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-   -   What's your favorite aviation book? (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=11441)

Chappyd 03-31-2007 06:44 PM

The best WWII book I
 
ever read is "The Big Show" by Pierre Closterman. Pierre was a French fighter pilot with the RAF. The book was written from his journal and letters to his parents back in France. ( I don't think he mailed them, he just wrote to them)
Very good read.

Bruce 03-31-2007 06:55 PM

PRESS ON- YEAGER

THE FLYING TIGER'S DIARY- CHARLIE BOND

GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME !!!!!!

intothinair 06-15-2007 12:41 PM

Best aviation book
 
"West With the Night", Beryl Markham

A very poetic book about a young aviatrix flying in east africa in the 1930's. Hemmingway commented that the quality of writing in this book is superb.

Bob Axsom 06-22-2007 03:46 AM

Slide Rule & Round the Bend
 
I just finished reading "Round the Bend" by Nevil Shute at 4:20 in the morning while my wife sleeps peacefully and I will join her soon. I read "Slide Rule" a week ago. I read both Nevil Shute books after learning about them here. I was able to get them through abebooks.com and they were a pleasure to read. Thanks.

Robert Buck died recently. He wrote "Weather Flying" and "North Star Over My Shoulder" which I enjoyed reading and I have in my library. "Weather Flying" is knowledge acquired through his exposure to weather passed on to the reader in a personal way. "North Star Over My Shoulder" is his fascinating autobiography. He was written up in Time magazine but I have seen nothing in the aviation press that I receive - seems a little surprising.

Bob Axsom

rjtjrt 06-22-2007 07:12 AM

Bob
I must get my copy of "Round The Bend" out and re read it. As with your recent experience, Neville Shute's books are a delight. Whilst arguably a bit old fashioned now, he wrote gentle, uplifting and very readable novels.
John
PS Isn't "abe" a great source?

Louise Hose 06-22-2007 03:47 PM

For the testosterone challenged....
 
....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) . I just finished it today (thanks, Pardue!) and loved it. No flash or brash, just extraordinarily well-written prose about general aviation as I have experienced it.

jsherblon 06-22-2007 04:53 PM

Lindbergh by A. Scott Berg

Into the Silk: True Stories of the Caterpillar Club
by Ian Mackersey- Incredible tales of people whose lives were saved by parachutes. Out of print and hard to find.

FYI - check WorldCat to locate books in a library near you.

Ironflight 06-22-2007 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Louise Hose
I vote for Zero 3 Bravo (Mariana Gosnell) . I just finished it today (thanks, Pardue!) and loved it.

Dibs on your copy!! ;)

frankh 06-22-2007 08:32 PM

The Few
 
Story of the 8 servicemen from the USA who not only fought in the Battle of Brittain, they violated the USA's strict neutrality laws for doing so!

In other words they pretty much signed away their US citizenship to fly Spitfires.

One of the guys after becoming an ACE pilot in a Spit was killed in a CFIT accident...As I was doing my IFR training at the time it struck home pretty hard..I mean there is this guy who describes whatching cannon shells pass through his cockpit ...survives all that figthing day after grueling day and then smacks into the ground in cloud!


Woah!

Frank

gvgoff99 06-24-2007 12:37 AM

Fate is the Hunter
 
:) My vote is for "Fate is the Hunter" too. :) I also look forward to reading some more of the great list compiled by fodrv7 from this thread. Thanks, George
Quote:

Originally Posted by parashak
Fate is the Hunter

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rosie
"Fate is the Hunter" by Ernest Gann

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kyle Boatright
As others have said "Fate is the Hunter" is unquestionably the best aviation book of all time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by N184JG
Tex Hill Flying Tiger,Fate Is The Hunter,Yeager,I Could Never Be So Luckey Again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen Lindberg
All the books mentioned are good/great and most are on the shelf behind me right now. But hands down my favorite over the years has always been "Fate is the Hunter" by Ernest K. Gann.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RV7Guy
Fate is the Hunter--- Probably the best.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonbakerok
OK, all my top favorites have been mentioned (especially Fate is the Hunter, Flight of Passage, and Cannibal Queen),

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott_F
I'll throw in another vote for "Fate is the Hunter"?.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fodrv7
I have taken the time to compiled a list of all the books recommended on this post.



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