Aviation Books

Highly recommended if you're into jets. In the fifties, before the days of stealth and low-level penetration, speed was of the essence for designers of military aircraft. To my eye, this was when the most esthetic of planes were conceived: the Century Series fighters, the XB-70, the SR-71, and the B-58. Few books exist on this aircraft, and Jay Miller covers the whole story- German aerodynamic studies, development of the B-58, operational history, and offshoots that never went anywhere, including a supersonic commercial passenger version! Many, many pictures make this an excellent modeler's reference. An appendix includes photos and histories of most of the 116 B-58s that were produced. One of the most fascinating sections covers the camouflage-painted B-58 and how Robert McNamara kept it from being used in Vietnam. I give this book one of my highest compliments: whenever I am hungry to read something and I don't have any unread stuff handy, this is one of the books that I can pick up and find something that I missed previously.

This book, even in the first edition, tells you just about everything you would ever want to know about one of the most amazing aircraft made. It is stunning that this machine was sustaining 3 men at Mach 2 for half an hour about a decade after it had required an air-launched rocket to get beyond Mach 1 for a minute or two. Not only that but on the same timescale Convair were building a successful airliner, a vertical takeoff turboprop, two very complex interceptors, a hydroski naval fighter, and the missile that eventually became the SM-65 Atlas, America's first ballistic missile, and manned space booster. What an amazing time the 50's must have been. Not a lot of PC's true, but also a lot fewer accountants / economists as well.
The text is clear, well written giving an excellent context for the whole history of the program, and a sense of what was accomplished. The bulk of the photos are black and white, very useful for modellers. Limited colour, about 10 pages, but the B-58 marking were pretty minimal.
There is some interesting information on the proposed recon system Super Hustler (Project Fish/Kingfish), surely one of the few planes that the could make the A-12/SR-71 series be called the more conventional option.
If you're interested in the B-58, buy this book

I was thrilled to discover this book has been re-released, as it has been unavailable for years. Another reviewer has gone into great detail, and I do not want to repeat what he has written. However, I will reinforce his review with my own endorsement - this book is a fascinating look at the every day lives of men in the naval service. Little more than boys, really, thrown in over their heads to either sink or swim. However, the stories contained in this book are often humourous, as "boys will be boys" stories. The humour is intermingled with some interesting insight into the feel of the RCN in WWII - for example, their awe at being in the presence of a British battleship. Highly recommended for anyone interested in this era.

In every war, a few men gain an everlasting reputation by standing brave and firm against immense odds -- from the time of the Spartans at Thermopylea to the US Marines at Khe Sahn -- and the story of the men who manned the corvettes of the Royal Canadian Navy is one such legend.

James B. Lamb was one of those men, and he has written a superb story about `The Corvette Navy' of Canada which helped fight the U-boats to a stand-still in World War II. Corvettes were rugged little ships, about 200 feet in length and only 1,200 tons, based on the design of Antarctic whaling ships. Almost 300 were built, the largest number of any one class of warships ever built. England's Royal Navy named them for flowers; which meant the proud Teutonic U104 was sunk by HMS Rhododendron, and U147 was sunk by HMS Periwinkle, and U605 was captured by HMS Poppy. It was truly "flower power" in action.

Canadians named their corvettes after towns, and let crews design the coat-of-arms for each ship. Five aces were chosen for HMCS Baddeck (bad deck -- get it?); a crowned lady falling on her backside in a puddle of water became the crest for HMCS Wetaskiwin (Wet-ass-Queen). Lamb, one of the top newspaper editors in Canada during his career, includes the courage, duty, sacrifice, terror and, thankfully -- the humor that war can provide. Lamb lived that experience, as commander of HMCS Minas and later HMCS Camrose. His book is a first hand account.

The winter North Atlantic, where Canadian corvettes took convoys to and from England, is one of the grimmest bodies of water on earth. Fall into the sea, and you lose consciousness within five minutes and freeze to death within 15 minutes. Lamb tells of frantic work by corvette crews to chop foot thick ice of the upper decks to keep from rolling over and sinking. He also tells of a depth charge attack against a U-boat by a trawler which couldn't get away from the explosions in time. Geysers of water erupted and the trawler disappeared under the spray; when it reappeared with it's stern blown off and steam pouring from broken boiler pipes, the captain meekly signaled, "I have busted myself."

Even Americans, who got into the war two and one-quarter years after Canada, are included. Lamb was once part of a crew bringing a new Canadian warship from British Columbia to the North Atlantic. The Americans posted an armed guard with a massive gun on his hip to prevent any "monkey business" while in the Panama Canal. Canadian ships in those days issued a daily tot of rum to every sailor; so the guard was plied with food and extra rum. After he fell asleep in his chair, the Canadian sailors slipped the revolver out of the man's holster and replaced it with a banana.

When the fun was over, they gave a very worried guard his beloved gun back before they left him in Colon, Panama. In a few months, the Canadians were in the toughest combat theatre of World War II; the American was left to keep Panama safe. It's this combination of the sublime to the ridiculous -- how else do you expect teenagers in warships to act? -- that makes his book a rare gem in military histories. Without such kids, U-boats could have closed the Atlantic -- and Germany might have won. Understand them, and you'll understand the mood of American service men in World War II.

