A major score.

John Baker

John Baker

Final Approach
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John Baker
I just received a small box full of books from my sister and her husband who live in Yarrow, B.C. I had mentioned to her how much I had enjoyed "Fate Is The Hunter" by Ernest K. Gann and that I was disappointed that all of his other books are out of print. My brother in law was a pilot in his younger years.

The box contained:

Gentlemen of Adventure..Ernest K. Gann
Island in the Sky.. Ernest K. Gann
Flying Circus..Ernest K. Gann
In The Company Of Eagles..Ernest K. Gann
BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP.. Gregory "Pappy" Boyington
Fighter..Len Deighton
Reach For The Sky..Paul Brickhill
Bomber..Len Deighton
This One's On Me..Donald Jack

I can not believe I have them, it's like my first Radio Flyer wagon when I was a Little kid, I'm all excited. I can't wait to get started.

John
 
Very cool. I also enjoyed Fate is the Hunter and his autobiography, A Hostage to Fortune, which I don't see listed there.
 
Everskyward said:
Very cool. I also enjoyed Fate is the Hunter and his autobiography, A Hostage to Fortune, which I don't see listed there.
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I wish it was, I feel very lucky to get what I have. There is a used book store down the street from my home, they have been trying to find some of his out of print editions for quite a while for me.

I am not even sure just how many books he had published, but with a total of five of his books, I am well on my way to starting a collection.

John
 
I believe I have all of Gann's books. Fate is the Hunter is my favorite. I've probably had a half dozen copies over the years, and have given all but 2 to friends. My two keepers are a first edition hardback with an original dustcover and a current trade size paperback that is my "reader".

Of Gann's other books, my two favorites are two nautical books. One is an autobiographical account primarily based on his experiences sailing the Albatros - a large sailing vessel he owned. The other is fictional and is the tale of the last voyage of a worn out wind powered freighter.
 
I've started "This one's on Me." I think what I like about these old books is they were published on their literary merit and the saleability of the yarn itself. Today, they are published because of their following a proved formula, thus reducing the risk to the publisher. Books, Movies, plays, all are formula based now. Very predictable, all the way through.

John
 
Wow, that is a haul!! Enjoy.

Reach For the Sky -- was that Douglas Bader, or R. Stanford Tuck? I know I read all those RAF bios from the Bantam books War series when I was a kid. Great stuff.
 
flyersfan31 said:
Wow, that is a haul!! Enjoy.

Reach For the Sky -- was that Douglas Bader, or R. Stanford Tuck? I know I read all those RAF bios from the Bantam books War series when I was a kid. Great stuff.
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Paul Brickhill was the author. The cover reads "The Story Of Douglas Bader."

Then the title is "Reach For The Sky"

Published by Collins, Fontana Books. Dated first printed 1954, my copy is dated 1957.

Printed in Great Britain, Collins Clear-type Press: London and Glasgow.

The story is about Douglas Bader, who lost both his legs in an air crash in 1931. He was discharged from the R.A.F., overcame his disabilities and became one of the great heros of the battle of Britain.

John
 
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John Baker said:
Paul Brickhill was the author. The cover reads "The Story Of Douglas Bader."

Then the title is "Reach For The Sky"

Published by Collins, Fontana Books. Dated first printed 1954, my copy is dated 1957.

Printed in Great Britain, Collins Clear-type Press: London and Glasgow.

The story is about Douglas Bader, who lost both his legs in an air crash in 1931. He was discharged from the R.A.F., overcame his disabilities and became one of the great heros of the battle of Britain.

John
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Wow, Douglas Bader has quite a story with 5th highest kills in the RAF AFTER losing both his legs, perhaps with the advantage of not having blood flow lost to legs in high G fighter maneuvers and definately with extraordinary attitude!
 
Keith Lane said:
I'm listening to Alex Kershaw's "The Few" right now. Wow what a story.

http://www.thefewbook.com/home.html

It makes me ashamed to think how I'd be too scared to function under these circumstances.
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I don't believe anyone knows for sure exactly how they would function in extreme stress situations. Most of us would like to believe we would be great and heroic, however, we never know until the moment of the event.

A person can be very courageous during one event, and a nervous observer in another. The more training a person has that will make decisions automatic, the better that person will perform under stress.

Sometime we are brave, other times not so brave.

John Wayne said it best: "Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway."

John
 
Bader was something else! Galland let him fly an ME109 (with almost no fuel) because he had so much respect for him.

I can't remember the name of R. Stanford Tuck's bio, but it is also worth reading. As is the bio of Erich Hartmann, the greatest ace in history. Wrong side, and he paid for it as a guest of the Russkies.
 
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