Good reads and ripping tales ..

found the rickenbacher link, damn it as I ought to be studying..also I hear that cecil lewis' "strato" something is very well written. All quiet on the western front class? I'd recommend Adolf Galland's "the first and the last" to everyone that hasen't read it. Less chivalrous epoque mayhap, but it covers all aspects, flying & strategy as well as politics.
 
Hey ho Ulerich... its
Sagittarius rising: by Cecil Lewis.. really excellent..what are you studying?
:173go1:
 
Well..european studies and politics, though the last few hours I've been lost in Rickenbacher's tales while using google earth. It's the first time I've managed to find a ww1 aviators own words, many thanks. I've been harrassing liberaries and history professors to and fro for years with no result. Seems I won't have to anymore.

I guess my interest in early aviation started in a simular way to many of you, by biggles. I was ten when I found a cardboard box on the loft belonging to my late uncle..biggles was tres a la mode in sweden in the sixtees so there was an abundance to be found at second-hand shops. (Got the "camels are coming", translated and printed in 1941 of which I'm very fond). I'm happy to finally be able to read some real stories and try this game. Just learned about this god-given trackIR also..
 
hey ho Ulerich
: european studies and politics.. WWI has to be a exemplar of how not to do it..
There are lots of books to keep you from your studies..
Mannock VC, Ace with one eye.. Oughton and Smith..
Biggles.. that takes me back.. bit UN- politically correct for Sweden (and UK) now I guess.. Off topic.. I 'go' skiing at ARE.. :ernae:
 
..in the sense of being euro/west-centric and putting old colonial values upon us maybe. I shall defend this type of youth litterature (tintin, asterix & obelix, biggles) any day, makes one interested and aware of the world around you at an early stage. And that is valuable.
Must recommend the film La Grande Illusion also from 1937, prophetialistic title as it refers to the great war being the last whilst the world was preparing the next. Plot is simple, two french airmen are downed and made pows and escapes. The film's message though is beautifully and cruelly presented. The 60ies "great escape" starring mcqueen is a hollywood hotted up version.
 
They also read more in 'the good old days'.. no telly see..no videos, no playstation..
and the mowgli story was a book not a comic film.. There was lots of TB and polio though and I cant ever remember being warm..
 
As part of my 'homage' I'm reading .. They called it Passchendaele by Lyn MacDonald.
.. It's been mentioned before in this thread...

What a madhouse this planet is... Russia had 9 million casualties.. Germany 7, Austro Hungary 7, France 6..British Empire 3.. Italy 2 Turkey 1 Others(?) 1.2 , USA 0.36
 
Don't miss any of Derek Robinson's books.......WW1 and 2....they're drop dead great reads.
 
Goshawk Squadron

I can suggest Goshawk Squadron by Derek Robinson. Hard case squadron commander in this book is a real hoot, but I am glad to not be under his command. The story is humorous and portrays the circumstances for these men more truthfully than many other works that perhaps glorify too much. This book reminds me of the talk on this forum regarding surviving 17 hours in the air. I am enjoying this one so much I picked up War Story by the same author and will be getting Hornet's Sting as well.
 
I'll join the Derek Robinson band wagon. His books on the WW1 air war are really very good. Highly recommended. I wish I could make a living like that :kilroy:
 
Pilot accounts

Hi All, there are a great many books written by the aces/pilots themselves besides Rickenbackers books Billy Bishop, Renee Fonck, Capt. Hartney, Rudolph Stark and many others who survived the war wrote accounts. I suggest going to Advanced booksellers exchange aka ABE.com and doing a search for your flyer of interest you may be amazed at what is out there and how affordable some of the books are. Have fun and good luck! :mixedsmi:
 
COmbat and Command

I picked up the book Combat and Command by Sholto Douglas in an antique store. I highly recommend it to all here. He presents the viewpoint from many roles as he started out flying BE2's then on to Sopwith 1 1/2's and then SE5A's. He also relates the viewpoints of pilot and squadron commander, sharing some information on flight schedule orders, offensives, where they actually patrolled, etc. It even sheds some light on some of the high level decisions that are still controversial. He went on to become Air Vice Marshall in command of Fighters during WWII, IRC. I haven't got that far yet.
 
One of the best of the WW1 flying novels is Falcons of France by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall.

Nordhoff & Hall, the authors of Mutiny on the Bounty, both actually served in the Lafayette Flying Corps in WW1. After the war they wrote Falcons as a fictional account of their experiences.

Like most good historical novels it really puts you in the time & place.
 
I enjoyed reading Arch Whitehouse's books, though I found many historical inaccuracies in them {and his non-fiction books as well}.

There is a sad lack of good fiction of the era.
 
That Flying an Ugly Duckling eBook womenfly2 recommended is quite good. It's got very few dogfight stories, but it's full of the little details of life and flying an FE2. Sounds like it really sucked, even before they started shooting at you :)
 
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