Books about WW2 Pilots - Your Recommendations

[pilgrim]

Try to obtain "1000 Destroyed" by Grover C Hall Jr. This is the story of the 4th Fighter Group USAAF flying Mustangs from RAF Debden. First published 1946 and also in 1978 both Hardbacks.

For Fleet Air Arm try "Corsair Pilot" by Norman Hanson Published 1979.

[Don_Quijote]

For those of you interested in the Bf 110 and other Zerstörers,you should not miss
[B]Die Deutsche Luftwaffe: Eine Bilddokumentation der Luftwaffe von 1935-1945 Zerstörer- und Nachtjagdverbände. Teil 1-4
https://www.amazon.de/Die-Deutsche-L...PWSP2M229HY2BK
They contain loads of photos and detailed history of tthe Nightfighter and Zerstörer squads.A phantastic source for the skinners among us!

[Don_Quijote]

Received a new book today which seems to be a interesting read:
https://ospreypublishing.com/ju-52-3...-units-1936-41

Since there is a flyable Ju 52 in BoX I fell somehow in love with this helpless slow and ugly bird.The book contains a lot of colour profiles and photos of early Tante Ju`s and it tells some of this planes adventures during spanish civil war.

[Don_Quijote]

And another one I read some month ago,it came recently back to my mind when I joined the ATAG server and was surprised by having a night mission:
ENEMY IN THE DARK by Peter Spoden,a Bf 110 night fighter pilot.Available in german and english.
http://www.nachtjaegerspoden.de/seiten/n_englisch.htm

[farley]

I'm not sure if this series has been mentioned in any thread - I'd imagine that it has.

"Dogfights"

Not a book, but 10 DVD's with a total of 23.5 hours of viewing.

It was done by The History Channel, and so is very heavily USA biased (for eg does not cover the Battle of Britain), but I really enjoy watching it, and watch it over and over.

Not without it's flaws I'm sure, but still, I find it very entertaining.

From Wikipedia: "Dogfights is a military aviation themed TV series depicting historical re-enactments of air-to-air combat that took place in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, as well as smaller conflicts such as the Gulf War and the Six-Day War. The program consists of former fighter pilots sharing their stories of actual dogfights in which they took part, combined with computer-generated imagery (CGI) to give the viewer a better perspective of what it is like to engage in aerial combat.[1] Dogfights originally aired on the History Channel from November 2006 to May 2008".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogfights_(TV_series)

I just wish they had done a program on the P38's role in the Pacific.

I'd like to hear the opinions of other's who have watched it.

[Don_Quijote]

Another nice read and first hand source for the Bf 110 maniacs among us.Unfortunately it is only available in german,as far as I know.

JOHANNES KAUFMANN: MEINE FLUGBERICHTE 1935-1945
https://www.amazon.de/Meine-Flugberi.../dp/B002GY4BLC
He describes in detail his pilot training and later talks about missions with ZG1 from the beginning of [I]Barbarossa[/I ]onwards.

[GibsonXXI]

Just like to pop-in and post a reccomendation for a book I must of read 20 years ago, but has always stuck with me to this day:

"The Last Enemy" (By Richard Hillary).
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Enemy-...GT2D23E94XJS1A

Not so much about the actual combat during the Battle of Britain (If memory serves), but more of a window into the life of a serving RAF pilot recovering from serious burns, and his efforts to get flying again. Sadly, Richard was killed later in the war after his Blenheim crashed during a night training flight.

Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hillary

___

Other Good Reads:

1. Fighter Boys: Saving Britain 1940 - Written by Patrick Bishop;
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fighter-Boy...s=Fighter+Boys

2. Bomber Boys: Fighting Back 1940-1945 - also by Patrick Bishop;
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bomber-Boys...KYCF6XAP6P4A9D

3. The Most Dangerous Enemy: A History of the Battle of Britain - Written by Stephen Bungay;
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Most-Danger...angerous+Enemy

4. 617 Squadron: The Dambusters at War - Written by SqL Tom Bennett (DFM);
https://www.amazon.co.uk/617-Squadro...SDCSG05NAZF3HF

And Finally...

The World At War: An Illustrated History of the Second World War - Various Authors (Published by Colour Library Books 1991, ISBN: 0-86283-838-5)

The above is split into 3 distinct sections:

1. Battle In The Air,
2. Battle On Land,
3. Battle At Sea.

Each section is authored as a factual reference with supporting IWM images, chronolgical maps detailing front lines at different points of each of the more famous "engagements" of the Second World War. I've owned this since it's year of publish, and saw it at a local dentist (who also had a book club, bizarrely enough), and asked my mother to buy it for me, I was 13 at the time. I must point out, that despite the name of the book, it bears no affiliation to the TV series of the same name. While now hard to find due to it's age, and OOP status, if you do see a copy at any local flea-market / bookstore / etc, I strongly recommend picking it up. It is without doubt the pride of my WWII book collection (See attached images).

