Favourite aviation books

[w3stie]

I've just started reading Propellerhead by Antony Woodward, after hearing about it on this forum. It's a good read so far, and I'd never heard the title or author before. It got me wondering, what other good aviation books are out there?

 

 

[Riley]

I've just started reading Propellerhead by Antony Woodward, after hearing about it on this forum. It's a good read so far, and I'd never heard the title or author before. It got me wondering, what other good aviation books are out there?

On the recommendation of the late Tony Hayes, I borrowed a copy of Propeller Head about 15 years ago, enjoyed it immensly (kinda like 'Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance'). and, afterwards tried everywhere to obtain a copy but with no luck.. Good fortune smiled on me again whilst in an Op Shop in NZ last year where I picked up an uncirculated edition for $2.00! I've written it's ultimate disposal into my will! cheers

 

 

[onetrack]

I have a copy of the very rare and long out-of-publication book, "Qantas Empire Airways - Indian Ocean Service - 1943-1946".

 

This 68 page book is the story of the Double Sunrise flights in PBY Catalinas from Perth, W.A. to Lake Koggala in Ceylon during WW2

 

It's a truly fascinating book, full of amazing detail, a surprising amount of good photos - and there are two things that stand out in the legendary story.

 

1. The endurance and stamina, and the flying and navigation ability, of these Qantas crews.

 

2. The outstanding reliability of the Twin Wasp radials. Only 6 in-flight engine shutdowns were recorded in over 600 crossings of the Indian Ocean.

 

History: The Secret Order of the Double Sunrise - TravelUpdate

 

 

[cooperplace]

Fate is the Hunter by Ernest K Gann is a great read.

 

 

[pmccarthy]

An air fighters scrapbook by Ira Jones

 

King of the air Fighters - the biography of Mick Mannock by Ira Jones

 

Recollections of an airman by Louis Arbon Strange

 

All are WW1 memoirs available on Kindle for a couple of dollars

 

 

[M61A1]

Fate is the Hunter by Ernest K Gann is a great read.

Along with Yeager and Wings on my Sleeve, by Eric Brown. Oh, and Chicken Hawk.

 

 

[Happyflyer]

Forever Flying. Bob Hoover.

 

I could never be so lucky again. Gen. James Doolittle.

 

Both brilliant reads.

 

 

[louise skidmore]

On this topic does anyone know where I can find a copy of The Air Cadet's Handbook on HOW TO PILOT AN AEROPLANE by Captain Norman MacMillan M.C., A.F.C. published in 1940 by George Allen & Unwin Ltd, London?

 

If anyone has a copy I would be very grateful if I could borrow it - and pay all postage of course to Qld and return.

 

Here's a jpg of the title page.

 

Louise

 

 

 

[rgmwa]

On this topic does anyone know where I can find a copy of The Air Cadet's Handbook on HOW TO PILOT AN AEROPLANE by Captain Norman MacMillan M.C., A.F.C. published in 1940 by George Allen & Unwin Ltd, London?If anyone has a copy I would be very grateful if I could borrow it - and pay all postage of course to Qld and return.

Here's a jpg of the title page.

 

Louise

Currently available from Amazon (UK) if you Google it.

 

 

[onetrack]

Currently available from Amazon (UK) if you Google it.

If you take notice of the little message on the RHS side, of the first Amazon page search result that Google finds, it says "currently unavailable", and "We don't know when, or if, this item will be back in stock."https://www.amazon.co.uk/Air-Cadets-Handbook-Pilot-Aeroplane/dp/B0046ME5RM

 

However, there is a second seller on Amazon (UK) who has a copy. Google fails to find this seller. https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001PT8XC2/ref=nosim/findthelowesb8-21

 

To find copies of antique books, go to Abebooks, Biblio, Bookfinder, Bookfinder4U, or Fishpond.

 

There are 3 copies of McMillans book available from various sellers (including the Amazon seller), listed on Bookfinder4U.

