Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Banshee7 on February 05, 2021, 01:36:47 PM
-
Getting back into AH has gotten me motivated to do some more reading. What are some books you suggest? I really want to focus on WW2 Pilots/Aircraft/Aviation. I remember some suggestions from back in the day, but I don't recall the names.
<S>
-
Hey Banshee here are two. One about the Luftwaffe Aces titled: The German Aces Speak by Colin D. Heaton and Anne-Marie Lewis. Great read and very informative.
Also one of my favorites titled: Zemkes Wolfpack. The story of the 56th FG and Hub Zemke as told to Roger A. Freeman. Freeman authored the book, story by Hub Zemke.
Both books from the Pilots mouths.
-
Hey Banshee here are two. One about the Luftwaffe Aces titled: The German Aces Speak by Colin D. Heaton and Anne-Marie Lewis. Great read and very informative.
Also one of my favorites titled: Zemkes Wolfpack. The story of the 56th FG and Hub Zemke as told to Roger A. Freeman. Freeman authored the book, story by Hub Zemke.
Both books from the Pilots mouths.
Perfect! Thank you! That's the type of stuff I'm looking for. :aok
<S>
-
An excellent work Im reading now is "Blood and Fears" by Kevin Wilson about American bomber crews in Europe and the atrocious price they paid. $10 at Chapters hard cover.
-
Well its not a flight book but I recommend "The Last Lion" series about Winston Churchill. Its as comprehensive a biography of a world leader as you'll ever read. Winston was a fascinating man.
-
I like Hajo's suggestions.
Would add:
The First and the Last, by Adolf Galland
Samurai, by Saburo Sakai
Baa Baa Black Sheep, by Boyington
The Wrong Stuff, by Smith
Masters of the Air, by Miller
The Few, by Kershaw
Aces High, by Yenne
-
I like Hajo's suggestions.
Would add:
The First and the Last, by Adolf Galland
Samurai, by Saburo Sakai
Baa Baa Black Sheep, by Boyington
The Wrong Stuff, by Smith
Masters of the Air, by Miller
The Few, by Kershaw
Aces High, by Yenne
Awesome! I actually have read Aces High. I have also read A Question of Honor about the 303 Sqn.
<S>
-
Getting back into AH has gotten me motivated to do some more reading. What are some books you suggest?
Hmmmm.
"The Mighty Eighth," by Roger Freeman, is essential. It's an expensive book to buy, but your library probably has a copy. Even the photo captions have (often chilling) information, above and beyond that in the text. Required reading.
As someone mentioned, Robert Johnson's "Thunderbolt," Sakai's "Samurai" never get old. I would add Johnnie Johnson's "Wing Leader" to this genre.
Two novels: Len Deighton's "Bomber," and my very favorite book of all time, "Twelve O'Clock High," by Beirne Lay, Jr. and Sy Bartlett. I have read it at least once a year since I was in junior high school. Long out of print, your library is your friend.
Beware of anything that Martin Caiden wrote by himself (which is most of what he wrote).
- oldman
-
Robert Johnson's "Thunderbolt,"
+1
-
Hmmmm.
"The Mighty Eighth," by Roger Freeman, is essential. It's an expensive book to buy, but your library probably has a copy. Even the photo captions have (often chilling) information, above and beyond that in the text. Required reading.
As someone mentioned, Robert Johnson's "Thunderbolt," Sakai's "Samurai" never get old. I would add Johnnie Johnson's "Wing Leader" to this genre.
Two novels: Len Deighton's "Bomber," and my very favorite book of all time, "Twelve O'Clock High," by Beirne Lay, Jr. and Sy Bartlett. I have read it at least once a year since I was in junior high school. Long out of print, your library is your friend.
Beware of anything that Martin Caiden wrote by himself (which is most of what he wrote).
- oldman
I have a first edition of Robert Johnson's Thunderbolt with a note written by Johnson and autographed by him. It was a gift he presented to a friend of his who served in the 8th AF. Most prized book in my Library.
I also have a book similar in Title to Mighty Eighth. It's titled America's Mighty Eighth Air Force by Warren Bodie who is said to have had the most photographs of WWII aircraft. He's was a noted author. He also wrote P47 Thunderbolt from Seversky to Victory, and he also wrote the book The Lockheed P-38 Lightning. Both books describe their aircraft from the drawing stage to the final models.I don't know how easy they are to find today. Best bet is Amazon if you wish to find and purchase.
