Looking for a book recommendation

Kinja'd!!! "Jayhawk Jake" (jayhawkjake)
08/14/2014 at 21:46 • Filed to: None

Kinja'd!!!0 Kinja'd!!! 18

Something aviation related. Non-fiction. Along the lines of Skunk Works by Ben Rich. Anyone?


DISCUSSION (18)


Kinja'd!!! Hammerfrog > Jayhawk Jake
08/14/2014 at 21:49

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not explicitly about aviation but this is a good one
http://www.amazon.com/The-Dead-Hand-…

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Kinja'd!!! Alfalfa > Jayhawk Jake
08/14/2014 at 21:49

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Have you read Chuck Yeager's autobiography?


Kinja'd!!! Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken > Jayhawk Jake
08/14/2014 at 21:54

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The Long Way Home is good, incredible story:

The story of how a Pan American Airways B-314 flying boat, caught in the South Pacific, made an unplanned flight around the world following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Flying in total secrecy and radio blackout, Captain Ford and his 10 man crew flew over 31,500 miles in six weeks, avoiding enemy action in their effort to return safely to the United States. An astounding feat in 1941!

http://www.amazon.com/Long-Way-Home-…

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Kinja'd!!! Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger > Jayhawk Jake
08/14/2014 at 21:56

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Have you read Viper Pilot by Dan Hampton?


Kinja'd!!! pitstop_pitowski > Jayhawk Jake
08/14/2014 at 22:00

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The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe is a great read.


Kinja'd!!! Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > Jayhawk Jake
08/14/2014 at 22:03

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I like to read Haynes manuals.


Kinja'd!!! Viggen > Jayhawk Jake
08/14/2014 at 22:04

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Vipers of the Storm

Or if you're feeling a little adventurous, MiG Pilot, about Victor Belenko's escape to Japan in the MiG-25 or Fulcrum, about Alexander Zuyev's escape to Turkey in a MiG-29.


Kinja'd!!! Jayhawk Jake > pitstop_pitowski
08/14/2014 at 22:11

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I think this will be the winner. I've heard good things, never bothered to read it


Kinja'd!!! Jayhawk Jake > Alfalfa
08/14/2014 at 22:11

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Nope. I'll add it to the list


Kinja'd!!! Jayhawk Jake > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken
08/14/2014 at 22:12

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I'd like to read it, and I'll definitely keep it in mind, but I need a kindle book. Taking a flight tomorrow, need something to read


Kinja'd!!! SteveLehto > Jayhawk Jake
08/14/2014 at 22:17

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there's the one I wrote which is aviation themed. http://www.amazon.com/Great-American…

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Kinja'd!!! Alfalfa > Jayhawk Jake
08/14/2014 at 22:18

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You do that. It's just called Yeager. It covers all the cool things everyone knows about, and many other cool things that you may not know about.


Kinja'd!!! marshknute > Jayhawk Jake
08/14/2014 at 22:35

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Airframe by Michael Crichton.

EDIT: never mind, I missed the non-fiction part.


Kinja'd!!! NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > Jayhawk Jake
08/14/2014 at 22:54

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One of the best aviation / military books I've read in a long time, but which too many people have never heard of, is _Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War_. This guy was hugely influential in fighter aviation for decades...perhaps still is. Available on Kindle!

http://smile.amazon.com/Boyd-The-Fight…

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Kinja'd!!! Buick Mackane > Jayhawk Jake
08/17/2014 at 17:02

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I bought a whole collection of old aviation books from an eldery, retired B-29 flight engineer a long time ago. All are WW2 fighter plane aviation related. I will suggest reading the story of Robert Stanford Tuck ("Lucky Tuck") the Spitfire pilot in "Fly for your Life" and also the biography of "Gabby, A fighter pilots's life" by Frances Gabreski, a Polish/American Spitfire and P47 Thunderbolt pilot. My copy is actually autographed by Frances Gabreski.

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Kinja'd!!! Mosca > Jayhawk Jake
08/20/2014 at 09:52

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I'd have to recommend the classic "Fate is the Hunter", by Ernest K Gann. I can't recommend it enough. Next would be Brian Shul's "Sled Driver". But read the Gann first, it is absolutely riveting. Also Bob Hoover's autobiography "Forever Flying".


Kinja'd!!! anothermiatafanboy > Jayhawk Jake
08/22/2014 at 13:11

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Unbroken. Its a biography about Louis Zamperini. He passed away earlier this year and the book is absolutely incredible. Talks about his time flying as well. Sorry, that's all I got.


Kinja'd!!! Grindintosecond > Jayhawk Jake
08/27/2014 at 15:09

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BOYD. Is about the father of the modern combat jet and the tactics of combat. He became the analytical man in the Pentagon bent on formulaic design of what is needed in an airplane. Input the performance desired, and it spit out what you had to have in terms of thrust, wing area, etc. This all came after his examination of all aircraft in the early 60's. The F-111 was the worst leaden POS that would loose every engagement of any kind. It's really about the effort to keep the Pentagon from gold plating everything in to a multi-role plane that looses all engagements. Proof? The F-16 prototype today would completely take the present day F-16 to the cleaners in a dogfight. They added more junk to it for production but didn't increase the wing area. that's the whole thing. The A-10 design came out of this program as well. Good book. A bit dry in places but if you like technical history it's a good one.