Air forces and warfare Books
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Survival From the Skies
Book SynopsisMany are the remarkable stories of the men who, through good fortune or sheer determination, survived the loss of their aircraft in the Second World War. Depending on the circumstances, these aircrew often became members of the Caterpillar, Goldfish or Late Arrivals clubs, as well as the famous Guinea Pig Club where membership was reserved to aircrew who were operated on by the legendary plastic surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe. Such individuals include Captain R.L. Morrison who was injured when his Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk was shot down over North Africa; he was one of six aircraft brought down by the Luftwaffe Ace Hans-Joachim Marseille in just eleven minutes. Having survived his crash landing, Morrison was eventually picked up by a South African armoured car unit operating behind enemy lines. He finally reached Tobruk, gaining membership of the Late Arrivals Club in the process, from where he was evacuated just two days before the port-city was taken by Rommel's Afrika Korps. Then the
£31.78
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Argentine Skyhawks in the Falklands War
£32.37
WW Norton & Co The Great Air Race Glory Tragedy and the Dawn of
Book SynopsisThe untold, almost unbelievable, story of the daring pilots who risked their lives in an unprecedented air race in 1919—and put American aviation on the map.Trade Review"Among the many virtues of John Lancaster’s delightful The Great Air Race is how vividly it conveys the entirely different world of aviation at the dawn of the industry, a century ago . . . My favorite book about Antarctic exploration is The Worst Journey in the World, by the British writer Apsley Cherry-Garrard, a survivor of a doomed expedition in 1910. The Great Air Race has the same horrific but heroic fascination. Page by page you think, What else can go wrong? Page by page, you want to learn more . . . This is Lancaster’s first book. But he deftly pulls off some tricks that are harder than they seem. He embeds social, economic and political history as he writes—for instance, how coast-to-coast air travel fits into the history of wagon trails, railroads and highways connecting the continent . . . I have read a lot about aviation and the aircraft industry over the years, but almost everything in this tale was new to me. You might take it on your next airline flight, pause to look out the window and spare a thought for those who helped make it all possible." -- James Fallows - New York Times Book Review"Although the race took place during peacetime, Lancaster is in solid military-history territory… The race itself was fraught with peril, and the author recounts in great detail the inherent struggles of trying to fly cross-country when there were no navigational aids, and the weather could prove deadly. In the end, there were numerous crashes, injuries, and fatalities, and Lancaster covers all of it, making for thrilling reading. The book also includes outstanding photographs. An excellent read for those interested in aviation, the military, and American history." -- Colleen Mondor - Booklist"A dramatic account of the massive 1919 cross-country air race, ‘the likes of which the world had never seen.’… In this well-researched text, Lancaster delivers an expert description of the planes (mostly ex-WWI fighters) and biographies of the volunteers… Entertaining fireworks during the early days of flight." -- Kirkus Reviews"[An] energetic and entertaining history of ‘the greatest airplane race ever flown,’ a 1919 round-trip race between San Francisco and Long Island. . . . Lancaster brings to vivid life the eccentric cast of racers. . . The result is a high-flying history of aviation’s white-knuckle early days." -- Publishers Weekly
£15.19
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Bombers over Sand and Snow
Book SynopsisA little-known story of the bombers that supported Montgomerys North African Campaign Flying in support of the Allied campaign to take Italy and Eastern Europe.
£22.94
Pen & Sword Books Ltd TwoMan Air Force
Book SynopsisIncludes the story of two fast living and fast flying World War Two legends.
£17.92
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Ten Squadrons of Hurricanes
Book SynopsisAs this superbly researched book reveals by examining the roles, actions and personalities of ten Hurricane squadrons, this iconic aircraft was not only exceptionally robust but astonishingly versatile.
£20.92
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Cockpit Commander A Navigators Life
Book SynopsisOffers a glimpse into life as a Navigator during one of the most important and technically challenging periods of Aviation and Military history.
£23.38
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Tuskegee Airmen
Book SynopsisThe history of 332nd Fighter Group - only segregated Fighter Group that served in combat during the Second World War.