 

BookFinder4U: Search use & out of print books: Book Price Comparison: new used discount books

 

And if you're exceptionally well-heeled, you could fork out US$7500 for Ernest Hemingways personal copy, with his personal inscription.

 

However, this copy does also come with another of Hemingways aeronautical books - "Mechanical Physics", also with his personal inscription.

 

Mechanical Physics and The Air Cadet's Handbook on How to Pilot an Aeroplane by Dingle, Herbert; Macmillan, Capt. Norman; [Hemingway, Ernest]: London: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1943 and London: George Allen and Unwin, 1942 Hard Cover - B & B Rare Books, Ltd., ABAA

 

 

[kaz3g]

Pierre Costerman's autobiography, The Big Show.

 

Geoffrey (Boy) Wellum's autobiography, First Light. Geoffrey only passed last year.

 

I have read and reread both of these many times and they still inspire and excite me. I have many other on military aviation in both Wars, but these two are my favourites.

 

Kaz

 

 

[MartincaF1]

Fate is the Hunter by Ernest K Gann is a great read.

That's a great read! As is Stick & Rudder.

 

 

[MartyG]

Biggles

 

 

[Bats]

A Maverick at War - Sharkey Ward (Harrier in the Falklands)

 

Sock it to em Baby - Garry Cooper (Aussie in the USAF in Vietnam)

 

Sagittarius Rising - Cecil Lewis (WW1)

 

Fighter Pilot - Mac Tucker (Modern RAAF)

 

Luck is no Accident - Col King (RAAF etc 40's to 80's) for starters. I'll go look on my bookshelves later for more suggestions, especially civilian and bush flying stuff.

 

Not recommended - I'll probably be ex-communicated for this but I found Stick and Rudder just about indigestible - Langewiesche was never one to use one word where he could find ten to say the same thing. Also, I dug out my grandfather's old copy of The High and the Mighty by Gann and re-read it on Friday. Really sorry I did, the flying descriptions weren't bad, although even I picked out a few minor errors, but the characters were little better than cardboard cutouts and that got in the way of my appreciating it.

 

 

[djpacro]

Not recommended - I'll probably be ex-communicated for this but I found Stick and Rudder just about indigestible - Langewiesche was never one to use one word where he could find ten to say the same thing.

I bought my copy about 5 years ago and have got halfway through it so far, perhaps one day, in the fullness of time, I will finish it. I wish I had bought and read it 50 years ago.

[Happyflyer]

This one is a good read, and it’s free!

 

http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/APDC/media/PDF-Files/Heritage%20Series/HTG22-The-Joys-and-Dangers-of-an-Aviation-Pilot.pdf

 

 

[mothra]

Almost Unknown, by Stewart Wilson. Biography of Tony Gaze Spitfire Ace and Australia's first Formula One racing driver. Tony did an interview on the ABC shortly after I read this one.

 

 

[louise skidmore]

If you take notice of the little message on the RHS side, of the first Amazon page search result that Google finds, it says "currently unavailable", and "We don't know when, or if, this item will be back in stock."https://www.amazon.co.uk/Air-Cadets-Handbook-Pilot-Aeroplane/dp/B0046ME5RM

 

However, there is a second seller on Amazon (UK) who has a copy. Google fails to find this seller. https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001PT8XC2/ref=nosim/findthelowesb8-21

 

To find copies of antique books, go to Abebooks, Biblio, Bookfinder, Bookfinder4U, or Fishpond.

 

There are 3 copies of McMillans book available from various sellers (including the Amazon seller), listed on Bookfinder4U.

 

BookFinder4U: Search use & out of print books: Book Price Comparison: new used discount books

 

And if you're exceptionally well-heeled, you could fork out US$7500 for Ernest Hemingways personal copy, with his personal inscription.

 

However, this copy does also come with another of Hemingways aeronautical books - "Mechanical Physics", also with his personal inscription.

