Book Recommendations

HPNPilot1200

HPNPilot1200

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Jason
Well I just finished (tonight) "Flight of Passage" by Rinker Buck, and boy...that's one fantastic book! A true classic I hope to hold onto for a long long while.

In my opinion, it started out a little slow when I first started reading it back in February, but as it picked up, I kept finding myself busy and not having enough time to read. Finally, this past week I found some time and finished almost half the book in under a week. What a great story...told by a fantastic author.

So...now that I've finished it, I'm a little disappointed (although I do plan on reading it again in the future) now. What other aviation stories/books are out there that you would recommend? I'm all ears!

Any recommendations are greatfully appreciated. Hopefully other members will get a lot out of this thread too -- and will find a great book to start reading.

Regards,
Jason
 
Stick and Rudder, is a must, as ive told you.
Spirit of St. Louis by Lindbergh is good
If you can find Song of the Sky by Guy Murchie, that is excellent, although pretty long. It is like an encyclopedia of Aviation knowledge, especially weather.
 
Fly Low Fly Fast by Robert Gandt (Reno Air Racing)

1000 Destroyed by Grover C. Hall (WWII 4th Fighter Group can be read online)

Wind, Sand and Stars by [FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Flight to Arras by [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Antoine de Saint-Exupéry[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]
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ooo and its not really aviation, but The Little Prince by Saint-Ex is great! and its a kids book so its an easy read!
 
tonycondon said:
ooo and its not really aviation, but The Little Prince by Saint-Ex is great! and its a kids book so its an easy read!
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Yeah, but you're supposed to read it in French!
 
tonycondon said:
If you can find Song of the Sky by Guy Murchie, that is excellent, although pretty long. It is like an encyclopedia of Aviation knowledge, especially weather.
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I bought this book in a used bookstore many years ago and have tried to read it a number of times. I've never really gotten past the first chapter or two which I think was about celestial navigation. Maybe I should try again...
 
ya mari, first chapter or so is about ancient navigation using everything from stars to birds and waves, talks about how the polynesians navigated from island to island in canoes. from there touches on a little electronic nav and pilotage/DR. then a ton about every type of weather phenomenon known to man. It is a long read, but quite interesting.
 
I've noticed a nice trend at my home recently. Sunday night, and no TV noise. The boy is re-reading a Harry Potter book, the 11 y/o girl is deep into Illusions, by Bach, and the wife is reading a book online. The kids have been requesting trips to the bookstore more than games or videos. Got to see if we can keep this trend going.
To stay on topic, Stuka Pilot, by Rudel, with The Biggest Brother, by Dick Winters next. Q
 
Frank Browne said:
Tell me more. I might like to try this one.
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http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451215109/102-7971737-4172127?v=glance&n=283155
Here is the story behind Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers (1992), about Easy Company, the 101st Army Airborne, from D-Day to the end of World War II, and the popular TV miniseries made from it. It is the story of what distinguished Easy Company from other first-class field units: its leadership, in the person of Major Richard Winters, its commander. Winters grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, during the Depression. His family's means were straitened, and everyone had to contribute. Although an indifferent high-school student, Winters, because the family wished him to, put himself through college, graduating in time to choose between the draft and enlistment. Alexander is especially good at showing how Winters' sense of responsibility developed as a student, an enlistee, in OCS, and as an officer. He also gives a detailed picture of the army of 60-plus years ago, and the process that turned thousands of young civilians into the men who beat the Germans. For any reader interested in leadership, the miniseries, or both. Frieda Murray
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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It is on my list. Band of Brothers was a great book, the mini series was excellent, and I was a doofus in 7th grade.

What does that last sentance mean? Well in 7th grade my social studies teacher was in the 101st and had had brought in item from the Eagle's Nest. It seems he had been one of the first people up there at the end of the war.

Catching on to who he might be?

Yeah it was one of the guys in that unit.

I did not apreciate the stories he was telling at the time. My dad was a WW2 vet and I had heard stuff from him. So it just did not seem all that important to me at the time. But now that I know the rest of the story I kick myself for not taking advatage of that resource.
 
