Author Topic: Dan/Guppy need book recommendations... (Read 1002 times)

TexMurphy · « **on:** February 26, 2006, 01:58:11 PM »

Hey Dan or anyone else with good book knowledge

A friend has a brother who has his professors installment this friday. He is a ex Swedish Airforce pilot and has a huge interest in WW2 planes and WW2 history. So she wants to buy him a good book as installment gift.

I thought Id ask on the forums here for recommendations (you Dan in perticular since you have that pimp libary).

The problem is that since the instalment is on friday ordering online is out of the question. Regular bookstores here in sweden are very poorly stocked on plane books. But there is a little aviation bookstore here in town that might be stocked. Ive not been there yet since I only found it just a few days ago. Anyways given this I would really appriciate several recommendations so I can give her a list.

I wonder if you could give recommendations in the following cathegories.

Plane books, deep ones not just the ones with one page per plane.

Pilot books, books on specific pilots or squads.

Battle books, more history based books that describe battles out of a aviation perspective (like BoB, midway, port morsby, what ever).

Thanks in advance really appriciate any help I can get.

TEx

Bodhi · « **Reply #1 on:** February 26, 2006, 02:43:02 PM »

Fire in the Sky (begerud) is good, and even written by an AH'r.

Spitfire, by Robert Jackson

Fight for the Sky, by Douglas Bader

those are a few.

Soulyss · « **Reply #2 on:** February 26, 2006, 05:24:04 PM »

Begurud has an account here? I've read fire in the sky and touched with fire.. both very informative. (Touched with fire not an airplane book though, it's about the land war in the south pacific)

Angus · « **Reply #3 on:** February 26, 2006, 05:25:49 PM »

In no particular order, - just looking at my bookshelf:

"Test Pilot" Neville Duke

"Mein Flugbuch" Gunther Rall

Anything from Johnnie Johnsson, i.e. "Full circle"

"Dancing in the skies" Thorsteinn E. Jonsson

"Aces High" Christopher Shores and Clive Williams

Anything with C.Shores is good anyway...And same goes with Alfred Price.

"Shot down in Flames" Geoffrey Page

"Nine Lives" Alan Deere

"Die ersten und die Letzten" or "The first and the last", Adolf Galland.

etc etc....

Those are all good.

Toecutter · « **Reply #4 on:** February 26, 2006, 07:23:13 PM »

I'm new here but here are a couple of my favorites.

"Yeager" by Chuck Yeager. I know it doesn't focus on WWII but its a great read and the WWII is very interesting.

"To Fly and Fight." Clarence E. "Bud" Anderson. WWII ace with 16 1/4 Kills in P-51 Mustangs. Excellent book which you can order through Bud Anderson's web site. http://www.cebudanderson.com/ its $29.95 I think for a signed copy. I ordered mine last Tuesday and had it by Friday. Not sure if that will get it to you on time.

"Dumb But Lucky, Confessions of a WWII P-51 Fighter Pilot" by Richard K. Curtis. If Yeager and Anderson were the Joe Montana and Dan Marino of fighter pilots this guy was a lineman you never heard of. A true hero who won the Distinguished Flying Cross for strafing and destroying a locomotive. Flew 61 missions and only spotted enemy a/c in three or four I believe. A good read.

Guppy35 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 26, 2006, 11:15:21 PM »

I wonder what his personal library already has?

Something like "The Mighty Eighth" by Roger Freeman would be a good one because it's such a great over all view of the 8th AF operations out of England. Lots of images as well. And it opens the door to go chasing so many other books.

"Air Command" by Jeff Ethell would be a good starter too with all that great color photography of the airwar in Europe.

There are so many good biographies it's tough to pick just a couple, but I suppose "Wing Leader" by Johnnie Johnson is right near the top of the list.

My personal favorite WW2 aviation book is "Nanette" by Edwards Park about his P39 flying days with the 41st FS, 35th FG 5th AF in the Pacific. A scared, average Joe, doing the best he can in a less then the best plane. (Guppy35 is a result of that book. Guppy was a nickname of a P38 pilot buddy of Park and the 35th was the FG.)

If I was forced to survive on two books the rest of my days it would probably be Mighty Eighth, and Nanette.

There are so many great books out there though it's tough

Dead Man Flying · « **Reply #6 on:** February 26, 2006, 11:17:38 PM »

Soulyss, he flies as rickt of the BKs.

-- Todd/Leviathn

Guppy35 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 26, 2006, 11:20:49 PM »

I wrote up my P38 Library for the 475th guys a while back. Anything by John Stanaway is good stuff in terms of the 38 and unit histories.