£27.96
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The RAFs Road to DDay
Book SynopsisA uniquely insightful study of the key decisions taken for the conduct of the RAF's offensive during the period leading up to D-Day in 1944 and the air operations in the campaign that followed.Trade Review**Book of the Month** "In his controversial new book, The RAF's Road to D-Day, Baughen follows the RAF's campaigns in Italy, France and Germany between 1943 and 1944, detailing how interservice divisions, clashing views on doctrine and an ineffective grasp on how to implement the lessons learned wasted any potential the RAF may have had.... Drawing on primary sources, interviews, after-action reports and official studies, the author makes a number of bold claims.... In a highly digestible manner, the author maps the RAF's 'learning curve' - or lack thereof - from campaigns in Italy through to the Normandy landings.... Irrespective of whether you agree with Baughen's conclusions, he presents his case with conviction. With well-reasoned arguments and deductions, backed up with relevant primary source material, The RAF's Road to D-Day challenges historical orthodoxy and is bound to spark debate." - Key Military, 15 July 2023
£32.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd On LaughterSilvered Wings
Book SynopsisTed Strever's story charts an adventurous coming-of-age tale experienced with the RAF.
£21.35
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Winged Warriors
Book SynopsisWinged Warriors is an open and honest account of one mans perceptions and fears, his actions and mistakes, from a career that spanned four decades. The author spent fourteen years overseas and, at the height of the Cold War, served on two Tornado tactical nuclear squadrons in West Germany only fifteen minutes from responding in full measure to an anticipated Soviet onslaught. Earlier he had flown reconnaissance aircraft on NATOs vulnerable southern flank. He was decorated for gallantry in 1980 and appointed OBE in 1995. Later as the senior RAF adviser in Kuwait he witnessed the air war against Iraq in 1998. Winged Warriors touches on many aspects of military service but it is not about war or war-fighting; it is about real people and their highs and lows, ordinary people who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances. And it is about the training and tragedy that affected a generation of aircrew many of whom gave their lives in preserving peace. It is those crews who stand out in
£22.74
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Hurricane Squadron Ace
Book SynopsisAir Commodore Peter Malam Pete Brothers CBE, DSO, DFC, and Bar (1917-2008) was one of the most heroic and highly praised pilots of the Second World War. Decorated extensively, he secured a total of 16 ''kills'' over the course of the conflict, with 10 of these occurring during the Battle of Britain. Pivotal moments in his career include the time, in August 1940, when his flight encountered around a hundred enemy aircraft, including Messerschmitt 110''s; he led the flight in attack against them, and soon found himself in a stalled position, out of which he spun, only to be confronted by a Dornier 215, which he shot down, before later destroying a Messerschmitt 109. Scores of these kind of risky manoeuvres and winning victories punctuated a career defined by great courage, leadership and initiative in the face of fierce opposition.This new and engaging biography profiles a pilot who, until now, hasn''t been the subject of such a thorough book-length study. The story of his career is incredibly entertaining, featuring a number of hair-raising episodes, and is sure to appeal to fans of aviation history as well as the more general reader seeking out an action-packed biography offering fresh insights into one of the most pivotal conflicts of the twentieth century.
£23.43
Pen & Sword Books Ltd A Spitfire Named Connie
Book SynopsisThis is the story of a Spitfire pilot, Robbie Robertson, who was shot down and badly injured, having achieved Ace status, during the fighting in North Africa
£32.47
Amberley Publishing Finest of the Few
Book SynopsisThe remarkable Battle of Britain experiences of fighter pilot John Simpson, DFC, who shot down 13 enemy aircraft during the epic air battle.
£14.04
Amberley Publishing The American Bomber Boys
Book SynopsisA fascinating history from the voices of the American airmen who flew daily from bases in East Anglia to the heart of Germany.
£17.11
Amberley Publishing Paras
Book SynopsisThe true story behind the heroes of Sicily, Normandy, Arnham and the crossing of the Rhine.
£21.99
Amberley Publishing Alarmstart East
Book SynopsisThe experiences of the German fighter pilots in the Second World War, based on extensive recollections of veterans as well as primary documents, and diary and flying log book extracts, with photographs from the veterans themselves, many never previously published.