The Cannibal Queen by Steven Coonts
Flying the Alaska Wild by Mort Mason (Thanks, Anthony - great book!)
First Blue... by Robert Wilcox
 
gkainz said:
The Cannibal Queen by Steven Coonts
Flying the Alaska Wild by Mort Mason (Thanks, Anthony - great book!)
First Blue... by Robert Wilcox
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Anytime Greg. I'm getting through the second batch you gave me! Thanks!

I also like:

Flight of Passage (Our own Dan Corjulo works with Rinker Buck)
Fate is the Hunter
Zero Three Bravo
 
Darker Shade of Blue.............Tony Kern
See No Evil........................Robert Baer
The World is Flat.....Thomas L. Friedman

I sincerely wish there were more books about aviation that weren't crap.
 
Scott, I know what you mean. As a teenager I read everything i could about the Flying Tigers and the 14th A/F. I was facinated with the efforts of Chennault and his recruits
A year or so ago, I flew with my neighbor to NW Oklahoma to meet a long time friend of his. While getting the tour of the house I noticed a shadow box hanging on a wall with various decorations including some that appeared to Chinese. Turns out he had been a ground crewman, and later tailgunner, waist gunner and 75mm cannon loader in B-25s in the 14th
He was nice enough to take time to answer a TON of questions for me:yes: :yes: I couldn't thank him enough for taking time out for me.
 
BTW I just finished a great book on the Space Race. Coincidently called 'Space Race'. It talks of the start of botht the American and US space programs by diggin deep into the the minds and lives of the two architects of rocketry. I am speaking of Werner von Braun and Sergei Korolov.

With some recently declassified info we get a new insight into what drove these two men. They both were cut from the same cloth of getting want they wanted for their dream regardless of the cost or the political expediancy. One was hailed as a hero but haunted by allegations of Nazism the other spent time in a gulag. There was a lot of time spent on how von Braun escaped to the Americans and how some of the members of team ended up in the USSR.

A very good read!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060845538/102-7971737-4172127?v=glance&n=283155
 
I second that Frank! lol

I love to read and would be interested in some of these aviation titles as well.
 
Frank Browne said:
That would be a great idea! I've got some I'd be willing to share.
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Only thing is that the books must be delivered via GA flight! Great idea!
 
Has anyone read Skunk Works, yet? Ben Rich was the author, I think. He worked for Kelly Johnson starting back in the U-2 days, all the way through the F-117.
 
imQ said:
Has anyone read Skunk Works, yet? Ben Rich was the author, I think. He worked for Kelly Johnson starting back in the U-2 days, all the way through the F-117.
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Yup. I've got a copy. Good read.
 
tonycondon said:
It is a long read, but quite interesting.
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OK, I dug this out again (Song of the Sky). We'll see how it goes...

I noticed that it was published in 1954. I've always liked the little pen and ink illustrations that are throughout.

Here are my two book recommendations. Neither one is specifically about flying although the author of the first is a pilot and and he makes reference to aviation in a number of examples. Although they are very different, the two books go together in my mind. It's almost as if the author of the second book read the first one and put those ideas into practice.

Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
 
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Frank Browne said:
Uh oh. That leaves me out. :(

But hope springs eternal.
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Hey, people can still fly books TO you. Obviously not the ultimate solution but we aren't going to leave you out for criminy sake!

Some of my book recomendations:

Song of the Sky is a CLASSIC must read. Published the same year as:

Spirit of Saint Louis, also a MUST READ.

Night Flight, Wind Sand and Stars---Anything by Saint X

Any of an increasing list of Astronaut Biographys. Lost Moon, (Jim Lovel) the book behind Apollo 13, with more detail and accuracy. Carrying the Fire, (Michael Collins). Last Man on the Moon (Gene Cernin) First Man (Neil Armstrong) Others by Slayton and Shepard, Buzz Aldren... You just can't go wrong with any of them.

At the Edge of Space, the story of the X-15 program.

Voyager

Dr Eckener's Dream Machine

The Invention of Clouds

Exploring the Monster, story of the Sierra Wave Project

Komet Pilot

North to the Orient


All of the above I get chills just remembering. Incredible stuff. And there are more. Watch out if I find my list!

I too loved Flight of Passage and North Star Over my Shoulder. Both Bucks, not related I believe...

Matt Michael
 
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