Aviation Books
- Thread starter Moses03
- Start date
Ralf Roggeveen
Charter Member
Empire of the Clouds
Hamilton-Paterson, James: Empire of the Clouds, when Britain's aircraft ruled the world; Faber & Faber, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-571-24794-3
Having read it over the weekend, I've just finished this Christmas present and will, as promised, review it here.
A very readable account of the postwar British aircraft industry by an author who certainly knows how to write. He was never personally involved in the business, nor has he ever done any military service, but takes a nice line in having been a boy in the 1950s, growing up as an avid planespotter and going to Farnborough. The book actually opens with the frightful crash of the DH 110 at Farnborough in 1952 (which killed both crew and nearly 30 spectators), though JH-P was not himself present on that occasion.
My heart sank slightly near the beginning of the book when he announced that he wasn't interested in civil aviation, only warplanes; but I'm glad to report that he does, of course, devote a whole (quite good) chapter to the Comet saga and there is a little about Britannias and Viscounts - couldn't not be, could there? (In fact he ends up delivering two very entertaining personal memoirs of flying in both of those types as a passenger, some of my favourite passages in the book).
His main emphasis is on the great test pilots, especially the eccentric and cantankerous Canadian Bill Waterton, to whose memory Empire of the Clouds is dedicated. So there's a certain amount about the machines - he particularly eulogises the English Electric Lightning - but even more of the human story behind them. Inevitably there is also a good deal of blaming politicians for cancelling projects that, with hindsight, look as though they might have proved marvellous and somehow would have kept the UK amongst the world superpowers. Interestingly the fabled TSR2 (that did, of course, fly a little in prototype) turns out to have been a complete bitch to take off and land, which would definitely have required a lot more development and probably didn't really fulfill its original spec. The author has to admit that even Labour governments - whose postwar priorities were social things like housing and education, rather than geopolitical power projection - did pay for the remarkable V bombers that also have a starring role in this book (as you may guess from the cover).
Some technical details are sketched in, but as you're probably aware, it's more of an historical overview of the period 1946-1970, describing the decline of a particular sector of British manufacturing industry. That makes it sound a bit dull - it's anything but! I'm just pointing out that this is a fairly personal account of an episode in industrial history - not a specialist aviation book. It occurs to me that he might have written a little more about the operational use of some of the aircraft described, only Harriers in the Falklands getting brief mention. That's a minor criticism, however, and there are plenty of other books to cover such things.
I really enjoyed reading an extremely well-written and entertaining story; particularly, as noted above, his personal recollections and the anecdotes of test pilots. Recommended!
(No doubt some of you have already read it too...Mike?)
Hamilton-Paterson, James: Empire of the Clouds, when Britain's aircraft ruled the world; Faber & Faber, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-571-24794-3
Having read it over the weekend, I've just finished this Christmas present and will, as promised, review it here.
A very readable account of the postwar British aircraft industry by an author who certainly knows how to write. He was never personally involved in the business, nor has he ever done any military service, but takes a nice line in having been a boy in the 1950s, growing up as an avid planespotter and going to Farnborough. The book actually opens with the frightful crash of the DH 110 at Farnborough in 1952 (which killed both crew and nearly 30 spectators), though JH-P was not himself present on that occasion.
My heart sank slightly near the beginning of the book when he announced that he wasn't interested in civil aviation, only warplanes; but I'm glad to report that he does, of course, devote a whole (quite good) chapter to the Comet saga and there is a little about Britannias and Viscounts - couldn't not be, could there? (In fact he ends up delivering two very entertaining personal memoirs of flying in both of those types as a passenger, some of my favourite passages in the book).
His main emphasis is on the great test pilots, especially the eccentric and cantankerous Canadian Bill Waterton, to whose memory Empire of the Clouds is dedicated. So there's a certain amount about the machines - he particularly eulogises the English Electric Lightning - but even more of the human story behind them. Inevitably there is also a good deal of blaming politicians for cancelling projects that, with hindsight, look as though they might have proved marvellous and somehow would have kept the UK amongst the world superpowers. Interestingly the fabled TSR2 (that did, of course, fly a little in prototype) turns out to have been a complete bitch to take off and land, which would definitely have required a lot more development and probably didn't really fulfill its original spec. The author has to admit that even Labour governments - whose postwar priorities were social things like housing and education, rather than geopolitical power projection - did pay for the remarkable V bombers that also have a starring role in this book (as you may guess from the cover).