£20.00
Arcadia Publishing (SC) Luke Air Force Base Images of America
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£21.24
Arcadia Publishing The Airship Roma Disaster in Hampton Roads
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£18.69
Arcadia Publishing Yankee Air Museum
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£21.24
History Press Colorados Daring Ivy Baldwin Aviator Aerialist
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£18.69
Arcadia Publishing (SC) New Yorks World War II Aircraft
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£18.69
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Clean Sweep
Book SynopsisA vivid history, packed with first-hand accounts, of the US Eighth Air Force''s VIII Fighter Command from its foundation in 1942 through to its victory in the skies over Nazi Germany.On August 7, 1942, two major events occurred on opposite sides of the planet. In the South Pacific, the United States went on the offensive with the First Marine Division landing on Guadalcanal. In England, 12 B-17 bombers of Eighth Air Force bombed the RouenSotteville railroad marshalling yards in France. While the mission was small, the aerial struggle that began that day would ultimately cost the United States more men killed and wounded by the end of the war in Europe than the Marines would lose in the Pacific War.Clean Sweep is the story of the creation, development and operation of the Eighth Air Force Fighter Command and the battle to establish daylight air superiority over the Luftwaffe so that the invasion of Europe could be successful.Thomas McKelvey Cleaver has Trade ReviewThe European air war from 1942 to 1945 is a daunting subject, but Tom Cleaver’s study of VIII Fighter Command contributes to our broader knowledge of ‘The Mighty Eighth’ with detailed coverage of personalities and events, plus insightful analysis. -- Barrett Tillman, author of 'When the Shooting Stopped: August 1945'Drawing from USAAF and Luftwaffe post-combat reports, technical manuals, and personal accounts, Cleaver’s work has a crackling immediacy, giving the reader a genuine sense of what these pilots and ground crews experienced, along with providing historical context to the decisions and actions taken by the combatants throughout the air war. -- Lynn Ritger, author of 'The Messerschmitt BF 109'The brilliance of Tom Cleaver’s latest effort – Clean Sweep – rests on the back of his grub-around-in-every-corner-and-under-every-rock research. He brings shiny gems to us – accounts, recollections, facts and perspectives that are fresh, and that complete a story that is too often told with soulless numbers and numbing narratives. Heartily recommended. -- LtCol Jay A. Stout, USMC (Ret.), author of 'Fighter Group: The 352nd "Blue-Nosed Bastards" in World War II'This is a first class history of the campaign that was instrumental to Allied victory during the Second World War. * History of War *A well-focused history of the costly U.S. Air Force campaign over Europe that fatally degraded the Nazi war machine. * Library Journal *[A] fascinating tale with lots of detail. * The Armourer *While there have been many books on the US Army Air Forces' fighter and bomber operations from Britain during the Second World War, few, surely, have been as well written as this... A very worthwhile and highly readable tome. * Aeroplane *[This] is a first-rate single volume study that is highly recommended. * Aviation News *Table of ContentsForeword by Brigadier General USAF (Ret.) Clarence "Bud" Anderson Author Preface Chapter One: The Most Important Day Chapter Two: War on the Horizon Chapter Three: Fledgling Fighters Chapter Four: Yanks in the RAF Chapter Five: Starting Over Chapter Six: Opponents Chapter Seven: VIII Fighter Command Struggles to Survive Chapter Eight: The Battle Gets Serious Chapter Nine: Against the Odds Chapter Ten: Carrying On Chapter Eleven: Mission 115 – The Day the Luftwaffe Won Chapter Twelve: Reinforcement Chapter Thirteen: End of the Beginning Chapter Fourteen: Jimmy Doolittle Arrives Chapter Fifteen: Blakeslee Takes Command Chapter Sixteen: One-Man Air Force Chapter Seventeen: Big Week Chapter Eighteen: “I Knew the Jig Was Up” Chapter Nineteen: The Battle of Germany Chapter Twenty: Liberating Europe Chapter Twenty-One: The Battle of Normandy Chapter Twenty-Two: Oil: The Knockout Punch Chapter Twenty-Three: The Road To Bodenplatte Chapter Twenty-Four: Death of the Luftwaffe Chapter Twenty-Five: A Clean Sweep Bibliography Glossary Index
£25.50
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Air War Varsity
Book SynopsisCovers all aspects of Operation Varsity, the last large-scale Allied operation of World War II and the largest single day airborne drop in history.
£31.96
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Arnhem and the Aftermath
Book SynopsisImpact of Market Garden's failure on the population of Arnhem. Includes the 3 major airborne assaults in the Netherlands from 1940-1945
£36.55
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Air War Over North Africa USAAF Ascendant Rare
Book SynopsisA new and richly illustrated account of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in North Africa during WWII.
£21.21
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Night Hunters Prey The Lives and Deaths of an RAF
Book SynopsisStudies the short lives and parallel military flying careers of two combatants giving and interesting comparisons of serving in the RAF and Luftwaffe.
£25.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The F-4 Phantom: Rare Photographs from Wartime
Book SynopsisThe Phantom was developed for the US Navy as a long-range all-weather fighter and first flew in May 1958\. It became operational in 1961\. The US Air Force then realised that the Navy had an aircraft that was far better than any tactical aircraft in their inventory and ordered 543 F-4C variants. There then followed a spate of orders from around the world. In Britain, it was ordered for the Navy and Air Force, but was modified to take the Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan. One of the Royal Navy's Phantoms stole the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing, a record that stood until taken by the remarkable Blackbird. During the long course of its service history, the Phantom has been employed in a variety of different combat scenarios and theatres of war. It was one of America's most utilised aircraft during the long Vietnam War and has been flown in anger in the Middle East by a number of different air forces. The F-4 is still operational with several units, but is now coming to the end of its long and successful period as a front-line combat warplane. This is the perfect introduction for the general reader, enthusiast or modeller wishing to find a succinct yet detailed introduction to the design and history of this aircraft. Why was it conceived? What was it like to fly in combat? Who were the people who designed it and who became famous for flying it? What were its virtues and vices? These questions are answered and a wealth of technical data, additional information and suggestions for further reading are provided.