By the way, both books were published by Widewing Publications. If you've played aces high since its' early days, the name Widewing should be familiar. Yes......he's the publisher of the three books mentioned above (America's Mighty Eighth Air Force included of course) He was a very good Aces High virtual Pilot also. :aok
-
I like Hajo's suggestions.
Would add:
The First and the Last, by Adolf Galland
Samurai, by Saburo Sakai
Baa Baa Black Sheep, by Boyington
These and the four below which are among the best ever written for offering little-known takes on their subjects:
“Stuka Pilot” by Hans Rudel
“The Other Battle” by Peter Hinchcliffe (One of the BEST books I’ve ever read, it focuses on the RAF vs. Luftwaffe air war at night and is simply brilliant. Written and researched by a man who was there, he writes with a depth of knowledge only experience provides.)
“Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway” by Anthony P. Tully and Jonathan Parshall (Their original research and time-motion approach to the battle give a perspective that completely upends the traditional view of the battle. An amazing read.)
“Big Friend, Little Friend” by Richard Turner
I have more but these wil do.
Edit in: I should add “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo” by Ted W. Lawson. Great book.
-
I have a first edition of Robert Johnson's Thunderbolt with a note written by Johnson and autographed by him. It was a gift he presented to a friend of his who served in the 8th AF. Most prized book in my Library.
I also have a book similar in Title to Mighty Eighth. It's titled America's Mighty Eighth Air Force by Warren Bodie who is said to have had the most photographs of WWII aircraft. He's was a noted author. He also wrote P47 Thunderbolt from Seversky to Victory, and he also wrote the book The Lockheed P-38 Lightning. Both books describe their aircraft from the drawing stage to the final models.I don't know how easy they are to find today. Best bet is Amazon if you wish to find and purchase.
By the way, both books were published by Widewing Publications. If you've played aces high since its' early days, the name Widewing should be familiar. Yes......he's the publisher of the three books mentioned above (America's Mighty Eighth Air Force included of course) He was a very good Aces High virtual Pilot also. :aok
I remember Widewing well! I also believe I have a copy of the P-38 book by Bodie compliments of Dan (aka CorkyJr).
-
Len Deighton's "Bomber,"
I hope it is not like his "Fighter" book.
The 5 book series, Black Cross, Red Star the air war over the Eastern Front. Expensive tho.
-
Bozon recommended "terror in the starboard seat: 41 trips aboard a mosquito, a true story of 418 squadron 1998"
I had to order it from NYC as there are very few copies this side of the pond. Looking forward to reading it.
Having the Mossie in DCS will be awesome.
I think my two favourites from my collection are Warburton's War: The Life of Maverick Ace Adrian Warburton, DSO, DFC, DFC (USA) and Saburo Sakai's "Samurai"
-
I assume you already have "Shattered Sword". The final word on the Midway battle.
-
Gunner's Moon: A Memoir of the RAF Night Assault on Germany
-
Gunner's Moon: A Memoir of the RAF Night Assault on Germany
Ordered. I have great interest in the night assaults of the RAF. https://youtu.be/TuW1LYBYMBQ
-
Ordered. I have great interest in the night assaults of the RAF. https://youtu.be/TuW1LYBYMBQ
Get "The Other Battle" by Peter Hinchcliffe - OBE, then (he was a Navigator on Hallifax bombers and survived being shot down while returning from his 22nd mission--he flew over a dozen more after that). It is on par with "Shattered Sword" for its subject matter. It tells both the RAF and Luftwaffe sides of the Night Air War from beginning to end.
Comprehensive. Brilliant. Five stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Other-Battle-Luftwaffe-Command-Classics/dp/1840373032
-
A lot of good ones mentioned here.
I would also add this one THE BIG SHOW. :cheers:
https://www.amazon.com/Big-Show-Classic-Account-Aerial-ebook/dp/B07NJ9DRCX
-
Ordered. I have great interest in the night assaults of the RAF. https://youtu.be/TuW1LYBYMBQ
It's a good book perhaps even a great book if you are interested in bombers defensive gunners. I read it when I was a kid.
