56th FG Osprey Book

[RGJ]

Just got hold of a new book by Osprey in their Aviation Elite group of books:

56th Fighter Group.

It is a very good read and I recommend it if you are interested in the 56th FG. I just found out that they where stationed just up the road from where I live:-).

Here is the ISBM number if you are interested:

ISBN 1-84176-047-1

Or look on the Osprey website:
 www.ospreypublishing.com

RGJ

[Sancho]

RGJ. If you're interested in the 56th FG, there's a wealth of reading material available.  That Osprey book is very nice.  Here's a few other books I'd recommend on the subject:

>

• Bodie, Warren. Republic's P-47 Thunderbolt. Widewing Publishing. ISBN 0-9629359-1-3
  This is the book about the P-47.  If you are a jug fan, you must own this book.
  
• O'Leary, Michael. Long Reach: VIII Fighter Command at War.  Oxford, UK: Osprey, 2000.
  During WW2, 8th Fighter Command asked it's experienced combat pilots to share their tips and tricks, their hard-earned knowledge to better educate new pilots entering combat for the first time.  A lot of their advice is suprisingly applicable to Aces High.
  
• McLaren, David R. Beware the Thunderbolt! The 56th Fighter Group in World

War II[/b]. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 1994.  ISBN 0-887-40660-2
History of the 56th FG from it's inception, through the P-51H days (56th FG was the first combat operational unit to fly the P-51H), to flying jets.  Includes day by day records of all combat actions in WW2.
[/list]

Biographies:

• Zemke, Hubert and Roger A. Freeman. Zemke's Wolf Pack: The Story of Hub Zemke and the 56th Fighter Group in the Skies over Europe. New York: Orion, 1988.
  If you read one biography of a 56th FG pilot, this should be it.  Plenty of combat stories and interesting tales like when he pretended to be an enlisted man (he was already a full colonel) to enter a boxing match to raise his troops' morale and instill confidence in their leader--he won!  Dude was a badass in and out of the plane.  
  
• Mahurin, Walker M. Honest John. New York: Putnam, 1962.
  I found this one at alibris.com.  It was very well written and covers Bud's adventures in WW2 where early on he was the top ace of the Wolfpack, to Korea, where he was tortured and brainwashed as a POW of the Communists.
  
• Johnson, Robert S. with Martin Caidin. Thunderbolt! The Extraordinary Story of a World War II Ace. Honoribus Press, 1999.  ISBN 1-885354-05-3
  This is also a must read... Johnson doesn't have the best writing style--kinda simple and repetitive-- but the stories he tells are simply amazing.  He got a lot of kills running down 190s and 109s who tried to dive away from him--the LW never learned!  
  
• Johnson, Gerald W. with John and Charlotte McClure. Called to Command: A World War II Fighter Ace's Adventurous Journey.  Paducah, KY: Turner, 1996.
  Jerry had an interesting career from his early success in WW2 to being a POW of the Germans (along with Zemke, Gabreski, and many others), to flying U2s, B-58s, and finally commanding the 8th AF in Vietnam.
  
• Gabreski, Francis and Carl Molesworth. Gabby: A Fighter Pilot's Life. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 1998.
  I haven't read this one yet... but it's next on my list.  
  

Hell hath no fury like 8 50 cals and 18 fire breathing cylinders.

[RGJ]

Thanks Sancho<S> for the information, I am looking to order them asap.

My wife say she is going to go online and shoot you down, for now I have got to go and spend more money on books and she will have to cut down on her food bill for a couple more weeks:-).

I got this book:

Johnson, Robert S. with Martin Caidin. Thunderbolt! The Extraordinary Story of a World War II Ace.

And just finished it I really enjoyed reading it the Germans did not learn about diving away did they:-).

I have got this one:

Gabreski, Francis and Carl Molesworth. Gabby: A Fighter Pilot's Life. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 1998.

and what I have read of it, it is very good also its in Hardback, and loads of photos as well.

RGJ