£16.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Flight Craft 14: Messerschmitt Bf109
Book SynopsisThe famous Messerschmitt Bf 109 single-seat fighter was one of the most important warplanes of the Second World War. Originally designed during the 1930s, and a contemporary of the equally-legendary Supermarine Spitfire, it was vitally important to Germany's Luftwaffe and was flown in combat by the highest-scoring fighter pilots in history. It was in service throughout the Second World War and was built in a number of significant versions that proved to be worthy adversaries of the very best of the Allied warplanes that it flew against. Bf 109s operated in all the major areas of conflict where German forces were engaged in combat and, in modified form, the type even had a post-war career in several countries that extended well into the 1950s.
£21.19
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Airmen of Arnhem
Book SynopsisMartin Bowman presents us here with an unparalleled account of events as they unfolded in the skies above Holland during Operation �Market-Garden' in September 1944. �Market-Garden' was a heroic failure conducted at great cost; combined losses - both airborne and ground forces - in killed, wounded and missing amounted to more than 17,000. �Market', the airborne part of the operation, spanned ten Allied lifts in a calamitous nine days of operations, often in foul weather. Over the course of Operation �Market', 4,050 aircraft saw employment; most of them towed the 1,205 Hamilcar and Horsa gliders and were confronted by an unknown number of Luftwaffe aircraft. Stories of individual heroism punctuate this narrative, such as that of David Lord, a RAF Dakota pilot who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. Tales such as these humanise a period of wartime history that is often reduced to mere facts. There is no doubting the gallant and valorous contribution of the airmen of Arnhem - the RAF Dakota, Stirling, Halifax, Albemarle, Horsa, Hamilcar and Glider Pilot Regiment crews together with those of the USAAF C-47 Troop Carrier Groups of the IX US Troop Carrier Command, the Waco and Horsa gliders, and the B-24 Liberator re-supply crews. All of their incredible, illuminating and often understated accounts of extraordinary courage, camaraderie, shared terror and encounters with the enemy offer a more personalised view of �Market' and are complemented by the author's background information that give an overall picture of each air operation.
£28.91
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Air War at Sea in the Second World War
Book SynopsisMartin Bowman's considerable experience as a military historian has spanned over forty years, during which time he has spent hundreds of hours interviewing and corresponding with numerous men and women and their relatives, in Britain, America and beyond, resulting in a wealth of material on the war at sea from World War One to the Falklands and the wars on terror. All these narratives have been woven into a highly readable and emotional outpouring of life and death in action in all his titles, as here, in World War Two, where the men of the Fleet Air Arm and the US Navy fighter (operating bomber and torpedo carrying aircraft) describe the compelling, gripping and thought-provoking narrative of the air war in the freezing Atlantic wastes to the waters of the mighty Pacific.
£35.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Kamikaze: Japan's Last Bid for Victory
Book SynopsisIn this fascinating book the author examines the Japanese concept of Kamikaze, the deliberate self-sacrifice of life in the cause of victory. This attitude, while incomprehensible to their American and European enemies, has its roots in the samurai tradition of fighting for their master or nation regardless of personal safety. By late 1944 the Japanese had already proved themselves fanatical but the actions of the Kamikaze Corps of pilots from the Leyte Gulf battle onwards took matters to a new level. Allied forces were shocked to find themselves the subject of widespread deliberate suicide attacks by pilots. These continued during the invasion of the Philippines in early 1945 and reached a climax during the Battle of Okinawa from 1 April to June 1945\. In total over 1000 kamikaze airmen perished. Graphic description of these suicide attacks and the resulting loss of life and ships litter this revealing and shocking book. The author's in depth study of the historic and cultural reasons for this seemingly reckless courage is important and illuminating.
