Reeves Aleutian flew out the islands twice a week with mail. They stayed overnight at Shemya. The stewardesses were the only women on the island during their overnight (lodged at the terminal building, far from everyone and everything).

They were flying Electras at that time. A story often told was that they had to have 10 runway lights in sight to take off and one time, the pilot said to the copilot, "I have five, do you have five? OK, lets go"

Jim Butcher

[mbauer]

Agree with GLACIER PILOT reviews Great book. The FLYING NORTH is another accurate one as well-been to some of the places both books mention.

I've read through this thread. Was surprised to see some of the best only mentioned once, OPERATION OVERFLIGHT by Francis Gary Powers was one, interesting read.

Quite a few of my library has already been mentioned, these are the ones that seem to have been left out:
ROCKET FIGHTER by Mano Ziegler (1st person account on flying the ME163)
THE LONELY SKY by William Bridgeman (1st person account on flying the Douglass D558-II Skyrocket)
MEN FROM EARTH by Buzz Aldrin
MOON SHOT by Sheppard/Slayton
COME UP AND GET ME by Kittinger (tested spacesuits for the early astronauts by riding a balloon to over 100,000ft and then parachuting-he helped coach Felix Baumgartner in his record parachute jump a few years ago) National Geographic did a piece on him as well-The Long Lonely Jump
WING LEADER by J.E. Johnson (WWII top scoring allied fighter pilot)
THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE by Brig. Gen Frank Everest JR
IGOR SIKORSKY by Frank Delear
APACHE SUNRISE by Jerome Boyle (Vietnam Cobra Pilot)
CENTAUR FLIGHTS by Richard Spalding (Vietnam Cobra Pilot)
TEST PILOTS: RIDING THE DRAGON by Martin Caidin
FORK TAILED DEVIL THE P38 by Martin Caidin
John Glenn by John Glenn

Not so much a book on aviation: Photos taken by quite a few different astronauts: THE GREATEST ADVENTURE from MACH 1, Inc

The best movie about spaceflight: FOR ALL MANKIND from Criterion-Rob Riener was allowed into NASA archives, he spliced together all of the astronauts film footage into a movie. Many astronauts are quoted and shown. If you watch this movie, best to use the Astronaut Identification choice at the start so you know what mission you are watching. Mostly about Apollo missions to the moon, however, you will see Astronaut White do the first US spacewalk. Lots of moon footage!

As mentioned CHICKENHAWK is one of my favorites.

Currently reading, AT THE EDGE OF SPACE THE X-15 FLIGHT PROGRAMME by Milton O. Thompson bought it two weeks ago on eBay for less than $10. Interesting read so far!

ROCKET FIGHTER by Mano Ziegler is the best book about flying rocket powered airplanes, THE LONEY SKY is a close second. Both cover the dangers of flying rocket engines and the incredible power available.

If you decide to try ROCKET FIGHTER and THE LONELY SKY-try to get the hardbound versions, both have lots of interesting photos.

Best regards,
Mike Bauer

[jpowell13]

Great stuff Jim. I also read Last Letter from Attu about the school teacher taken captive (along with the entire Aleut population of Attu) by the Japanese and interned in Japan for the duration. The life on those islands before scheduled air service sounded brutal... and pretty rough even after a few airports got built. Must have been quite an experience for you.

Thanks for the recommendations Mike. Lots of intriguing titles and authors in that list.

John

[edneff]

"The Final Hours" by Johannes Steinhoff

An interesting but short book by a top WWII ace and Me-262 pilot

[PerfTech]

...Buck Rogers in the Twenty-Fifth Century A D 25th Century...:D

[Ed_Wischmeyer]

Saggitarius Rising

Iron Men with Wooden Wings (truly amazing!!)

The Last Enemy

A bit obscure, these...

[David Paule]

Spirit of Steamboat, (https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Steamboat-Longmire-Johnson-Hardcover/dp/B00GOH8TJW/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526477397&sr=1-3&keywords=Spirit+of+Steamboat%2C+by+Craig+Johnson&dpID=51Mi-arOJOL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch) by Craig Johnson. This is one of the more gripping books I've read.

If you prefer to get it directly from the author, get it here. (http://www.craigallenjohnson.com/)

The Shepherd, (https://www.amazon.com/Shepherd-Frederick-Forsyth/dp/1596830158/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526477054&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Shepherd%2C+by+Frederick+Forsyth&dpID=51NrsWxf1GL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch) by Frederick Forsyth, is a can't put down kind of book. Get the version with Lou Feck's illustrations.

I own and have read heaps of flying books. These are two of the very best, and perhaps the two best fictional works about flying.

Dave

[E28POWER]

I enjoyed "Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot" by Mark Vanhoenacker. Non-fiction about life as a 747 pilot.

"A Higher Call" was great as well.

[gerrychuck]

Here is a great audio version of Forsyth's "The Shepherd" done several years ago by Al Maitland via the CBC.

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-the-shepherd-edition-2016-1.3907204


Allan Maitland; one of the last great old school broadcast voices.