Who were these sailors? Look at it this way: anyone who was 30 years of age or older was immediately nicknamed "Pappy." The regular peacetime navy men all got safe desk jobs in Canada or England; just as the old Spartans sat at home and sent the teens to Thermopylae. Wars are ever like that, and Lamb tells their story superbly. Only one corvette now remains, as a dockside museum in Halifax. Lamb's book heralds the passing of an fantastic era lived by incredible men.

Even if you've never seen a ship, let alone the North Atlantic Squadron, you'll understand this story that's told in terms of the people. It's a gem.

Wonderfull stories and an easy read. Amazing how we go through life, survive its hurdles and finally come to realize that His hand was in the mix all along. As a fellow pilot, my hair stood up on many of the stories that could have ended very differently if not for divine intervention.

Great book Curtis.
Tom Giangreco

It was a great book filled with some of the most amazing flying stories you'll ever hear. What's more amazing is that this guy actually survived it all. I would highly recommend this book, it flows very well and I can't think of a single story that was dull. It reads very much like the author is sitting across from you at a table telling you all the crazy flying stories of his youth.

If the story turns out to be true it was an incredible adventure

i had been interested in the amazing story of d.b. cooper before i read this, but this made me go crazy for d.b. cooper. After i read it i wanted to go straight to oregon and search for evidence. I would read it again and again. You will love it if mystery or crime interests you.

Mr. Levy has written a gripping story that could qualify as an action filled, suspenseful, first rate novel. The added dimensions of ethnicity, youthfulness and brashness, and knowing the story is true make it all the more remarkable. A wonderful tale!

Describes with dramatic tension and sympathetic humour, the gap between a young Jewish airman's high expectations of the glamour and rewards offered by joining the R.A.F and the real world Shot down,a young Jewish airman parachutes down into Nazi occupied Germany.

According to my aeronautical knowledge, I found this book wery helpfull to guide you through the comprehension of the airplane design. Together with the book of the same author regarding testflights, this is a masterpiece in airplane knowhow

I'm perhaps not the most qualified person to review this book, as my educational background is electronics engineering, not aerospace. However, as an EAA member and wannabe aircraft designer, I've been reading a number of aircraft design books recently. This one has been the best I've come across so far. Unlike a number of the other books out there that focus on airliners and military craft, the emphasis here is on smaller single-engine airplanes, making it a great book for homebuilders interested in design. The math is kept simple (for aircraft design) with a working knowledge of algebra being the primary prerequisite. As a 2nd revision with a copyright of 2001 the book is up-to-date with modern design, including discussions of canards and three-surface aircraft among others. The author rightfully uses metric, imperial and US units as appropriate, which combined with the fluid writing style makes the book easy to read on this side of the big pond. The book is organized in five parts 1) Introduction: which covers UK/EU/USA regulatory requirements, design terminology, and airworthiness 2) Aerodynamics: nature of air, then surfaces (wing shapes, mounting on body, etc.) then drag, flaps and wake effects 3) Performance: which covers engines, props and all the performance equations associated with them (time to climb, range, etc.) 4) Operational Characteristics: cockpit sizing, landing gear, control surfaces, stability and control, and CG/sizing issues 5) Project Examples: numerous quick examples of sample aircraft, their design criteria and solutions. My main complaint is the index, which is not as complete as I would like. For example, winglets are mentioned in a number of places in the text, but there is no index entry for 'Winglets'. This book has lots of meat, but is not a detailed design reference. For example, there is almost nothing on structural design. Instead, look at this book as a general overview of the principles of aircraft design, giving you enough information and tips based on experience to work out the basic shape of your own design. Then start hitting the heavy books (Bruhn's Structures book, Dover's Theory of Wing Sections, etc.) to do all the detail work.

I have done a great deal of reading in the area of leadership and this has to be the best thing I have read, to date, on the topic of leadership on a global setting. McCall and Hollenbeck draw some valuable conclusions and make a few statements that any leader in a global setting absolutely needs to know.

Some of the most valuable information on derailment of global executives out there. McCall and Hollenbeck discuss a number of factors that stunt or completely derail the development of budding leaders and then offer some hope on how to avoid some of the pitfalls.

Downside is there is no chapter on Re-patriation, what happens when you come back to your head-quarters or home country.

MUST READ for people planning assignment abroad or aspiring to a global career. Makes go balance between the theory of use of international experience in development and practical what it takes for an individual to succeed with guidance from experienced executives. Also covers potential derailment.

Includes a list of global competencies (characteristics) and making sense of culture.

Should be on any HR curiculum for global HR management !

I was in this company during the campaign.It is a good overall view of what was going on at that time. If you are interested in the overall company picture, this is the book you should read. If you are looking for individual crew accounts of action then it is not.