[DOWNEAST]

Take a look at "Carrier Pilot", Norman Hanson

2017-07-28_09-41-38.png


https://www.amazon.com/Carrier-Pilot...+Norman+Hanson

"'Hanson's thrilling memoir takes you right into the cockpit in a way few writers have ever managed. The lethal world of the wartime Royal Navy carrier pilot, with its casual and shocking violence, horrific attrition, yet extraordinary camaraderie is so vividly brought to life that one can almost smell the smoke, oil and sweat. Real, adrenalin-charged, and ridiculously dangerous flying, Hanson's account is an aviation classic that has to be read.’ JAMES HOLLAND, AUTHOR OF DAM BUSTERS and THE WAR IN THE WEST"

[Roblex]

In my opinion, 'Ten Fighter Boys' https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fighter-Com...1324526&sr=1-1 is the best book on the Battle Of Britain from the RAF side. Someone, probably a newspaper, asked ten pilots to each write a short piece on their experiences over a few weeks and what I like is the complete honesty. They talk about their fears, their stupid mistakes their lucky breaks without the careful editing of most accounts.

As far as I am aware, the only first-hand Luftwaffe account dealing solely with the Battle Of Britain is 'Spitfire On My Tail' which gives an interesting counterpoint. It was interesting to see how disorganised they were when we always see them as rigourously efficient. They was also a lot of in-fighting and ill-feeling according to this book. You will also see this reflected in Hans Rudels 'Stuka Pilot' where he is constantly fighting against stupid requests from higher up, including disobeying direct orders from Hitler a couple of times. The surpising thing I took away from that book is how unconcerned the stuka pilots seemed to be about making attacks while under attack by Russian fighters. They way he tells it They were just a nuisance they had to dodge and that sometimes forced you to walk home (or get a lift home in someone elses stuka).

[DerDa]

I would take Rudel's accounts with a grain of salt.
Or several grains ... or some pounds of it ...

[Roblex]

Take a look at "Carrier Pilot", Norman Hanson

2017-07-28_09-41-38.png


https://www.amazon.com/Carrier-Pilot...+Norman+Hanson

"'Hanson's thrilling memoir takes you right into the cockpit in a way few writers have ever managed. The lethal world of the wartime Royal Navy carrier pilot, with its casual and shocking violence, horrific attrition, yet extraordinary camaraderie is so vividly brought to life that one can almost smell the smoke, oil and sweat. Real, adrenalin-charged, and ridiculously dangerous flying, Hanson's account is an aviation classic that has to be read.’ JAMES HOLLAND, AUTHOR OF DAM BUSTERS and THE WAR IN THE WEST"

I read this and enjoyed it too and was curious because it made several references to a Commander HA Monk and sometimes referred to him as 'Eric' Monk. I had used to help out with a local Air Scout group a few years earlier and they had a district commissioner called Eric Monk who often visited but he was Royal Navy which I though odd considering they were an Air Scout group. I checked and it was the same person, holder of the DSM and survivor of the sinking of the Ark Royal. Tragically he had died the previous year. If I had realised who he was I would have grilled him relentlessly for every story he had!

[Oersted]

https://www.amazon.com/Going-Solo-Ro...dp/B006UB7CAY/

Roald Dahl, Going Solo, an amazing and poetic read about, among other things, his air combat experiences in Hurricanes over Greece in 1940. A must read.

[Oersted]

https://www.amazon.com/Saga-Pappy-Ge...dp/B0739GNXVW/

The saga of Pappy Gunn.

For FREE on Amazon.com! (Kindle edition)

The story of a half-crazy intrepid US fighter pilot in the Pacific War.

[ATAG_Flare]

https://www.amazon.com/Going-Solo-Ro...dp/B006UB7CAY/

Roald Dahl, Going Solo, an amazing and poetic read about, among other things, his air combat experiences in Hurricanes over Greece in 1940. A must read.

I can also seriously recommend this book. Grade seven me was just baffled when I found out that the guy who wrote "James and the Giant Peach" also flew Hurricanes and had a book about it! I was never so excited to grab a book from the school library. It really is a good one.

Other Good Reads:

1. Fighter Boys: Saving Britain 1940 - Written by Patrick Bishop;
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fighter-Boy...s=Fighter+Boys

2. Bomber Boys: Fighting Back 1940-1945 - also by Patrick Bishop;
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bomber-Boys...KYCF6XAP6P4A9D

3. The Most Dangerous Enemy: A History of the Battle of Britain - Written by Stephen Bungay;
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Most-Danger...angerous+Enemy

4. 617 Squadron: The Dambusters at War - Written by SqL Tom Bennett (DFM);
https://www.amazon.co.uk/617-Squadro...SDCSG05NAZF3HF

The Most Dangerous Enemy is really the best Battle of Britain book I've ever read. Thumbs up for that one.