£19.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Berlin Airlift: The World's Largest Ever Air
Book SynopsisThe fate of the free world hung in the balance. Stalin's Soviet Union sought to drive the Western democracies from Germany to continue the communist advance across Europe. The first step in Stalin's scheme was to bring Berlin under Soviet control. Berlin was situated deep inside the Soviet-occupied region of the country, but the German capital had been divided into two halves, one of which was occupied by the Soviet Union, the other, in separate sectors, by Britain, France and the USA. Stalin decided to make the Allied hold on West Berlin untenable by shutting down all the overland routes used to keep the city supplied. The choice faced by the Allies was a stark one - let Berlin fall, or risk war with the Soviets by breaking the Soviet stranglehold. In a remarkably visionary move, the Allies decided that they could keep Berlin supplied by flying over the Soviet blockade, thus avoiding armed conflict with the USSR. On 26 June 1948, the Berlin Airlift began. Throughout the following thirteen months, more than 266,600 flights were undertaken by the men and aircraft from the US, France, Britain and across the Commonwealth, which delivered in excess of 2,223,000 tons of food, fuel and supplies in the greatest airlift in history. The air-bridge eventually became so effective that more supplies were delivered to Berlin than had previously been shipped overland and Stalin saw that his bid to seize control of the German capital could never succeed. At one minute after midnight on 12 May 1949, the Soviet blockade was lifted, and the Soviet advance into Western Europe was brought to a shuddering halt.
£18.99
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Airmen's Incredible Escapes: Accounts of Survival
Book SynopsisAllied air power made a major, arguably decisive, contribution to victory in The Second World War both in the European and Pacific theatres. The cost in men and machines was horrific with Bomber Command suffering 50% air crew casualties. While many perished, others shot down over enemy territory or water survived only after overcoming extraordinary danger and hardship. Their experiences often remained untold not just for the duration of the War but for many years. The author has gathered together a wealth of unpublished stories from airmen of many nationalities, be they British, Commonwealth or American. Some involve avoiding or escaping from capture, others surviving against all the odds, braving extreme elements and defying death from wounds, drowning or starvation. Importantly the accounts of those who survived the battle in the skies cheating the enemy and the grim reaper give the reader a chilling insight into the fate of the many thousands of brave young men who were not so fortunate. The result is an inspiring and gripping read which bears testimony to human courage and resilience.
£29.11
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Hitler's Terror from the Sky: The Battle Against
Book SynopsisLocated in an Observer Corps post on the top of a Martello tower on the seafront at Dymchurch in Kent, Mr E.E. Woodland and Mr A.M. Wraight were on duty on the morning of 13 June 1944. Shortly after 04.00 hours they spotted the approach of an object spurting red flames from its rear end and making a noise like a Model-T-Ford going up a hill'. What they were watching was the first V1 flying bomb heading towards the South Coast. A new battle of Britain was about to begin. The flying bomb that the two men had observed crossed the shoreline and continued northwards. Some ten minutes later it fell to earth with a loud explosion at Swanscombe, near Gravesend. It was the first of more than 10,000 flying bombs launched against Britain that summer, most of which were targeted at London. At its peak, Hitler's flying bomb campaign saw more than 100 V1s a day being fired. Much of the UK suddenly found itself back in the frontline of the war. In the weeks and months that followed, thousands of people were killed, many more injured. In this book the author takes the reader through the day by day battle. Accounts from some of those who survived the buzz bomb attacks bring the story to life as people tell about their fears and experiences. To combat the threat, RAF fighter pilots flew round the clock patrols, desperately trying to shoot the robot rockets down and stop them from reaching their targets, whilst anti-aircraft gunners played their part on the ground. So successful was this joint effort that by the end of March 1945, the combined British defences were accounting for 72.8% of all the reported V1s that were directed at the United Kingdom. This is the story of how that success was achieved.
£18.30
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Secret Wings of World War II: Nazi Technology and
Book SynopsisThere are many myths and legends surrounding the advanced German aeronautical technology of the Second World War. There are also facts and proven events. Yet within these stories and behind these facts lie conspiracy theories, mistaken assumptions and denials that seem to contradict the evidence. So what really happened? How far ahead were the German scientists? And, of even greater interest, why and how? There have been other books about advanced German wartime aeronautics, yet few authors have fully examined the detail of the designs and their relevance to the fighter and bomber legends of the 1950s and '60s, let alone the current crop of military and civil all-wing or blended-wing aircraft. This book charts the story from it origins, through present-day innovations and beyond, into the all-wing future of tomorrow.
