Recommend any good aviation-related books?

[TooWings 17]

I'm part way through an absorbing book called 'Amy Johnson - Queen of the air'.  Its a fascinating insight into Amy's rise to fame in the UK and worldwide in the 1920s.to 40s.

 

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

 

Can you recommend any good aviation-related books you've read?

[IUBrian 151]

"Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of my Years at Lockheed" by Ben Rich.

[Jimmy RFR 406]

Oh my... I collect aviation books. ^_^

 

The vast majority of them tend to be more technical in nature, about machines more than people, which makes them a dry read and hence not really recommendable unless you find paint specs on 1949 - 1968 RCAF aircraft riveting, or perhaps really desire to peruse a 1948 Lycoming manual.

 

However, there a few good reads that I've picked up here and there.  The most recent one that comes to mind was "The Magical Stranger" by Stephen Rodrick.  Really enjoyed that one, with the caveat that I have a strong interest in carrier aviation and this book ties into that.

 

I'll have a look through my shelves tonight to recall a few other titles.

[petedob 3]

"Project Coldfeet: Secret Mission to a Soviet Ice Station" by William Leary and Leonard LeSchack. 

[Ebs 114]

 

 

unless you find paint specs on 1949 - 1968 RCAF aircraft riveting

 

I see what you did there! 

[Jimmy RFR 406]

I see what you did there! 

 

^_^

[Chocorua 112]

Here's a memoir of a crash and survival: " Down Around Midnight " by Robert Sabbag. 

 

Lots of Richard Bach books out there...

[michal 44]

My favorite would be "Aftermath" (by the editors of FLYING magazine), fascinating compilation of mostly general-aviation accidents.

[Ramjett 27]

"Wager with the Wind", the story of pioneer Alaska bush pilot and Mt McKinley expert Don Sheldon

 

"Fate is the Hunter" by Ernest K. Gann

 

Randy

[Enrico Palazzo 1]

"The Spirit of St Louis", by Charles Lindbergh, about the first non-stop solo trans-Atlantic flight, and his prior experiences as a pilot.

 

Not just one of the best books about aviation, but one of the best books I've ever read about anything. The parts where he describes the effects of 55 hours of sleep deprivation, and his constant battle to stay awake during the solo flight, are pretty terrifying.

 

You can read some samples of it here:

 

https://books.google.com/books?id=lIld6SrHeW4C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

[philmurfin 73]

"Propeller Head" is my all time favourite, a true tale of an English chap who takes up microlight flying. After that, "Life is too short to cry", another true tale, this time about an Irish RAF Spitfire pilot in WW2. Both, in my opinion, are excellent reads, with enough humour to make you keep reading, yet both serious in their very different ways.

 

I hope you take a look at these, along with all the others.

Thanks for the post, it's given us all some good suggestions!

 

Phil (Bakewell - UK)

[jzimmermann 238]

Hi there,

 

I can highly recommend Chickenhawk by Robert Mason, especially if you like helicopters:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Chickenhawk-Robert-Mason/dp/0143035711

 

 

Cheers,

 

Jerome

[Dave Morgan 68]

Hi.

 

Bob Mason and Ernest Gann seem to get most votes. I might spend some time consolidating the recommendations.There have been a couple of threads about films and TV shows too and as your question is asked regularly it may be worth pinning the list.

 

 

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/460105-aviation-tv-shows-and-books/

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/399173-recommend-an-aviation-related-book/

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/377707-your-favourite-aviation-books/

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/368960-aviation-reading-and-fsx/

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/330217-wot-no-books/

 

 

Regards,

 

D

[TurboTomato 90]

I've only read one so far and enjoyed that - Capt Chesley Sullenberger's Highest Duty. I have Sled Driver (about the SR71) to read but I'm looking for something to read on holiday soon, so interested in this thread. I've asked elsewhere and Chickenhawk has been mentioned so I'm guessing that that's pretty good.

[Dave Morgan 68]

Chickenhawk has been mentioned so I'm guessing that that's pretty good.

 

It is - as a war memoir it has plenty of the expected action, horror and humour, but it comes across as a book that's very much more about the author's love for flying.

 

You can read the first few chapters at Bob Mason's website: http://www.robertcmason.com/chickenhawk.html

 

 

D