[ATAG_Highseas]

[QUOTE=ATAG_Flare;274196]I can also seriously recommend this book. Grade seven me was just baffled when I found out that the guy who wrote "James and the Giant Peach" also flew Hurricanes and had a book about it! I was never so excited to grab a book from the school library. It really is a good one.

Totally agree. Its a tremedously good read.

Also the first part is imedeiately pre-war (or at least pre UK involvement) and set in Tanzania where I also worked for a while. Doesn't sound like much changed there between the late 30's and the late 90's

Great read.

[DOWNEAST]

Another great book, just read called "Tiger Cub" John Freeborn DFC. Don't know if it has been mentioned on this thread. John Freeborn, Sailor Malan's wingman. "The youngest of the few".

2017-08-04_22-42-24.png

[ATAG_Marlow]

Some time ago I finished reading a great book that featured the Beaufort and it made such an impression on me that and I am not getting rid of the copy. It was called 'The Last Torpedo Flyers'...The true story of Arthur Aldridge - Hero of the Skies.' The blurb on the back says: quote:

'In 1940, 19 year old Arthur Aldridge had quit his studies at Oxford to volunteer for the R.A.F. In World War two, our torpedo pilots were sent on missions so dangerous they were later likened to kamikaze. Some pilots felt they had accepted certain death just by climbing into their cockpits. For the next two years he flew his Bristol Beaufort like there was no tomorrow, sinking enemy ships from Malta and denying supplies to Rommel's forces in Africa. Aldridge and his fellow squadron member Bill Carroll are two of the last torpedo airmen left alive. They deserve their place in history alongside our heroic Spitfire pilots. Their action-packed story vividly captures the comradeship that existed between men pushed by war to their very limit.'

I thought it was a great book and a fascinating read. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of meticulous mission planning, followed by hour upon hour of low level flight, skimming the waves, before spotting the target dead ahead. Spot on navigation! How did they do it? (I'm lucky if I can find French Point! LOL!)

This book also provided a bit of a contrast with the usual Spit/Hurri story of a Pilot during the Battle of Britain, which I tend to read very frequently. I thoroughly recommend it! Salute!

[DOWNEAST]

If you are into P 51 Mustangs here is a very good read about George Preddy, Top Mustang Ace.

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Preddy.png

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfeMgwg-Lx0

[SD_MBen]

Easy!

The Hardest Day: The Battle of Britain: 18 August, 1940.
by Alfred Price

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hardest-Day...he+hardest+day

[TWC_SLAG]

I just finished reading “To Fly and Fight”, by and about “Bud” Anderson, triple ace, P-51 pilot, and member of the 357th FS. I highly recommend it.

[ATAG_Flare]

I just finished reading “To Fly and Fight”, by and about “Bud” Anderson, triple ace, P-51 pilot, and member of the 357th FS. I highly recommend it.

Easy!

The Hardest Day: The Battle of Britain: 18 August, 1940.
by Alfred Price

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hardest-Day...he+hardest+day

Both of these books are quite good! The Hardest Day especially - very well researched. The only bad thing is he replaces JG and KG (for Jagdgeschwader and Kampfgeschwader) with FG and BG (for Fighter Geschwader and Bomber Geschwader). And honestly that's not a big deal. Just kinda weird seeing "III/FG26 was escorting BG76" or something.

I've just purchased "First Light" by Geoffery Wellum. Never read it before but I'm sure it'll be a fun read.

Recently I read "Terror in the Starboard Seat" written by a Canadian Mosquito night interdiction navigator. He flew upwards of 30 ops and was scared to death each time! Really a great little read.

[farley]

I might give this one a miss.....

Think the author needs to do a bit more research.

BOB.PNG

[56RAF_klem]

I might give this one a miss.....

Think the author needs to do a bit more research.

BOB.PNG

Well if that's true I guess that's how to dumb down history. I read a book (or a TV program?) "What really won the Battle of Britain". IMHO it was just an excuse to meddle with history and produce a 'new' slant on it.

[farley]

Just purchased the following books on Amazon - Kindle edition for a grand total of $ 6.56 Can, or about $ 5,25 USD or 3,65 Euro

- Spitfire Pilot: A Personal Account of the Battle of Britain by Flight Lieutenant David Crook DFC

- Incredible Tales of the Royal Canadian Air Force: Unsung Heroes of World War II (Amazing Stories) By: Cynthia Faryon

- The Last Enemy by Richard Hillary: A World War Two Memoir by a Spitfire Pilot By: Richard Hillary

- Tail Gunner By: R C Rivaz

- Spitfire!: The Experiences of a Battle of Britain Fighter Pilot By: Brian Lane

Some might be slim or not the best reads, but for a little over a buck a piece, not much to lose.

