[bsmith13]

I would like to know how many forum members read books on aviation (in any form).

How often do you read aviation books?
What was the last aviation book you read?
What is your favorite aviation book?

Inquiring minds want to know!

[jim]

Originally Posted by bsmith13

I would like to know how many forum members read books on aviation (in any form).

How often do you read aviation books?
What was the last aviation book you read?
What is your favorite aviation book?

Inquiring minds want to know!

I am never without at least a couple of aviation books to read, I drive the girls at the library crazy with my constant ordering of books.

I like to mix in an occasional book about some of the great figures of the war scene like Patton ,Monty, Rommel etc.


Favourite would be Target Berlin Mission 250:6th March 1944. written by Jeffery Ethwell and Alfred Price.
IMHO the best researched and most graphic account of a Fortress raid over Germany ever written.

A lttle period fiction is welcome too. Hornblower, Sharpe stuff like that .

I have a habit of reading awhile every night before lights out.
That is if I can tear myself away from this place.
Its now 1.57am, see what I mean!

[stalag8611]

Originally Posted by bsmith13

I would like to know how many forum members read books on aviation (in any form).

How often do you read aviation books?
What was the last aviation book you read?
What is your favorite aviation book?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Masters of the Air

The Few

Both within the past two weeks and really fine reads. 9 out of 10 for both.

[chiefs70]

I read a lot but not exclusively or even predominantly aviation books. I listen to books on cassette when I run every day as well as when I go to sleep at night. I listen to/read everything - non-fiction, fiction, philosophy etc. Currently, I am listening to the Pulitzer Prize winning Grant: A Biography by William S. McFeely - highly recommended if you love history in general but military and political in particular. I am currently reading The Day the World Ended at Little Bighorn: A Lakota History by the Lakota historian Joseph M. Marshall III which is also a fantastic and enlightening book. Next up is Clash of Eagles: USAAF 8th Air Force bombers Versus the Luftwaffe in World War 2 by Martin W. Bowman.

The best aviation book I have finished recently was Tail-End Charlies: The Last Battles of the Bomber War, 1944-45 by John Nichol and Tony Rennell. I learned a great deal about the later stages of the airwar and the thoughts/feelings of the crews of both the RAF and USAAF and highly recommend it.

All in all, I love to read but my interests are across the board so it really depends on what my latest fancy happens to be in a given month.

[flyXwire]

Originally Posted by bsmith13

I would like to know how many forum members read books on aviation (in any form).

How often do you read aviation books?

As often as my daily schedule allows/permits me to indulge.

What was the last aviation book you read?

I've read more articles from magazines than books. Keeping up to date on current events and developments in the industry overall.

What is your favorite aviation book?

My favorite subjects to read are always related to military history of airpower and I don't have any particular preference on era at this time. Anything and everything goes, I suppose.

[smartd]

Read every night. Aviation probably makes up about 50%. Buy aviation/militaria in bulk a couple of times each year at a local publisher (Vanwell) warehouse sale. Pick up other favorite authors when new stuff comes out. Re-read books often.
Read all new postings here.

[STARMAN 352ND]

Well....Right now am reading "The Most Dangerous Enemy" by Stephen Bungay......It's about the history of the Battle of Britain..
I read this about a year go by skipping alot of chapters of this book did not have time to read it all...Now i do and it's really a good book so far
I'm only at chapter 7 of 31 in this book....
JP

[Captain Eddie]

I read various things-mostly the Bible, political news, and aviation books. Right now I am reading a very facinating book called "Fire in the Sky" by Eric Bergerud. It's all about the airwar in the South Pacific. Great book!

[SKUNKY]

This reading thing.........how does one do it?....

[wnsolomon]

Originally Posted by bsmith13

I would like to know how many forum members read books on aviation (in any form).

How often do you read aviation books?
What was the last aviation book you read?
What is your favorite aviation book?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Well, reading is my stock-in-trade as a researcher, so I'll limit my comments to the relevant points.

Aviation books probably make up about 15-20% of my recreational reading total (this includes "just for fun" and things like Pilot's Operating Handbooks and aviation instructional material for my IFR course).

The last aviation book is the one I am currently reading by James Hansen, "First Man: The Life of Neil Armstrong." I give this book 2.5-3 stars (out of five). The subject matter is interesting but Hansen is not that great of a historian as he feels the need to defend his subject from criticism and, at the same time, find reasons to disparage Armstrong's critics. That, and the intitially annoying fact that he knows next-to-nothing about Naval Aviation, holds back what would otherwise be a wonderful book.

My favorite aviation books of all time are "I Could Never Be So Lucky Again" the autobiography of Jimmy Doolittle..this should be required reading of anyone who has every seen an airplane...and "Baa Baa Black Sheep" -Boyington's book is very rough around the edges but you get more of the man than you did with Leo Janos cleaning up Yeager's prose. I'd also recommend Bob Hoover's "Forever Flying."

Regards,
Nathan