There is another book who's title escapes me that's written by a rear gunner
-
I always enjoy these threads!!-
-
While not a WW2 themed book....this IS an AH Player's written book...https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,393105.msg5217035.html#msg5217035 :rock
https://postimg.cc/image/qjaxolvdj/
-
It's a good book perhaps even a great book if you are interested in bombers defensive gunners. I read it when I was a kid.
There is another book who's title escapes me that's written by a rear gunner
If you like that one you’ll LOVE “The Other Battle.”
-
Most of Yenne's works are worth reading. The later titles get a wee bit into the bookstore/popular history category, but still good academic works.
-
A lot of good ones mentioned here.
I would also add this one THE BIG SHOW. :cheers:
https://www.amazon.com/Big-Show-Classic-Account-Aerial-ebook/dp/B07NJ9DRCX
Recently got this one free on kindle from Amazon Prime, am very much enjoying it. :aok Many other faves mentioned here but I'll also endorse "Shattered Sword", a lot of interesting detail about Japanese carrier ops.
-
Air to Air Gunfighter by Geof "DocDoom" Evans ...if you can locate a copy
Luftwaffe Gunnery Techniques by Valkyrie Publications..also hard to find
Eagler
-
I was going to suggest "Shattered Sword", but I see 3 or 4 have already done so. Seriously, it is an amazing history book, one of the best I have seen on any subject.
-
I Flew for the Führer, by Heinz Knoke - a 109 pilot in combat with allied forces in the west.
-
"A Thousand Shall Fall", by Murray Peden.
Local Western Canadian who flew bombers in the RAF during WW2, including Stirlings and later B17s. Fantastic book, everyone I know who has read it highly praised it. I have it kicking around if you want to borrow it. He's 97 and still lives in Western Canada.
Some quotes from his Wiki page about this book -
A Thousand Shall Fall received widespread praise. Reviewing the book in 1984, C. P. Stacey, former director of the Canadian Army Historical Section, said:
[it] is, within the limits of my knowledge, the best book any Canadian has written about his war experiences, and one of the best books about the war that has been written anywhere. […] A Thousand Shall Fall seems to me to have in it the stuff of a genuine Canadian classic. Canadians will be reading it, I hope, many years from now, when most of the 'award-winning' books of our day have passed into oblivion.[10]
In a letter to the author dated 29 November 1979, former Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur Harris wrote:
I have just finished reading your book – in fact I found it hard to put down. I consider it not only the best and most true-to-life “war” book I’ve read about this War, but the best about all the wars of my lifetime – from the Boer War onwards. [...] at times it made me so sad that I found it hard to retain the moisture within my eyes.[11]
-
“The Blond Knight of Germany” is a good one about Hartman
“Dumb but Lucky” by a p51 pilot is worth the read also
As Vraciu mentioned “Stuka Pilot” is excellent.
-
“Who are these Guys? Tampa’s Underground Airline.”
-
Howdy Fester!
You flying again?
Eagler
-
The Dam Busters by Bruckhill and Enemy Coast Ahead by Guy Gibson are both excellent reads on the subject. Bruckhill's is more academic and comprehensive, whereas Gibson's is much more anecdotal.
-
Can Americans read?
-
Can Americans read?
Only if its written in american.
-
Hey Eagler! Sadly no as I have no internet or gear to do so as I am truck driving across the country which is surprisingly very similar to flying in AH.
Written in American... LOL!
-
Knights Cross holder Hennecke Kardel’s books are a good read too.
https://b-ok.cc/s/Kardel
-
"The Lucky Ones - Airmen of the Mighty Eighth" by Erik Dyreborg
Collected stories about bomber crews who were shot down or crash landed and how they survived.
"Fighter Pilot" by Robin Olds
Robin Olds started out as a P38 pilot in WW2 and finished his career as a top ace in an F4 in Vietnam. An amazing combat pilot autobiography. A real page turner!
-
I was going to suggest "Shattered Sword", but I see 3 or 4 have already done so. Seriously, it is an amazing history book, one of the best I have seen on any subject.
For those of you who have read "Shattered Sword" - which, to date, I have not - you might enjoy this, from the Naval War College:
Levy devotes special attention to Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully’s book
Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway, a work whose scholarly
thoroughness he lauds yet one he simultaneously indicts for an obsession with
debunking myths about Midway and with demonstrating that its outcome was to
be found in Japanese practice and doctrine.
https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1184&context=nwc-review
- oldman