And i find the Kindle on my tablet works well for reading in bed.

I have many actual books on the BoB, and like paper, but for some books this works well

[Kayo]

Just finished reading:

Six Weeks of Blenheim Summer, Alastair Panton und Victoria Panton Bacon

The story of a Blenheim-Pilot during the 6 weeks of the Battle of France flying mainly reconnaissance missions.

Really good reading about this nearly "forgotten" part of the war. Very well written and intense. Strongly recommended for Blennie-lovers.

[ATAG_Monkeynut]

I've had a quick scan through the thread and couldn't see this book mentioned before.

I've just finished reading 'They Gave Me a Seafire' by R. M. Crosley. Can't recommend it highly enough, quite possibly the best military memoir I've read from any period, an absolutely cracking read.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00...e+me+a+seafire

I think the link is for the Kindle version, but you can get older editions for about £2.

I have hundreds of memoirs, mainly from WW1 & 2, but this book is head and shoulders above pretty much all of them. I very nearly didn't buy it as there was something about the title that made me think it might be one of the regurgitated, short books that seem to be cropping up online a lot these days. Also I misread Seafire for Spitfire impulse buying on the Kindle store and was a little disappointed when I'd downloaded and saw the real title. I'd not read much about the FAA before and thought it would be pretty dull, how wrong I was!

It begins pretty typically for a wartime memoir, although the standard of writing is better than most, but as the story unfolds it becomes much more than that. The author details his service from training through active service in most major theaters throughout the war. The breadth of his wartime experience was truly remarkable and his descriptions of carrier operations, their hazardous nature and the losses incurred, often due to poor equipment, planning or leadership, rather than enemy action, are a real eye opener for what I think is a largely forgotten part of WW2 history.

While his personal story is fascinating in itself, what I think really makes this book stand out is the amount of excellent, intelligent analysis of the development of the FAA and the shortcomings of the senior command in the navy and beyond, tactically and strategically when it came to employing carrier air power. He also goes into technical detail about numerous aircraft types to a degree that I've rarely seen before in any other books, it was not surprising to find out late in the book that (minor spoiler alert) he became a test pilot after the war.

Finally, the cherry on top has to be the appendices. At the end of a quite substantial book there's a further 14 appendices which are a series of excellent essays on various organisational aspects of the FAA and technical aspects of operating Hurricanes and Spitfires off carriers, although these views are partially anecdotal, a lot of the analysis in the appendices clearly stems from his post war years as a test pilot and there may be useful nuggets of background research there for future iterations of CLOD if carrier ops are ever modelled in the game.

All in all, outstanding, if you're into aircrew memoirs this is a must read. I'm off to find some more books on the FAA, unfortunately the bar's been set quite high!

[rb207]

I am so annoyed about being shot by RAF special silent bullets that I decided to post something to cheer myself up.

I think I have read 30 plus autobiographies from ww2 pilots. I recommend "I flew for the furer". I also recommend samurai by suburo sakai. Also the German aces speak I heard as an audio book and was fascinating.

From the RAF the big show was the first book I read and I really enjoyed it but reading it a second time I started to question the truthfulness of the account. Eric Brown's autobiography is worth reading.

[farley]

Lots of reading material on the "Internet Archive" site.

Here is a bit of what you can find on the BoB.

https://archive.org/search.php?query=battle+of+britain


I just downloaded the audios books "Forgotten Voices of the Blitz and the Battle of Britain", parts one and two, which total about eight hours of listening.
They are on my ipod so I can listen in car or wherever.

The site has plenty of books, audio books, sound bites and more.
The site says over 3000 results, but most of them have nothing to do with the battle. A bit of a treasure trove really, though might take some digging to come up with the gems (opals for those down under).....

[ATAG_Ezzie]

Just finished this book about USAAF b-17 activities from oz in 1942. Highly recommended as are the author's books on Rabaul

https://books.google.com.au/books/ab...on&redir_esc=y

Ezzie

[ATAG_Laser]

I am currently reading Kamikaze hunters by Robert Iredale. It tells the story of a group of fledgeling pilots of the Royal Navy's fleet air arm, taking in their training in England, Canada and the USA to embarking on carriers and going to war.

With the war in Europe almost at an end, the British Pacific fleet was sent to fight alongside the Americans in the final push against the Japanese and was tasked with, among other things, stopping the menace of the Kamikaze.


An excellent read would highly recommend

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...20book&f=false