I was an Army tanker during Desert Storm so when I saw this book I had to snap it up and see how the Marine tankers did things. This book is a very interesting read and provides a grunt eye view of Desert Storm from the turret of a Marine Tank. Most of the book deals with deployment and training. When the ground war finally starts you feel as if you are riding in the turret with the author. He does not bore you with tons of names or tries to show you how clever he is by using all kinds of technical jargon. The writing is concise and even if you do not have any knowledge of Marine Corps Armor Operations you can still read this book and enjoy it.

While the title of this book may seem a bit gruesome, I found this book to be one of the most interesting books related to manned spaceflight. Oftentimes, we hear about the great triumphs of the space program, but unless it is a great disaster, the problems encountered in spaceflight are often overlooked. This book covers all aspects of spaceflight (training, flight, EVA, etc.) from the early pioneering days right up to the present. The book includes a great deal on the Soviet space program that I have not seen before.

The book opens with the daring adventures of the early manned ballooning experiments and the goal of the setting a record altitude. I was quite impressed with what was accomplished in the 1920's and 1930's. The book then proceeds to the various experimental X-planes and the problems encountered with these projects.

After this brief, but very informative introduction, the book examines the era of manned spaceflight. The book is divided into four main areas: training, launch, space travel, and re-entry. Each of the main areas examines all the major and minor problems encountered with these aspects of spaceflight. As one would expect, the book covers the major spaceflight disasters, like Apollo 1, the Challenger explosion, Apollo 13, but it also includes even the smallest problems like the lunar explorers falling down or urine leaks in the shuttle EVA suits. It was interesting to see that the have been many more problems, though minor ones, in manned spaceflight than has been reported in the press.

The book contains numerous rarely seen photographs and drawings. If you're interested in manned space flight, this book provides a fascinating and unique view of the dangerous side of space travel.

A detailed history of every accident with space hardware. From stratospheric balloon experiments and rocket planes to the space shuttle.

Includes extensive material on Soviet space history and accidents which may not be available elsewhere and may be worth the price of the book to those interested in space exploration.

The information is logically divided into training, launch, orbit and reentry with summaries and what was learned from it.

Is it possible to know too much about an accident? Well, I learned more than I wanted to about the Apollo 1 and Challenger accidents (I wanted to get past them because they were so tragic) but there is a great depth of detail to learn from here.

Stories of people reaching for that little extra bit of courage to deal with the worst case scenario. And what happens when space age technology doesn't quite work and what we can learn from it.

The year 1918 saw two Sopwith fighters introduced into service, the pugnosed Dolphin and the humpbacked Snipe. Successors to the Camel, both fighters ran up commendable combat records in the remaining months of the war. Author Norman Franks relates the combat exploits of these superlative fighters and the Commonwealth aces who flew them in this Osprey 'Aircraft of the Aces' book, #48 in the series.

First to see combat was the Dolphin with its unique negative-stagger biplane wing arrangement and unheard-of armament of four .303 machine guns. First to fly the Dolphin in combat - in February 1918 - was 19 Squadron followed by 79, 23 and 87 Squadrons. By war's end 28 Dolphin pilots made ace, the top scorer being Fred Gillet, an American(!) assigned to 79 Squadron, with an even 20 kills. The Snipe's first combat missions were logged in August 1918 by 43 Squadron followed by 4 Squadron, AFC. Only the latter unit produced Snipe aces, these being Tom Baker, Arthur Palliser and 'Bo' King.

Franks does a marvelous job of describing these late-war entries, providing development histories of both fighters along with their combat record. He includes several first-person narratives which are always a big plus in my book. Over 100 vintage black & white photographs, 12 pages of color side-views and a superb cover by Iain Wyllie bring these outstanding - if rather odd-looking - fighters to life.

One of Franks' better efforts for Osprey! Recommended.

This volume from the Osprey series is of particularly great value to World War One aero historians as these aircraft were somewhat late arrivals to the war, especially the Snipe. Their exposure in books is somewhat limited and sketchy. As usual, Norman Franks is in fine form with his research into the aircraft's history and the ace pilots who flew them. I have reviewed some other Osprey titles by Norman Franks. You may wish to see my other reviews. The Osprey books are concise, handy reference resources. They are well researched, documented with photos and supported with drawings and artwork. The artwork is really awe-inspiring. I own many of the Osprey aviation and military history titles. I feel they are a great value for the money. They do not take up as much space as hardcover books, they cost a lot less, and they thoroughly cover their topics. The Sopwith Company produced the Pup.Sopwith Pup Aces of World War 1 (Aircraft of the Aces) A Triplane was successfully developed.Aircraft of the Aces 62 - Sopwith Triplanes Aces of World War 1 Additionally, the Camel was produced.Sopwith Camel Aces of World War 1 (Aircraft of the Aces). These three volumes are also rendered capably by Norman Franks. For an in depth look at the personal experience of an RFC pilot of "no fame" who flew the Sopwith Pup and Camel, you may wish to check out Arthur Gould Lee's book No Parachute. Here is the link NO PARACHUTE: A FIGHTER PILOT IN WORLD WAR I It is truly an excellent book. Lee may not have been an Ace, but he was a very brave and modest man. He had quite an adventure. You will enjoy reading about his high altitude patrols in the Pup and the ground attack work in the Camel!