Some technical details are sketched in, but as you're probably aware, it's more of an historical overview of the period 1946-1970, describing the decline of a particular sector of British manufacturing industry. That makes it sound a bit dull - it's anything but! I'm just pointing out that this is a fairly personal account of an episode in industrial history - not a specialist aviation book. It occurs to me that he might have written a little more about the operational use of some of the aircraft described, only Harriers in the Falklands getting brief mention. That's a minor criticism, however, and there are plenty of other books to cover such things.
I really enjoyed reading an extremely well-written and entertaining story; particularly, as noted above, his personal recollections and the anecdotes of test pilots. Recommended!
(No doubt some of you have already read it too...Mike?)
lefty
SOH-CM-2023
Ralf, your post was indeed timely !
I actually bought 'Empire of the Clouds' before Christmas, stuck it away in the bookshelf for reading later, and completely forgot about it -it's the age thing again, you know -
I have retrieved it and will commence once I've finished the current bedtime book.
I actually bought 'Empire of the Clouds' before Christmas, stuck it away in the bookshelf for reading later, and completely forgot about it -it's the age thing again, you know -
I have retrieved it and will commence once I've finished the current bedtime book.
Ralf Roggeveen
Charter Member
Will be most interested to hear your opinion.
I'd say he's very good on the types: Hunter, Javelin and all three V Bombers. Not bad on Swift, Buccaneer & Harrier.
Not enough on civil aircraft: Comet, Viscount, Britannia, VC-10 covered - NOTHING on several others. Things like Lancastrian & Tudor mentioned.
Best as a memoir of growing up a 'New Elizabethan', going to Farnborough in the Golden Age (as long as no bits of the aircraft on display fell on you), and about the great test pilots.
The fact that aircraft like the Viscount were highly successful and sold everywhere during the period would slightly spoil his argument that British industry was completely incompetent in the '50s!
It's highly readable, though a real expert such as yourself may spot a few howlers. Worst I noticed was that he doesn't know the difference between the George Medal and the George Cross, and neither (of course) does the girl at the publisher's who was supposed to check for such things...
I'd say he's very good on the types: Hunter, Javelin and all three V Bombers. Not bad on Swift, Buccaneer & Harrier.
Not enough on civil aircraft: Comet, Viscount, Britannia, VC-10 covered - NOTHING on several others. Things like Lancastrian & Tudor mentioned.
Best as a memoir of growing up a 'New Elizabethan', going to Farnborough in the Golden Age (as long as no bits of the aircraft on display fell on you), and about the great test pilots.
The fact that aircraft like the Viscount were highly successful and sold everywhere during the period would slightly spoil his argument that British industry was completely incompetent in the '50s!
It's highly readable, though a real expert such as yourself may spot a few howlers. Worst I noticed was that he doesn't know the difference between the George Medal and the George Cross, and neither (of course) does the girl at the publisher's who was supposed to check for such things...
Ferry_vO
Retired SOH Administrator
Been reading this one bit by bit, and it is a well-researched book with a lot of interesting and new photos, but sadly the text isn't a 'good read' I'm afraid. Just a lot of times, dates, names and locations.. Rahter dull! The only interesting story I found so far was the account of a dinner that was interrupted by an uproar of communist kitchen staff who started a fight with the guests!
Tomorrow the original 'Band of Brothers' by Stephen Ambrose will arrive, together with the book written by Don Malarkey :Easy Company Soldier: The Legendary Battles of a Sergeant from World War II's "Band of Brothers".
Already have read the book by Dick Winters and the one by Wild Bill Guarnere and Babe Heffron. The latter is a fantastic read; what a characters!
Picked up Dallas Aviation by Bruce Bleakley. Very nice collection of rare photos.