Here's that list.

P38 Lightning-Reading List

Group or Squadron Histories:

“An Escort of P-38s-The 1st Fighter Group in World War 2” - John D. Mullins
“Attack & Conquer-The 8th Fighter Group in WW2” –John Stanaway & Lawrence Hickey
“The Eight Ballers: Eyes of the Fifth Air Force”-John Stanaway & Bob Rocker
“20th Fighter Group” – Ron MacKay
“The Fighting 33rd Nomads in World War 2 Volumes 1 & 2” -James E. Reed
“Cobra in the Clouds-Combat History of the 39th Fighter Squadron”-John Stanaway
“Protect & Avenge-The 49th Fighter Group in World War 2”-S.W. Furguson & William K. Pascalis
“The 55th Fighter Group vs The Luftwaffe”-John M. Gray
“Adorimini-A History of the 82nd Fighter Group in World War 2” –Steve Blake with John Stanaway
“The 370th Fighter Group in World War 2” -Jay Jones
“The Geyser Gang-The 428th Fighter Squadron in World War 2” –John Truman Steinko
“Possum, Clover & Hades-The 475th Fighter Group in WW2”-John Stanaway
“The 479th Fighter Group in World War 2” - Terry Fairfield
“The Only Way Home.” Robert Murrey (54th FS in the Aleutians)
“Vampire Squadron-The saga of the 44th Fighter Squadron in the South and Southwest Pacific” William Starke

Books on the P38 Lightning and it’s pilots

“The Lockheed P-38” – Warren Bodie
“Peter Three Eight-The Pilot’s Story” -John Stanaway
“P38 Lightning Aces of the Pacific and CBI” - John Stanaway
“P38 Lightning Aces of the ETO/MTO” - John Stanaway
“Lockheed P38 Lightning” -Steve Pace
“Lockheed P-28 Lightning” -Frederick A. Johnsen
“P-38 Lightning in World War II Color” - Jeffrey L. Ethell
“P-38 Lightning-Restoring a Classic American Warbird” –Jesse Alexander

Guppy35 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 26, 2006, 11:25:09 PM »

And since I'm a Spit dweeb I did a Spit list too. Lots of other stuff but these are the only one's I've actually written up.

Spitfire Books in my collection

-Spitfire-The History: Eric Morgan, Edward Shacklady
-Spitfire-The Story of a Famous Fighter: Bruce Robertson
-Spitfire at War: Alfred Price
-Spitfire at War 2: Alfred Price
-Spitfire a Documentary History: Alfred Price
-The Spitfire Story: Alfred Price
-Spitfire-Flying Legend: John Dibbs, Tony Holmes
-Spitfire-The Canadians: Robert Bracken
-Supermarine Spitfire: Chaz Bowyer
-The Spitfire V Manual: RAF Museum Series
-The Spitfire Log: Peter Haining
-Birth of a Legend: The Spitfire: Jeffrey Quill
-Spitfire-A Test Pilot’s Story: Jeffrey Quill
-Spitfire: Bill Sweetman, Rikyu Watanabe
-Camouflage & Markings-Supermarine Spitfire, RAF Northern Europe 1936-45
-Spitfire Mark V Aces 1941-45: Alfred Price
-Late Marque Spitfire Aces 1942-45: Alfred Price
-Supermarine Spitfire MK.XII-24: Arco-Aircam Aviation Series No-8
-Spitfire: John Vader
-Spitfire Mk.XII-24: Famous Airplanes of the World No.9
-Spitfire! Spitfire!: Michael Burns
-Born Again-Spitfire PS915: Wally Rouse
-Spitfire Special: Quarter Scale Modeller
-Spitfire-Sixty Fabulous Years!: Flypast Special
-Supermarine Spitfire: Aero Series 10
-Les Spitfire Francais: Claude Pierquet
-Supermarine Spitfire: Peter Moss
-Spitfire in Action: Squadron Signal Publications Aircraft NO.39
-Spitfire XII Pilot’s Notes
-Spitfire 21 Pilot’s Notes
-Spitfire F.XII Aircraft Griffon III Engine (copy of maintenance notes)

