Your Best Air War Reads Please

[Eagler]

Since we are all pretty interested in WW2 Air War, and I assume most of us can read  , I'd like to know what you consider your best top three books (or more) based on the above subject you have enjoyed reading. Fiction or non,reference, it doesn't matter. I'm looking for suggestions to grow my library. Title and author please, publisher if you know it.

I'll post mine when I get home this evening.

thanks in advance for your suggestions

Eagler
 

[funked]

Sky Battles by Alfred Price.  A series of short stories on air combat during different parts of the 20th century.  A good mix of technical information and operational stories.  A good book for the bathroom or people with attention spans as short as mine.

[RAM]

I have it here by my side, funked   I agree very good compilation of stories  .


I like "the right of the line" by john Terrain. Is a very interesting read about RAF in pre-WWII and WWII.

I am a LW nut but I luv to read about RAF too  

[Eagler]

Favorite airwar books:

Gray Eagles by Duane Unkefer (every LW fan should read)

Fly for Your Life by Larry Forrester (good RAF story)

Kohn's War by Fredric Arnold (P38 pilot)

Fighter by Len Deighton (BOB story)

Black Thursday by Martin Caidin (Schweinfurt Raid)

Bomber Pilot by Philip Arbert

the Jolly Rogers by Tom Blackburn (for you hog drivers)

Just a few I've enjoyed reading.

Eagler

[Nath-BDP]

The Last Flight of the Luftwaffe: The Fate of Schulungslehrgang Elbe, 7 April 1945" by Adrian Wier. Its about a late-war last-ditch unit formed by "Hajo" Hermann to stem the American bombing offensive by ramming.  Excellent read.

[bloom25]

Fighter: The True Story of the Battle of Britain by Len Deighton is quite good.

I'm sure you know about Fighter Combat: Tactics and Maneuvering by Robert Shaw.

Thunderbolt! by Robert Johnson is good also.



------------------
bloom25
THUNDERBIRDS

[Mathman]

Carrier Warfare in the Pacific: An oral history collection - Edited by E.T. Wooldridge.  This is a pretty good book, though not strictly about the airwar entirely.  Has some good stuff from McCampbell, Thach, and several others.

Fire in the Sky: The air war in the South Pacific.  Just got it, so I really can't say how good it is.  I have seen some good reviews.

The Black Sheep by Bruce Gamble.  Really good read about Boyington's squad.

Deadly Sky:  The American combat airman in World War II by John C. McManus.  Offers a lot of stuff on the experiences, views, etc. of pilots and crewmen in the war (in both the ETO and PTO).

Tons of others too!!

-math (who, if you can't tell, really likes reading about the PTO)


------------------
"Any American fighter near Orote Penninsula.  I have forty Jap planes surrounded and need a little help."
-Ens. W.B. "Spider" Webb during the Marians Turkey Shoot

[Eagler]

 

Originally posted by Nath-BDP:
The Last Flight of the Luftwaffe: The Fate of Schulungslehrgang Elbe, 7 April 1945" by Adrian Wier. Its about a late-war last-ditch unit formed by "Hajo" Hermann to stem the American bombing offensive by ramming.  Excellent read.

Thanks Nath, have a standing order in with Amazon for this one as it is out of print. Cover looks good too..
thanks again
Eagler

[SR]

Tale of a Guniea Pig ,  Frence pilot flying in the RAF . Best as he went from Spit1's to Tempest . It's a great read , read it twice , is now overseas at my buds .

Peice of Cake : Another , can't put it down till its done book .

The Last Dogfight : Martin Cadin  P38 v Zero's in Pac , good fiction .

I have read most of the above all good ones too .

SR

PS: I read this one book when I was very young say 1964 or so ,,,book might be older ,,, can't remember the name . Was about Hellcat flyers off a carrier . One of the best spots was when he droped his wheels to get the lead turn to make a shot . I checked at the libary and they gave the book AWAY !!! Got any ideas ? The author made a follow up book about two main flyers in the early war in Veitnam flying a Spad I think . I read that one in paper back .

[Eagler]

 

Originally posted by SR:

PS: I read this one book when I was very young say 1964 or so ,,,book might be older ,,, can't remember the name . Was about Hellcat flyers off a carrier . One of the best spots was when he dropped his wheels to get the lead turn to make a shot . I checked at the library and they gave the book AWAY !!! Got any ideas ? The author made a follow up book about two main flyers in the early war in Vietnam flying a Spad I think . I read that one in paper back .

SR
The hellcat book doesn't ring a bell.
I suggest you go to http://www.amazon.com  and type in hellcat in their search engine. It pulled up many books about hellcats when I did it. Maybe one will trip your memory.

thanks for the info

Eagler


[This message has been edited by Eagler (edited 10-25-2000).]

[funked]

Wing Leader, Johnnie Johnson