 

Mechanical Physics and The Air Cadet's Handbook on How to Pilot an Aeroplane by Dingle, Herbert; Macmillan, Capt. Norman; [Hemingway, Ernest]: London: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1943 and London: George Allen and Unwin, 1942 Hard Cover - B & B Rare Books, Ltd., ABAA

[louise skidmore]

Many thanks to you both for assistance - I found and bought a copy through Abebooks rather than Amazon supplier, who couldn't ship outside the UK.

 

 

[facthunter]

I give up on amazon. They didn't deduct the VAT for exported books from the UK. Nev

 

 

[onetrack]

They didn't deduct the VAT for exported books from the UK

Yes, that's common with many sellers from the U.K. and Europe, and not just on Amazon.All export sales from the U.K. and Europe are supposed to be VAT-free, but if the seller doesn't take it off, they can pocket the VAT for themselves. Watch out for the EU countries that have VAT as high as 27%.

Value-Added Tax (VAT) Rates in Europe

 

 

[Aero10]

Hi all ..yes I agree with some other posters...chicken hawk is my Fav...its right up there with propeller head.....and so is forever flying , BOB hoover a true hero. And you should try by the skin of your teeth by Bill Robinet.......

 

By the Skin of My Teeth, A Cropduster’s Story – a book review .and contrails over the Mohave

 

https://www.amazon.com/Contrails-Over-Mojave-Testing-Edwards/dp/1612514278

 

and so you want to be a ferry pilot

 

https://www.amazon.com/So-You-Want-Ferry-Pilot/dp/1412010667

 

North star over my shoulder..great read https://www.amazon.com/North-Star-over-My-Shoulder/dp/0743262301

 

Flight of Passage by Rinker Buck

 

https://www.amazon.com/Flight-Passage-Memoir-Rinker-Buck/dp/0786883154/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0786883154&pd_rd_r=MMNAZW15M54J0BEEVQJ1&pd_rd_w=VlLtv&pd_rd_wg=2kCBM&psc=1&refRID=MMNAZW15M54J0BEEVQJ1

 

The Alaska Bush Pilot Chronicles https://www.amazon.com/Alaska-Bush-Pilot-Chronicles-Misadventures/dp/076034759X/ref=pd_sim_14_61?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=076034759X&pd_rd_r=VESRB1XC2HW748CRCQ1A&pd_rd_w=oXi2T&pd_rd_wg=vwfJW&psc=1&refRID=VESRB1XC2HW748CRCQ1A

 

any or charlie Janes books maybe hell for leather is a good start...funny and a true adventurer..he pushes the limits

 

and Low level Hell Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Low Level Hell

 

I have all these books and have really enjoyed them all cheers Arthur

 

 

[Hongie]

if we are talking fictional books, one of my favorites is "The dog stars". He gets it, and gets the technicals mostly right from what i can gather.

 

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

 

 

[Flying Officer Kite]

An air fighters scrapbook by Ira Jones

There's also another good read by Wing Commander Ira "Taffy" Jones - the best-selling "Tiger Squadron - The Story of 74 Squadron RAF in Two World Wars". Long out of print now, but used paperback and hardcover copies occasionally pop up on eBay, Amazon, Abe Books and other sites. The book was actually ghost-written by my late father, John Oram (Jack) Thomas, and while they were working together Jones was a frequent visitor to our house. I was about 12 at the time and he became something of an adopted favourite uncle to me. Sadly, like "Aircraftman Shaw" (T. E Lawrence), having survived more scrapes with death than most of us would ever experience, some years later he was killed in a motorcycle accident.

 

 

[rgmwa]

I've just started reading Propellerhead by Antony Woodward, after hearing about it on this forum. It's a good read so far, and I'd never heard the title or author before. It got me wondering, what other good aviation books are out there?

I just did the same. It's an entertaining read. In the book he says the Thruster is an Australian design, but these days they seem to be made by Thruster Airservices in the UK, who also claim the design - or the design of the T600 Sprint anyway. Is the Thruster an Australian design? Just curious.

 

rgmwa