"Since Otto Brodie's airplane flight at Fair Park in 1910, the city of Dallas has seen over 100 years of rich and diverse aviation activity. Many of those years were spent on a long and complex road to a consolidated airport for the Dallas-Fort Worth area, an impasse finally resolved with the dedication of Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Airport in 1974. Central to Dallas aviation history is Love Field, established as a military base in 1917. A waypoint for famous flights such as the first round-the-world flight in 1924, a venue for colorful characters like barnstormer and bootlegger "Slats" Rodgers, and the site of World War II's largest Air Transport Command base--Love Field was all this and more. Although no longer the region's primary commercial airfield, Love Field remains a major aviation facility as the home of Southwest Airlines and several internationally recognized business aircraft operations."
"Since Otto Brodie's airplane flight at Fair Park in 1910, the city of Dallas has seen over 100 years of rich and diverse aviation activity. Many of those years were spent on a long and complex road to a consolidated airport for the Dallas-Fort Worth area, an impasse finally resolved with the dedication of Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Airport in 1974. Central to Dallas aviation history is Love Field, established as a military base in 1917. A waypoint for famous flights such as the first round-the-world flight in 1924, a venue for colorful characters like barnstormer and bootlegger "Slats" Rodgers, and the site of World War II's largest Air Transport Command base--Love Field was all this and more. Although no longer the region's primary commercial airfield, Love Field remains a major aviation facility as the home of Southwest Airlines and several internationally recognized business aircraft operations."
The Dauntless Dive Bomber of World War Two by Barret Tillman, Naval Institute Press 1976. Paperback
The Douglas SBD Dauntless from the intial start of development under Jack Northup to the last few flying examples left with excellant coverage of the SBD's operation history in both theaters of WWII. A good read on a great WWII aircraft.
The Douglas SBD Dauntless from the intial start of development under Jack Northup to the last few flying examples left with excellant coverage of the SBD's operation history in both theaters of WWII. A good read on a great WWII aircraft.
Ferry_vO
Retired SOH Administrator
Today I bought 'Fate is the hunter' by Ernest K. Gann, because I know a lot of you recommend it. My copy is used and was printed in 1961 but it comes from the private collection of Dick Asjes!!
Dick Asjes was one of the most famous Dutch aviators; he flew for the KLM, worked for Koolhoven, served with the airforce during WW2 but is probably most famous for flying the Pander S.4 'Panderjager' in the London-Melbourne race. He bought this book while living in Mexico (Where he worked for Shell at that time).
His collection of books was donated to the NBLR which later merged with the Aviodrome collection. They are now slowly selling all books they have more than one example of.
What I payed for it? A measly €20!
(Wish I had €75 with me to buy that second edition of Otto Lilienthal's book though!)
Dick Asjes was one of the most famous Dutch aviators; he flew for the KLM, worked for Koolhoven, served with the airforce during WW2 but is probably most famous for flying the Pander S.4 'Panderjager' in the London-Melbourne race. He bought this book while living in Mexico (Where he worked for Shell at that time).
His collection of books was donated to the NBLR which later merged with the Aviodrome collection. They are now slowly selling all books they have more than one example of.
What I payed for it? A measly €20!
(Wish I had €75 with me to buy that second edition of Otto Lilienthal's book though!)
Ferry_vO
Retired SOH Administrator
Bought two books today; the book 'Onze vliegers in mei 1940' (Our pilots in May 1940) which is based on interviews with six surviving pilots. It provides background info for a documentary which is also included on a DVD.
View attachment 48231
And this book, the first of two parts about the Fokker G.1. Produced by the 'G.1 Foundation' it tells the story of the development and production of the G.1. Lots of photos, a lot previously unpublished. The second book will arrive spring next year and deal with the operational history. Great book but unfortunately (For most here.) almost completely in Dutch. Only the photos have text in Dutch and English, and there's a three-page summary in English in the back.
View attachment 48230
View attachment 48231
And this book, the first of two parts about the Fokker G.1. Produced by the 'G.1 Foundation' it tells the story of the development and production of the G.1. Lots of photos, a lot previously unpublished. The second book will arrive spring next year and deal with the operational history. Great book but unfortunately (For most here.) almost completely in Dutch. Only the photos have text in Dutch and English, and there's a three-page summary in English in the back.
View attachment 48230
Hurricane91
SOH-CM-2023
Great find Moses. I don't remember exactly what I paid for mine, but it was a lot more than $20. Good show.
lefty
SOH-CM-2023
Just received my copies of both Aeroplane and FlyPast in the post - great timing for some Christmas reading.