Spitfire centric Pilot Biographies:
-Wing Leader: Johnnie Johnson
-The Big Show: Pierre Closterman
-Fly For Your Life (Robert Stanford Tuck): Larry Forrester
-Reach For the Sky (Douglas Bader): Paul Brickhill
-Fighter Pilot’s Summer (Paul Richey): Norman Franks
-Clouds of Fear: Sammy Hall
-Falling Through Space: Richard Hillary
-Tally Ho!-Yankee in a Spitfire: Art Donahue
-Spitfire Leader (Evan Mackie): Max Avery & Christopher Shores
-Blue Skies-The Autobiography of a Canadian Spitfire Pilot in World War II: Bill Olmsted
-Shoulder to the Sky (Mike Beytagh) :Gil Thomas
-Enemy in the Sky: Sandy Johnstone
-Test Pilot: Neville Duke
-Spitfire Pilot-D.M. Crook

Angus · « **Reply #9 on:** February 27, 2006, 02:47:25 AM »

Spitfire: A test pilot's story from Jeffrey Quill
Spitfire into Battle from Duncan Smith
Smoke trails in the sky from Anthony Bartley

TexMurphy · « **Reply #10 on:** February 27, 2006, 03:16:56 AM »

Thanks alot every one!!!

I know its hard to give tips on the little information I have.. but Im quite sure that we will be able to find something from this great list...

Thanks again!!

Tex

Soulyss · « **Reply #11 on:** February 27, 2006, 12:20:58 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Dead Man Flying
Soulyss, he flies as rickt of the BKs.

-- Todd/Leviathn

Wow I had no idea, I'll have to say hi next time I see him online, I really enjoyed his books.

Fencer51 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 27, 2006, 04:17:57 PM »

Just to fill some holes in the excellent lists above.

Thunderbolt by Robert S Johnson
   Story of one of the best of the 56th FG in the early days of the
European Airwar.

Samurai by Saburo Sakai
So little has been written from a first person perspective of the
Japanese point of view that this book is a must read for anyone
interested in World War 2 Aviation.

1000 Destroyed by Glover Hall
   History of the 4th Fighter Group from the initial landing
at “Debden” to the war’s end.

Tumult in the Clouds by James Goodson
A rather jumbled account of the war from the point of view of
one of the best fighter commanders of the war. Not
chronological in order but an excellent account of his
experiences and those who he flew with.

The Jolly Rogers by Tom Blackburn with Eric Hammel
   One of the best squadron accounts of the war.

I Flew for the Fuhrer by Heinz Knoke
This book provides an excellent view from the cockpit of a Bf109
throughout the war. From the first days of the way to the
invasion of Russia to attacking B-17s and B-24s through a cloud
of escorts his experiences are detailed, a must read.

Stuka Pilot by Hans Rudel
A great read about a pilot fought for what he believed and killed
hundreds of tanks and a battleship with his JU-87. Only
downside is that he is an unrepentant Nazi.

Target Berlin: Mission 250 March 6, 1944 by Jeff Ethell and Alfred Price
This book is a great history of one of the most famous 8th AF
missions of the war. It is based upon accounts drawn from both
sides in the air and from the inhabitants of Berlin near the
targets. This book gives the experience of a mission
from start to finish.

Battle of Britain Day: 15 September 1940 by Alfred Price
   A similar book to the above but a different day and time period.

The Hardest Day: 18 August 1940 by Alfred Price
   An account of Aldertag from both sides and from those on the
ground.

Carrier Strike by Eric Hammel

Messerschmidts over Sicily by Johannes Steinhof
I have never read this but BlueBaron simply loved it.

From the other guy's lists, I now know what that $100 gift certificate from Amazon is going toward. Thanks.

I gotta agree with Guppy, if you gotta get just one book, its gonna have to be Mighty Eighth by Freeman.

cav58d · « **Reply #13 on:** February 27, 2006, 10:05:09 PM »

Without a doubt "The Blonde Knight of Germany-a biogrophy of...Erich Hartmann" is a must read.

"I flew for the fuhrer"-Heinz Knoke is an awesome diary of this man's accounts as pilot in the luftwaffe.

Finally, and I know its not WWII aviation, but another essential read in my opinion is, "In the company of heroes" The account of CW4 Mike Durant's time in the US Army, and in specific his time in Somalia....READ IT

Angus · « **Reply #14 on:** February 28, 2006, 04:08:32 AM »

Well, Toliver's/Constable's "Aces talk" (my version is in German and is titled "Dass waren di Deutche Jagdflieger-Asse") is good as well
And Edward Simm's "Zweikampf am Himmel" as well.
Good general reference of WW2 is Martin Gilbert's WW2, as well as John Keegan's "The Second World War".

Oh, Dan, you have "Clouds of Fear". I've been looking for that book for years, - it was the first WW2 pilot's book I read. I haven't found it on the net, nor a trace in the bigger bookstores. In my head, I always had the author as Roger Hall. Could you give me some more info on that book ????