£21.11
Pen & Sword Books Ltd In Furious Skies: Flying with Hitler's Luftwaffe
Book SynopsisWhen a proud Adolf Hitler revealed his new Luftwaffe to the world in March 1935, it was the largest, most modern military air arm the world had seen. Equipped with the latest monoplane fighter and bomber aircraft manned by well-trained and motivated crews, it soon became evident that the Luftwaffe also possessed a high degree of technical superiority over Germany's future enemies. Yet within just nine years the once-mightiest air force in the world had reached total collapse, destroyed in part by the very people responsible for creating it. By 1944, the Luftwaffe, wearied by aerial battles on multiple fronts combined with tactical mismanagement from the highest levels of command, were unable to match their enemies in both production and manpower. By this time the Luftwaffe was fighting for its survival, and for the survival of Germany itself, above the burning cities of the Third Reich, facing odds sometimes as high as ten-to-one in the air. Told through the eyes of the fighter and bomber crews themselves, this book explores previously unpublished first-hand accounts of the rise and fall of one of the most formidable air forces in twentieth-century military history. It paints a haunting picture of the excitement, fear, romance intertwined with the brutality, futility and wastefulness that is war.
£25.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Johnnie Johnson's Great Adventure: The Spitfire
Book SynopsisAir Vice-Marshal Johnnie Johnson - a policeman's son from Leicestershire - ended the Second World War as the RAF's top-scoring fighter pilot. Fearless, and an exceptional pilot and marksman, Johnnie was also highly intelligent and a gifted writer. Having published two of his own books, _Wing Leader_ and _The Circle of Air Fighting_, during the 1980s and 1990s, Johnnie co-authored several more with another fighter ace, namely Wing Commander P.B. 'Laddie' Lucas. In 1997, the 'AVM' suggested to his friend, the prolific author Dilip Sarkar, that the pair should collaborate on _The Great Adventure_ - a book that would, in effect, be Johnnie's account of the 'Long Trek' from Normandy across Northern Europe into the heart of the Third Reich itself. 'Greycap Leader' was to produce a draft, after which Dilip would add the historical detail and comment. Sadly, the project was unfulfilled, because Johnnie became ill and passed away, aged eighty-five, in 2001\. Years later, Johnnie's eldest son, Chris, discovered the manuscript among his august father's papers. In order to keep Johnnie's memory evergreen, Chris turned to Dilip to finally see the project through to its conclusion. In this book Johnnie re-visits certain aspects of his wartime service, including the development of tactical air cooperation with ground forces; his time as a Canadian wing leader in 1943, when the Spitfire Mk.IX at last outclassed the Fw 190; and details his involvement in some of the most important battles of the defeat of Nazi Germany, including Operation _Overlord_ and the D-Day landings in 1944, Operation _Market_ Gard_e_n and the airborne assault at Arnhem, and the Rhine Crossings, throughout all of which Johnnie also commanded Canadian wings. Here, then, we have _The Great Adventure_ - 'Greycap Leader's' previously unpublished last look back.
£24.02
Graywolf Press Leaving Orbit: Notes from the Last Days of
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£14.40
Smithsonian Books Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.: American: An
Book SynopsisThe first black to graduate from West Point in the twentieth century, Davis led the all-black Tuskeegee Airmen in World War II and retired a three-star general. His autobiography both chronicles the life of a great American and provides an incisive account of race relations in the segregated and desegrated military.Trade ReviewBy any standards, this is a fine autobiography ... must reading for anyone interested in race relations or American military history. Review Of Higher Education This moving autobiography, written with understated passion and without rancor, describes the appalling ostracism the author endured as a cadet and young officer and the positive changes after World War II that opened opportunity to all officers... Foreign Affairs This book provides valuable insight on many levels. It is military history, aviation history, and a chapter in the history of science and technology. It is also a poignant essay on social changes full of vivid recollections of human courage and tragedy. In the final analysis, this is the story of a military pilot who led his men and his country on one of the greatest 'freedom rides' of all time. In Flight A revealing look at race relations from the point of view of a gifted, uncompromising military man. Publishers Weekly Highly recommended. School Library Journal In his autobiography, [Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.,] breaks the silence he maintained while in uniform... His personal story should come as a revelation to many who may not be fully aware of the long history of prejudice in all the military branches. [The book] illustrates the life of a genuine hero. The New York Times Davis, a man of much dignity and reserve, has not written a kiss-and-tell book. He provides personal experience with discretion... A solid autobiography. Aerospace Power JournalTable of ContentsChapter 1 1. First Flight Chapter 2 2. Silence Chapter 3 3. The Real World Chapter 4 4. The Experiment Chapter 5 5. Under Fire Chapter 6 6. The Red Tails Chapter 7 7. Integration Chapter 8 8. Indoctrination Chapter 9 9. Respect Chapter 10 10. Citizens of te World Chapter 11 11. Little America Chapter 12 12. Manpower Chapter 13 13. Affairs of State Chapter 14 14. Courtesy Chapter 15 15. Strike Command Chapter 16 16. Politics Chapter 17 17. Piracy Chapter 18 18. Transportation Chapter 19 19. Mr. 55 Chapter 20 20. Free Time Chapter 21 21. West Point Revisited
£19.17
Texas A & M University Press American Military Aviation: The Indispensable Arm
Book SynopsisSince the Wright brothers made their famed flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903, aviation has emerged as the indispensable arm of American military power. In this detailed and well-illustrated history, Charles J. Gross traces its development from the technological antecedents of the Wright brothers' triumph through the air war for Kosovo. Drawing on examples from all periods and all service branches, he explains the roles of politics, economics, and technology in shaping air power in the U.S. armed forces and assesses the actual impact of military aviation on warfare. Gross discusses major developments in aircraft, doctrine, training, and operations. He also provides discussions of airlift, in-flight refueling, military budgets, industry, and inter-service squabbling. He deftly sketches the evolution of the air arms of each of the different services and provides clear analysis of military budgets. He also provides assessments of the selected programs of Eisenhower, Kennedy, McNamara, and Nixon. Military professionals, scholars, civilian government policy makers and planners, and interested members of the general public will all rely on this book as an invaluable guide.
