Read a good book lately?

[Swoop]

Spitfire. By Jeffrey Quill.

Dragged this out of my library, last read it in the late 80's and well worth the re-read!

The second pilot who flew the prototype K5054 and did the predominant amount of development testing of it and subsequent marks.

From his days in the Met. flight (flying in ALL weather conditions!), to test pilot at Vickers, back to Battle of Britain flying with 65 Squadron for 19 days at the height of the battle and back to test flighing aircraft straight off of the production line.

All new aircraft needed "tuning" to sort out trim settings, so a lot of flying was done!

Interesting things like the merlin engine was replaced by the Griffon, which was an earlier development used to win the Schneider Trophy races in the S6b.

Also, the fact that the Spit was tested to be able to fly to Berlin and back, being able to escort bombers over that distance. A large rear fuel tank was fitted, which put the C of G well aft of maximum, but this was used first and allowed the CG to return to acceptable limits for the important phases of the flight.

Superb reading and it reminds me that I must get "Sigh for a Merlin" and "Flight of the Mew Gull" out of the library!

[Usarka]

Flaming Zeppelins (The Adventures of Ned the Seal) - Joe R. Lansdale

Probably the most fun I've had reading a book in a long time. There's some sort of rift in the space/time thing and we get a melting pot of well known characters - both real and fictional - thrown together in a mad fantasy adventure western sci-fi literary acid trip. It won't appeal to everyone, but if you like reading things that are a bit different then check it out.

[unstuck]

The best of the west......A treasury of western adventure. Bloody good reading if you are into westerns.

[MisterD]

Just finishing Light & Shade, Conversations with Jimmy Page, fascinating for any Zep fan and even more so if you're a guitarist yourself (I'm not, don't know a minor 7th from a hole in the ground). I'd recommend reading with with the music to hand. There are some nice "interludes" of interviews with the likes of Jeff Beck and Chris Dreja too.

Got some book tokens lined up for the Pete Townshend biog next...

[george formby]

Re-reading The Longest Day, Cornelius Ryan. Potted history of the D-Day landings. Epic.

Dunno how lucky we are. Certainly puts the kicking I got over Christmas & New Year into perspective.

[Swoop]

Have just finished Spies in the Sky by Taylor Downing.


The art of aerial reconnaissance and photo interpretation during WW2.
Coming from the development during WW1 which had really esablished all of the needs to conduct this art successfully, by the start of WW2 there were only 5 people who really knew what they were doing and were up against the Air Ministry and RAF who genuinely knew nothing but were determined to waste lives and aircraft without providing results.
Civilians were the experts and brought back the results and eventually were taken under the wing of officialdom, providing the crux of the PRU.
Having a photo and then having that photo "interpreted" were two entirely different issues. Analyzing changes and deductive investigation work were major parts to play in this area. Compiling a massive database that allowed referencing information to compare diferences between the two.

A very interesting read, especially having spent time with the RAF's current-day version of the "mad men of ham" as it were.
8:10.

Re-reading The Longest Day, Cornelius Ryan. Potted history of the D-Day landings. Epic.

Interestingly there was a massive fuck-up with that operation. At the 11th hour there was photographic evidence of the two SS Panzer divisions resting and re-arming close to the bridge. The morons in charge refused to believe this and threatened court-martial of the officer who provided this evidence and continued on regardless!

[george formby]

Interestingly there was a massive fuck-up with that operation. At the 11th hour there was photographic evidence of the two SS Panzer divisions resting and re-arming close to the bridge. The morons in charge refused to believe this and threatened court-martial of the officer who provided this evidence and continued on regardless!

Ah, was that not the one with Michael Cane? A bridge too far?
Yerp, dropped the Paras on a couple of divisions of Panzers having a cuppa. Interestingly, in the book (A Bridge to far) an incident is recounted of a young girl cycling through one of the villages in the thick of the house to house fighting. She was viisting her granny. The young girl lived in Kerikeri until a couple of years ago when her husband passed away. Awesome lady, she used to lunch in my restaurant & crack me up with her stories.
On D-day, Hitler had direct command of the Panzers north of Cherbourg & he refused to believe the landing was anything more than a decoy. They moved too late.

[Swoop]

Ah, was that not the one with Michael Cane? A bridge too far?
Yerp, dropped the Paras on a couple of divisions of Panzers having a cuppa. On D-day, Hitler had direct command of the Panzers north of Cherbourg & he refused to believe the landing was anything more than a decoy. They moved too late.

Correct, the "Bridge too far" as it were.
Another cock-up by the higher-ups of army command...

My Mum was recounting a story of a friend of her's who was in the Paras and involved with that fighting. He fought until the end, when a local family literally grabbed him off of the street and hid him in their attic. Not just while the battle was ended but also until the front line passed by and they were on the allied side of the line. Risked a lot, they did!
He later went back and married the daughter!



The Panzer divisions were around the calais area since that was where the Germans deemed it most probable for an invasion would take place. This was backed up by Luftwaffe aerial photo's of the military build-up in that area... which was deliberately placed decoys intended to give that assumption. The railways were bombed to prevent reinforcements getting down to the invasion beaches and nothing could move on the roads by daylight anyway due to the fighter cover.

[Kickaha]

Dave Molyneux "The Racers Edge" probably not that well known here but he has the most wins in a single class (Sidecars) at the Isle of Man and was 3rd (still may be) on the total number of wins by a competitor there

A good look at how he got into racing and progressed up through the ranks until he was winning on machines he built himself

[Dean]

50 shades of Huntly'.

[Banditbandit]

In the middle of Salmond Rushdie's Midnight's Children - good so far ...

[Banditbandit]

One freaked out drugged crazy read is Freewheelin' Franklin - Secretary of the Angels

http://www.amazon.com/Freewheelin-Fr...in%27+franklin

I read it many years ago and got another copy just before Christmas ... I'd forgotten just how drug-crazy it was - or I didn't notice it when I first read it in the early 1970s ...

[Usarka]

To The Limit: An Air Cav Huey Pilot in Vietnam - Johnson, Tom A.

Title and pic below pretty much explain it. It's about a huey slick pilot in vietnam. They're the dudes who drop off and pick up the grunts from the LZ's in the bush, often under heavy enemy fire. Really well written, and a riviting read. I finished it in about 2 days. Well recommended.

http://www.amazon.com/Limit-Air-Huey.../dp/0451222180

[HenryDorsetCase]

I take it you have also read CHICKENHAWK by Robert Mason? Similar story, great book.


http://www.amazon.com/Chickenhawk-Ro.../dp/0143035711

[arcane12]

Blue Remembered Earth by Alastair Reynolds. Good, but I much prefered the Revelation Space series. Still hard Sci-fi is not everyone's bag. Currently am reading Earth by David Bryn, and enjoying it. Am hoping the ending isn't too preachy!