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Author Topic: Masters of the Air  (Read 1779 times)

Offline Muttley

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Masters of the Air
« on: September 07, 2008, 05:34:06 PM »
Picked up a copy today at the second hand book store.  Has anyone else read this?
Is it any good?

Thanks...
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Offline Serenity

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Re: Masters of the Air
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2008, 07:43:53 PM »
Quote from: Muttley on September 07, 2008, 05:34:06 PM
Picked up a copy today at the second hand book store.  Has anyone else read this?
Is it any good?

Thanks...


I have. LOVE IT! Its a great book with a lot of "Seriously?!? I never would have guessed..." moments (For me, anyway). On of the first books I recomend to anyone interested in learning about the air war in Europe.
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Offline choppit

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Re: Masters of the Air
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2008, 07:52:38 PM »
Definitely a great book, it gives some pretty good insight into the actual conditions and tactics during the different years of the air war in Europe for both sides and IIRC they have stories of actual pilots in there too.
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Offline Masherbrum

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Re: Masters of the Air
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2008, 09:25:57 PM »
I subscribed to this and enjoy it immensely:

http://www.warbirddigest.com/

I went to the Thunder over Michigan Airshow back in August and they gave my son a Free Issue.   I paid for it too, but the quality is what sold me. 
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Offline Muttley

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Re: Masters of the Air
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2008, 07:28:05 PM »
Started to read this book last night and ended up finishing up to chapter six.  This a one of those books that once you start reading you can't stop. Was up till 2:30 in the morning reading. Learned all kinds of interesting facts about the 8th that I never knew.  Like the US precision daylight bombing was anything but precise. More like mass area carpet bombing. We went into the war with some good theories on daylight bombing that just didn't work in the reality's of battle.  Also sounds like in the early days the 8th was not only fighting the Luftwaffe, but the British politically for it's very survival. The more I read the greater my respect for the men who fought this great battle becomes  :salute.
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Offline macleod01

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Re: Masters of the Air
« Reply #5 on: September 09, 2008, 02:16:01 PM »
Quote from: Muttley on September 08, 2008, 07:28:05 PM
Like the US precision daylight bombing was anything but precise. More like mass area carpet bombing.

I cant remember where I heard it but I once saw an interview with a historian who said
'The US carpet bombed precision targets and the British picision bombed Carpet areas'

Very true
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Offline NEARY

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Re: Masters of the Air
« Reply #6 on: September 09, 2008, 10:48:05 PM »
maybe i should subscribe or something
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Offline Zazen13

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Re: Masters of the Air
« Reply #7 on: September 11, 2008, 11:09:44 AM »
If you like that book, try to locate a copy of, "Fighter Tactics and Strategy: 1914-1970", by Edward H. Sims. It's not in print anymore, I found my copy online 2nd hand. But, it's amazing in terms of anecdotal accounts used to relate methodologies of air combat. It's kind of like Shaw's, but less of a textbook and more of a volume of examples and illustrations of real world encounters to demonstrate fighter combat tactics that actually happened in the real world.
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Offline C(Sea)Bass

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Re: Masters of the Air
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2008, 05:12:58 PM »
I bought it last year and loved it. Great book. It mentions alot of things that were totally new to me, such as the role of the Swiss in the war.
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Offline Muttley

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Re: Masters of the Air
« Reply #9 on: September 11, 2008, 09:15:40 PM »
I just finished the section on the prisoners of war. I never knew the Swiss treated our airmen so badly. The story of the one poor guy in the Swiss "guest" camp run by the Nazi was shocking. So much for that Swiss neutrality. Then what some of our prisoners went through in the last month of the war. The forced marches to move them away from the advancing Russians. Wow, never knew about that.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the details of the strategic air war in Europe :aok.
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Offline adamsri

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Re: Masters of the Air
« Reply #10 on: September 16, 2008, 07:27:18 PM »
I actually finished this book the other night. I was especially pleased when it mentioned chuck yeagers experience of being shot down and having the maquis assist him in getting back to england. I'd recommend his autobiography actually to anyone who enjoyed a book like Masters Of The Air. Lots of crazy stories and it goes into great depth about his experience of being shot down and making it back to england (to fly/fight again, which they didn't usually let them do).
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Offline Hawk55

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Re: Masters of the Air
« Reply #11 on: September 20, 2008, 08:05:44 AM »
Quote from: adamsri on September 16, 2008, 07:27:18 PM
I actually finished this book the other night. I was especially pleased when it mentioned chuck yeagers experience of being shot down and having the maquis assist him in getting back to england. I'd recommend his autobiography actually to anyone who enjoyed a book like Masters Of The Air. Lots of crazy stories and it goes into great depth about his experience of being shot down and making it back to england (to fly/fight again, which they didn't usually let them do).

I've read Yeager's book and you're right, it's an excellent read and very informative.
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Offline Hawk55

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Re: Masters of the Air
« Reply #12 on: September 20, 2008, 08:08:42 AM »
Quote from: Zazen13 on September 11, 2008, 11:09:44 AM
If you like that book, try to locate a copy of, "Fighter Tactics and Strategy: 1914-1970", by Edward H. Sims. It's not in print anymore, I found my copy online 2nd hand. But, it's amazing in terms of anecdotal accounts used to relate methodologies of air combat. It's kind of like Shaw's, but less of a textbook and more of a volume of examples and illustrations of real world encounters to demonstrate fighter combat tactics that actually happened in the real world.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0816887950/ref=dp_olp_2  If you say it's good Zaz, I'll give it a whirl.
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