I've got many of them but haven't had a new read in quite a while so would welcome suggestions.

My faves:

To war in a string bag - Lamb
First Light - Wellum
Flying Start - Dundas
The big show - Cloustermann (some of which seems to now be called into question)

Can't think of others right now. I tend to like those where the pilot shows some degree of humility as opposed to say "Tumult in the clouds" which seem to have been written with a nod toward being picked up as movie screenplays.

The Jolly Rogers: The Story of Tom Blackburn and Navy Fighting Squadron Vf-17

It's written by Tom Blackburn, so don't expect any humility.



I also enjoyed The Last Epic Naval Battle: Voices from Leyte Gulf .

It doesn't get the greatest reviews by people who bought the book, and it certainly isn't the best book to learn about the Battle of Leyte Gulf. It also isn't exclusively dedicated to aviators memoirs; it includes the narratives of other Sailors who fought at Leyte.

But, so what? It's a great collection of sea stories. And the stories told by the aviators that flew in the composite squadrons off the escort carriers are among the the best of them. If you're looking for humility from aviators, you're more likely to find it among the FM-2 and TBM guys than you are to find it among the guys flying off the big decks.

I do have Blackburn's book though it's been a while since I've pulled it out. Thanks for mentioning the other one. I'll keep an eye out for it.

I liked Heinz Knoke's book quite a bit until it came out that at least one large segement - his forced landing onto a lake in the winter - was pure fiction. Calls the rest of it into question.

Gun Button to Fire a Hurricane Pilot's Dramatic Story of the Battle of Britain [Hardcover]
Tom Neil
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Button...ritain/dp/1848688482

WW1, a couple of my most favorite are:

No Parachute by Arthur Gould Lee

Sagittarius Rising by C.S.Lewis (not that CS Lewis though)

WW2-

Duel of Eagles by Peter Townsend

The Last Enemy by Richard Hillary

Samurai! by Saburo Sakai

I'll post more as I think of them.

Rickenbacker By Eddie Rickenbacker
Baa Baa Black Sheep-Greg Boyington
Roar of the Tiger-James Howard
Fly for your life-Larry Forrester
For the Rotorhead:
Chickenhawk-Robert Mason
Huey- David Groen
Both are 'Nam-era, of course.

I just finished Samurai, BTW. Sakai was one Helluva guy!

Stuka Pilot, by Hans-Ulrich Rudel, is a remarkable book. Rudel's exploits would be unbelievable if they weren't true.

Stuka Pilot is a great read, but enjoyment is tempered somewhat by the knowledge that Rudel was a brainwashed nazi of the worst order.

'To war in a stringbag' is it's equal, but Charles Lamb possesses a tyical english charm and earns the readers admiration for showing extreme bravery while flying an outdated aeroplane.

My favorite german memiour is "The war diary of Helman Lippfurt", who flew on the eastern front.

Not that I'm a friend of any Nazi, but in a pilot, I will always take proficiency over politics!

Rudel was amazingly good, perhaps the best ever.

Imagine if he'd had a chance to fly a warthog :-)

Charles Lamb's "War in a Stringbag" is indeed a classic.

Apart from the above, my own favourites include:

Winged Warfare by Billy Bishop VC
Firebirds! by Charles DeMoulin

Courage in the Skies
Wing Leader
Full Circle: The Story of Air Fighting - All by J.E. Johnson

quote:

Originally posted by Nomo4me:
Imagine if he'd had a chance to fly a warthog :-)

Don't know if it's true, but I have heard that Rudel was consulted on the design of the A-10.

The guy knew how to kill a tank with a dive-bomber, that's for sure!