£23.70
Casemate Publishers The True Story of Catch 22: The Real Men and
Book SynopsisAfter the publication of his best-selling novel, Joseph Heller usually chose to deny that any of his richly drawn characters were based on his actual war mates. However, to those who served with Heller in the 340th Bomb Group the novel’s characters were indeed recognisable; from the hard-drinking, vengeful, and disillusioned Chief White Half Oat; young, sliced-in-half Kid Sampson; shrieking, frenzied Hungry Joe; to Colonel Cathcart, Doc Dreedle, Yossarian and that capitalist supreme, Milo Minderbinder.In this book we finally encounter the real men and combat missions on which the novel was based. Blending fact, fancy and history with full-blown original illustrations and rare, previously unpublished photos of these daring USAAF flyers and their Corsican-based B-25 Marauders, along with descriptions of the 340th’s real wartime events, the work includes twelve men of the Bomb Group relating twelve richly told tales of their own.Now all of the men upon whom Heller based his characters are gone. However, the last survivor, George L. Wells, was an extraordinary combat pilot and the model for Catch-22s Capt. Wren, and he is the common thread who weaves through this book, allowing the reader to truly feel the war and even thumb through George’s well-worn mission book describing attacks on Axis ports, ships, bridges, and the notorious Brenner Pass. Author Patricia Chapman Meder has been a professional artist in both fine and commercial art for the past 35 years,13 of them in Europe. When Catch-22 was published it was quickly apparent that this book was based on the Bomb Group her father commanded in World War II. This true-life parallel book thus begged to be written.
£23.75
Casemate Publishers Jagdstaffel 356: The Story of a German Fighter
Book SynopsisAlthough the author has given this Jagdstaffel a fictitious number and changed the names of the pilots composing it, the incidents related in this book have the genuine ring of truth and will be recognised as facts by anyone who has had experience of flying on the Western Front or who has studied it since. Many experts believe this work draws on the experience of the Bavarian Jasta 35, which flew against the British; however, whatever its real number may have been, Jagdstaffel 356 undoubtedly fought in the air over Flanders in 1918.This book is an exciting account, obviously written from firsthand experience, of the air war from the German side.
£22.50
Casemate Publishers Fighter Pilot
Book Synopsis“McScotch” himself describes his book and pays tribute to a colleague in this note, which appears at the front of the volume:“This book consists of the reminiscences of an ordinary fighter pilot of the R.F.C. who had the privilege of serving in one of the leading Fighter Squadrons and who had the honour of being the friend of the supreme fighter of all the Air Forces, that indomitable and loveable patriot, ‘MICK’ MANNOCK, V.C., D.S.O., M.C.”Available records and publications show “McScotch” himself as a fighter pilot with 40 Squadron, holding the rank of lieutenant and then captain. He is credited with 12 kills of German opponents.This is a detailed and exciting account of squadron life and shows the bravery and true comradeship of these fliers.
£21.84
Casemate Publishers Night Raiders of the Air
Book SynopsisA.R. Kingsford flew with 100 Squadron, the unit that dropped the first bomb at night on Germany and, on November 11, 1918, the last one.One of the many who came to Europe from all over the Commonwealth to fight in the First World War, Kingsford had sailed from New Zealand in 1914. He joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 and learned to fly at Northolt, before being posted to 33 Squadron at Lincoln, where he flew against Zeppelins which had been sent from across the North Sea on night bombing raids. Kingsford joined 100 Squadron in France early in 1918. He had an active career with this famous squadron up until the end of the war.Full of incident and adventure, Night Raiders of the Air is a first-person account by this young Commonwealth volunteer on his experiences during the war against Germany.