However, these are, of course, the February editions of both magazines, and we're still in 2011 - does anyone else find this as irritating as I do ? Does it happen with American mags ? WHY ??
However, these are, of course, the February editions of both magazines, and we're still in 2011 - does anyone else find this as irritating as I do ? Does it happen with American mags ? WHY ??
My wife gave me an early Christmas present from my Amazon wish list that combines my two interests:
Steam in the Air: The Application of Steam Power in Aviation During the 19th and 20th Centuries
This is a subject I have researched in the past (my first FS project was three steam powered aircraft, followed by the Curtiss-Goupil Duck); but there were several aircraft proposals that I had not heard of before. He also dug up an amazing amount of detail on the steam powerplants that powered them, and some facinating proposals for modern day steam in the name of reducing fossil fuel emissions.
There was one that he missed:
http://www.theflyingsteamshovel.com/history/the-story-of-the-flying-steamshovel/
Almost none of these would qualify for the mystery aircraft thread since they did not fly, but I did find a couple of stinkers. :mixedsmi:
-James
Steam in the Air: The Application of Steam Power in Aviation During the 19th and 20th Centuries
This is a subject I have researched in the past (my first FS project was three steam powered aircraft, followed by the Curtiss-Goupil Duck); but there were several aircraft proposals that I had not heard of before. He also dug up an amazing amount of detail on the steam powerplants that powered them, and some facinating proposals for modern day steam in the name of reducing fossil fuel emissions.
There was one that he missed:
http://www.theflyingsteamshovel.com/history/the-story-of-the-flying-steamshovel/
Almost none of these would qualify for the mystery aircraft thread since they did not fly, but I did find a couple of stinkers. :mixedsmi:
-James
Decided to pop in here to see if anyone had read any good books about the airline pilots in the heydays of TWA, Pan Am and Eastern...circa 60's-70's. I'm also looking for a good book about helicopters.
Anyways, I've read Black Sheep One: The Life of Gregory "Pappy" Boyington by Bruce Gamble. It was a very entertaining book, but I would like to read another book about Pappy Boyington, since this one focused heavily on his drinking, fighting and family life. I guess I am looking for a pro-Boyington book.
View attachment 55826
I also read Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff, which was more about surviving in the jungles of Papua New Guinea than aviation, they did survive a plane crash though. At any rate it was a very good book and I highly recommend it.
View attachment 55827
Finally, I read In the Company of Heroes by Michael Durant which started off about helicopter aviation in the Army, then turned into his ordeal as a POW in Somalia.
View attachment 55828
Anyways, I've read Black Sheep One: The Life of Gregory "Pappy" Boyington by Bruce Gamble. It was a very entertaining book, but I would like to read another book about Pappy Boyington, since this one focused heavily on his drinking, fighting and family life. I guess I am looking for a pro-Boyington book.
View attachment 55826
I also read Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff, which was more about surviving in the jungles of Papua New Guinea than aviation, they did survive a plane crash though. At any rate it was a very good book and I highly recommend it.
View attachment 55827
Finally, I read In the Company of Heroes by Michael Durant which started off about helicopter aviation in the Army, then turned into his ordeal as a POW in Somalia.
View attachment 55828
This recently came in the mail from Amazon. It's packed with information, maps, posters, route schedules, and stories. After all the stuff I've been reading on the flying boats of Pan Am, I wanted something on the history of this air line. It's pretty good.
In this book, it is recorded that the Handley Page HP42 had a “symphonic” sound, due to a complicated system that prevented the Bristol Jupiter engines on the top wing from delivering power before the ones on the lower wing, and the other way around when reducing power. This was necessary to keep the beast from tipping over if too much power was applied to the top engines alone. Makes sense as the top ones are quite high up. I'll bet in flight there was still a nose down pivoting effect when power was brought up. I need one of those for FS now...
In this book, it is recorded that the Handley Page HP42 had a “symphonic” sound, due to a complicated system that prevented the Bristol Jupiter engines on the top wing from delivering power before the ones on the lower wing, and the other way around when reducing power. This was necessary to keep the beast from tipping over if too much power was applied to the top engines alone. Makes sense as the top ones are quite high up. I'll bet in flight there was still a nose down pivoting effect when power was brought up. I need one of those for FS now...