[DaveWelch]

The title was "Eight Hours to Solo".
Cannot remember the author's name.
It was a book in the tiny "library", really just 3 bookshelves in our one-room country school. The story was about a young man nearing 16 years old who had scraped up enough money to buy a few hours of instruction in a J3.
The details of flight controls and procedures were quite extensive as I recall.
Took my first flight lesson in a J5 and I'll always remember the instructor saying "You've done this before".
Liked to think that reading and re-reading that book made a big difference. I had logged a lot of hours mentally flying by then.

[Canadian_JOY]

Here is a great audio version of Forsyth's "The Shepherd" done several years ago by Al Maitland via the CBC.

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-the-shepherd-edition-2016-1.3907204

Over the years of reading your posts, Carl, I've come to greatly respect your opinions. In this instance I have to disagree with your opinion.

Al Maitland's reading of The Shepherd is THE quintessential interpretation of this work. There, I've said it - I disagree most strenuously with your assessment, Carl! :o

The first time I heard this rendition I was driving home in a blinding snowstorm with huge flakes of wet white swirling around the car, rendering visibility as close to zero/zero as one dared get. Snow was shushing along the belly of the car; the plows were wisely waiting out the worst of the storm before venturing out. I was travelling a remote northern secondary road with only the occasional house light passing by every few miles, and many miles with nary a sign of human presence to be seen.

I'm sure you can understand the effect of Al Maitland's voice under such eerie and similar circumstances as those featured in the plot line. The story sent shivers up my spine then and I still get goosebumps when I remember that night.

[Maxrate]

Second the book. The Bishops boys. Two truly amazing, interesting and intriguing men that changed history.

[David Paule]

"Nanette," by Edwards Park, is a charming book about a P-39 flying in the South Pacific during WW II.

To me, WW II aviation books generally run a bit boring. The experiential ones are often alike with long lists of flights flown and battles fought. They tend to run together.

This one stands out. It's essentially a romance between the airplane and her pilot. It's got more humor than I ever expected. I was chuckling almost every page.

This is a must-read.

Dave

[Mel]

No Parachute (A fighter pilot in world war I); Arthur Gould Lee

You Want to Build and Fly a What? (How I learned to fly, built a WWI replica, and stayed married); Dick Starks

[Steve Melton]

try Nevil Shute for 1930's style entertainment. he was an Aviation factory man in England turned writer.

No Highway

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003WUYONY/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i16

[dmn056]

Nevil Shute's "Stephen Morris" has the best description of an aircraft design process that I have ever read. An extract:

Two days later Morris started work in the design office of Rawdon Aircraft Company (1919) Ltd. He did not find the work very difficult after the first few days. The whole business of designing an aeroplane he found to run on certain very definite lines. First of all, certain broad considerations governing the design of the machine came to the designer. Thus if it were a passenger machine for an air line, the air line had certain definite ideas as to what they wanted; the carrying capacity, the speed, the landing speed, and the ?ceiling? or maximum height that it was possible for the machine to attain. Such considerations as these would be settled in conference with the designer, who would indicate tactfully where they were asking for technical impossibilities. If the machine were a military one for the Air Force the procedure was, in general, much the same, with the difference that the purchaser had a habit of asking for technical impossibilities and refusing to discuss the matter. This made the design of military machines a very specialized business.

The conditions for the machine being determined, the chief draughtsman would draw a pretty picture of what he thought such a machine ought to look like, neatly indicating on this first layout the really important features of the machine, such as the way the door opened and the system of heating the cabin. This rough layout would be shown to the customer for approval; in the case of a commercial machine it would be passed without much question.

[rvanstory]

"The Aviators" by Winston Groom.

Gives detailed accounts about the lives of 3 of aviations innovators and heros. Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle and Charles Lindbergh. Found all of their stories to be fascinating.

https://www.amazon.com/Aviators-Rickenbacker-Doolittle-Charles-Lindbergh/dp/B00EINSORQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535026483&sr=8-1&keywords=the+aviators+book

[jeffw@sc47]

My favorite aviation book is usually the last one I completely finished.

The last one was Glacier Pilot, biography of Bob Reeves by Beth Day; some things that she heard from her research effort may have been misinterpreted a little but it is an easy read of recounts of the amazing early days of aviation in Alaska.

I am currently reading a very interesting book I found at the EAA Book Store this year at AirVenture '18. This Winged World: An Anthology of Aviation Fiction, 1943, Coward-McCann, Inc. New York. I generally stick to biographies and autobiographies. These are amazing short stories or snippet's (36 stories) from longer works about men flying throughout history starting with Daedalus and Icarus; including works by authors Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, H.G. Wells. Very unique and well worth finding.

[hohocc]

Airborne by Neil Williams, best bit of aviation writing ever in my opinion.

[AJPope]

After you finish A Higher Call, another well researched book by the same author is Devotion. The biography is about the first black carrier pilot and a Medal of Honor recipient flying Corsairs in Korea.

[kyhunting]

+1 for both of Adam Makos’ books.

[Saville]

"The experiential ones are often alike with long lists of flights flown and battles fought."

I find that the books don't cover what I want to know...what training and tactics were they exposed to? What did they learn on the job?

Mostly these books are a travelogue of sights they saw with an occasional air battle.