£22.50
Casemate Publishers An Air Fighter's Scrapbook
Book SynopsisIra “Taffy” Jones was a well-known air fighter during the First World War, having scored about 40 victories flying SE5 scouts in France with 74 Squadron. Well known in flying circles, Jones recorded stories drawn from his own experiences during the war and wrote of the many personalities he had met or known by association, both during the war and in the post-war flying years.An Air Fighter’s Scrap Book recreates the atmosphere of the days of the biplane, of wartime flying, of early peacetime adventures in the air, the development of civil aviation, and breathtaking record beating flights, all evoking the sheer delight in flying that characterised those early years.
£22.50
Casemate Publishers Malloch'S Spitfire: The Story and Restoration of
Book SynopsisThis is the story of the pursuit of a dream. Spitfire PK350 is the only late-mark Spitfire, an F Mk 22, to have ever been restored to full flying status. She had no restrictions on her airframe and with four fully serviceable 20mm cannons, she was as good as the day she came off the production line in July 1945 near Birmingham, England. She first flew as a restored aircraft on 29 March 1980 at the hands of one John McVicar“Jack” Malloch. By then a legend in his adopted country, Rhodesia, Malloch had in 1977 been entrusted by the hierarchy of the Rhodesian Air Force to restore SR64, as she was then known. In two and half years, Jack Malloch and his trusted engineers, with critical help from the Rhodesian and South African air forces, completely restored SR64 to flying condition. The fact that she was fitted with a propeller made by a German company added a sweet irony to a project that had to contend with sanctions imposed by Britain, the original country of manufacture, and highlighted the enterprising spirit of the team. This was possible because Malloch, with the backing of the Rhodesian government, had built up a successful charter airfreight company that assumed different guises, depending on where it was operating, to bypass sanctions. Malloch's network thus facilitated his quest to restore and once again fly a Spitfire such as he had flown in the RAF during the Second World War. Some fascinating insights are revealed in this account. From the test pilot who first flew her as PK350 on 25 July 1945, the reader is taken on a journey through the aircraft's complete life, with the project's lead engineer and most of the surviving pilots who flew her gracing the story with their memories. For two years PK350 delighted those fortunate enough to see her fly, mostly around Salisbury (Harare) airport. Then, on what was planned to be its last flight, Malloch's Spitfire never returned to base.Trade ReviewThis is an inspirational story…a fascinating read about a small group of people who had a magnificent obsession for a magnificent aeroplane. They pursued the dream and turned it into a reality and we are fortunate to be able to experience some of what this was like with every turn of a page. * Classic Wings 01/12/2014 *
£18.99
Casemate Publishers Fabled Fifteen: The Pacific War Saga of Carrier
Book SynopsisThe record of Carrier Air Group 15 in World War II is astonishing by any measure: it scored 312 enemy aircraft destroyed, 33 probably destroyed, and 65 damaged in aerial combat, plus 348 destroyed, 161 probably destroyed, and 129 damaged in ground attacks. Twenty-six Fighting 15 pilots became aces, including their leader, Commander David McCampbell, who became the U.S. Navy’s “Ace of Aces.” Twenty-one squadron pilots were killed in action and one in an operational accident aboard the carrier Essex.The fighter squadron’s partners, Bombing Squadron 15 and Torpedo Squadron 15, scored 174,300 tons of enemy shipping, including 37 cargo vessels sunk, 10 probably sunk, and 39 damaged. As well, Musashi, the world’s largest battleship, was sunk, along with a light aircraft carrier, a destroyer, destroyer escort, two minesweepers and other craft—plus the Zuikaku, the last surviving carrier that participated in the Pearl Harbor attack. Incredibly, every pilot of Torpedo 15 was awarded the Navy Cross, the highest award for bravery after the Medal of Honor.All of this took place between May and November, 1944. No other American combat unit in any service came close to a similar score in such a short time period. Air Group 15 participated in the two greatest naval battles in history, the Philippine Sea—also known as the Marianas Turkey Shoot—and Leyte Gulf, which saw the end of Japanese naval power. On June 19, 1944, Fighting 15 shot down 68.5 attacking Japanese aircraft, a one-day record unmatched by any other U.S. fighter squadron.In documenting the saga of Air Group 15’s momentous six months at war, the author provides an intimate and insightful view of the group’s fabled combat tour, including details of daily life and human interactions aboard the fleet carrier USS Essex during the busiest phase of the Pacific War.
£23.75
