Author Topic: Summer Reading  (Read 1150 times)

Offline fudgums

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Summer Reading
« on: May 04, 2014, 07:33:28 PM »
Summer is starting to set in, what would be some suggestions on some reading materials. Of course since this is a WW2 Air Combat forum that would be likely topic, but any suggestions would be lovely.

Fud!
"Masters of the Air" Scenario - JG27

Offline MK-84

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Re: Summer Reading
« Reply #1 on: May 04, 2014, 09:46:47 PM »
ChickenHawk by Robert Mason
     It is about Robert Mason's experiences as a UH-1 pilot during the Vietnam War.  It is extraordinarily well written and reads more like a fiction novel than the biography that it is.



Offline Wayout

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Re: Summer Reading
« Reply #2 on: May 05, 2014, 05:59:22 AM »
Rick Atkinson:  The Liberation Trilogy.
 Book 1:  An Army At Dawn
 Book 2: The Day Of Battle
 Book 3: The Guns At Last Light
  For most people the sky is the limit.  For a pilot the sky is home.

Offline caldera

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Re: Summer Reading
« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2014, 06:30:17 AM »
See Rule #4
« Last Edit: May 08, 2014, 04:28:52 PM by Skuzzy »
"Then out spake brave Horatius, the Captain of the gate:
 To every man upon this earth, death cometh soon or late.
 And how can man die better, than facing fearful odds.
 For the ashes of his fathers and the temples of his Gods."

Offline Nypsy

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Re: Summer Reading
« Reply #4 on: May 05, 2014, 06:49:33 AM »
ChickenHawk by Robert Mason
     It is about Robert Mason's experiences as a UH-1 pilot during the Vietnam War.  It is extraordinarily well written and reads more like a fiction novel than the biography that it is.

 :aok If you want to know what being a chopper pilot was like in Viet Nam read this book!
One of if not THE best books about the Viet Nam war.

Offline BFOOT1

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Re: Summer Reading
« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2014, 09:54:12 AM »
Summer is starting to set in, what would be some suggestions on some reading materials. Of course since this is a WW2 Air Combat forum that would be likely topic, but any suggestions would be lovely.

Fud!
Gunther Ralls book is really good about his experiences in the Luftwaffe.

If you're into novels check out the Jeff Sahara WW2 set it's really good. Also I just finished a book called The Last Jump which was really intriguing and sad, a great book.
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III Gruppe, 8 Staffel, JG52, flying Black 12 (Kuban Scenario)

Offline Brooke

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Re: Summer Reading
« Reply #6 on: May 05, 2014, 10:43:14 PM »
Good WWII aviation books:

The Few, by Kershaw (The first Americans in the Battle of Britain)
Masters of the Air, by Miller (8th AF, stories from strategic to tactical, awesome)
Unbroken, by Hillenbrand (B-24 crewman, incredible tale of survival)
Fighter Pilot, by Olds (autobiography of Robin Olds)
JG26:  Top Guns of the Luftwaffe, by Caldwell (daily history of JG 26)
The First and the Last, by Galland (Galland's tale)
Zemke's Wolfpack, by Freeman (P-47's, Zemke, Johnson, Gabreski)
Top Guns, by Foss and Brennan (excellent collection from pilots)
Samurai, by Sakai (Saburo Sakai's story)
Midway, by Fuchida and Okumiya (Midway and a lot more by guys who were in the action)
Intrepid, by White and Gandt (detailed stories of USS Intrepid)
FLAK, by Veitch (stories from RAF, RAAF, RNZAF pilots)
Baa, Baa Black Sheep, by Boyington (Pappy's tales)
Aces High, by Yenne (about Bong and McGuire)
A Dawn Like Thunder, by Mrazek (detailed stories of VT-8)
America's Hundred Thousand, by Dean (nonfiction detailed info on all US WWII fighters)
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning, by Bodie (awesome nonfiction book on the P-38)
The Wild Blue, by Ambrose (B-24 stories)
Flying Through Midnight, by Halliday (interesting tales of a C-123 special-ops pilot)

Good WWII books (not mainly aviation):

With the Old Breed, by Sledge (if a person reads only one book on war, this should be it)
Neptune's Inferno, by Hornfischer (awesome account of the Guadalcanal campaign)
A Measureless Peril, by Snow (awesome story of US battle in Atlantic)
One Man's War, by LaMore (awesome story of fighting and survival)
To Hell and Back, by Murphy (Audie Murphy's story)
Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, by Hornfischer (awesome account of Battle of Leyte Gulf)
The Bravest Man, by Tuohy (WWII submarine combat)
Band of Brothers, by Ambrose (famous)
No Simple Victory, by Davies (excellent academic history of WWII from angles not usually presented in the West)
Army at Dawn, by Atkinson (North Africa)
The Day of Battle, by Atkinson (Italy)

Offline shermanjr

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Re: Summer Reading
« Reply #7 on: May 05, 2014, 11:23:56 PM »
hatchet, brians river,brians return,brians winter,brians hunt where all favorites of mine when i was younger and ill think ima take a glanse through the base library to see if they have them
475th fg dgs
404th fighter group Winter SKy Deth ground
361 st fg
1st pursuit squadron avg
+flyingfury+ main arena
in game name pattonjr

Offline Mickey1992

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Re: Summer Reading
« Reply #8 on: May 06, 2014, 08:18:10 AM »
One Second After.  I feel the urge to start stockpiling canned goods.

Offline danny76

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Re: Summer Reading
« Reply #9 on: May 08, 2014, 05:01:01 AM »
ChickenHawk by Robert Mason
     It is about Robert Mason's experiences as a UH-1 pilot during the Vietnam War.  It is extraordinarily well written and reads more like a fiction novel than the biography that it is.




Chickenhawk is fantastic, as are 'The Bleed' by John R Cronin and Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes :old:
"You kill 'em all, I'll eat the BATCO!"
The GFC

"Not within a thousand years will man ever fly" - Wilbur Wright

Offline mbailey

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Re: Summer Reading
« Reply #10 on: May 08, 2014, 06:16:18 AM »
Im currently on Volume 4 of Edward Gibbon(s) The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire...6 volumes total....Very good (albeit time consuming) read

Would last you all summer  :aok

If its WWII you want, me personally im a James Hornfischer fan...All his books are incredible. Actually had a chance to ask him a question at the Pritzker Military Library when he was doing an interview for his book Neptunes Inferno....very nice guy

Anything Kershaw (The Few)
Miller (Masters of the air)
Barrett Tillman (anything...Clash of Carriers is awesome)

The Fire by Jorg Freidriech.....Book about the fire bombing of Germany
Max Hastings (anything)
« Last Edit: May 08, 2014, 06:27:43 AM by mbailey »
Mbailey
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Offline artik

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Re: Summer Reading
« Reply #11 on: May 08, 2014, 07:21:25 AM »
Israel's Best Defense: The First Full Story of the Israeli Air Force by Eliezer Cohen

Great reading... from the Independence War of 1948 to the 1982 Lebanon War. Many stories from the participants.
Artik, 101 "Red" Squadron, Israel

Offline MrRiplEy[H]

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Re: Summer Reading
« Reply #12 on: May 08, 2014, 07:25:44 AM »
Israel's Best Defense: The First Full Story of the Israeli Air Force by Eliezer Cohen

Great reading... from the Independence War of 1948 to the 1982 Lebanon War. Many stories from the participants.

Why are there no Lebanese and Egyptian books on the subject?
Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. –W. Clement Stone

Offline fudgums

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Re: Summer Reading
« Reply #13 on: May 08, 2014, 07:59:57 AM »
So. Many. Good. Choices.  :o
"Masters of the Air" Scenario - JG27

Offline danny76

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Re: Summer Reading
« Reply #14 on: May 08, 2014, 08:25:21 AM »

Max Hastings (anything)


Other than Max Hastings : How to choose a hairpiece :old:
"You kill 'em all, I'll eat the BATCO!"
The GFC

"Not within a thousand years will man ever fly" - Wilbur Wright