Other greats like Winged Victory?

Hello! I am just about finished with Winged Victory and it has to be one of my favorite books. I was wondering this: What other books are written in a simular manner on WW1 aviation? I like how its fiction but mostly based on the authors own experiences. (Although I sometimes find myself at a loss on the meanings of some of your funny British expresions )

How do most of you rate Winged Victory compared to the other WW1 aviation books?

Thanks fellas.

[MikeW]

If you enjoyed Winged Victory you should try Winged Victor, the biography of Yeats. Not expensive and available here:

Victor yeats Bio - Winged Victor


Mike

[Sandy Spigot-Colon]

Originally Posted by SandPump

Hello! I am just about finished with Winged Victory and it has to be one of my favorite books. I was wondering this: What other books are written in a simular manner on WW1 aviation? I like how its fiction but mostly based on the authors own experiences. (Although I sometimes find myself at a loss on the meanings of some of your funny British expresions )

How do most of you rate Winged Victory compared to the other WW1 aviation books?

Thanks fellas.

Winged Victory is not only the best flying book ever written, it's the best book on war ever written.
I'm really glad you enjoyed it.
The biography listed above is excellent also, and the information it provides on the pilots of 46 Sqn. add an extra dimension to Winged Victory.
Cheers
S S-C

I was worried as such. I enjoyed this book so much that I wondered if I would be able to find another that was written so well and had such a great story to tell. I will certainly check out his biography along with as many others I can find. After the original post I came accross the thread which had a nice little list of WW1 aviation novels worth reading which should help too!

Thanks again!

[NeilE]

Hi There;

Arthur Gould Lee's "No Parachute" is another memoir of 46 Squadron. Lee was
a seven victory ace, flying through 1917.

Its well worth a read.

Cheers

Neil

[Barrett]

"Winged Victory is not only the best flying book ever written, it's the best book on war ever written."

Only way to know that is for a large committee, every member of which has read everything printed on both subjects, and concurs (preferably unanimously).

Bit of a stretch, don'tchathink?

[Sandy Spigot-Colon]

Originally Posted by Barrett

Only way to know that is for a large committee, every member of which has read everything printed on both subjects, and concurs (preferably unanimously).
Bit of a stretch, don'tchathink?

No!! It's the best.
My opinion only of course.

On odd occasions in the past I've been known to say it's the best book ever written in English, but that could be due to a) drink and b) it was a time before I'd read 'The Spanish Farm Trilogy'.
Cheers
S S-C

[Barrett]

G'day Sandy, and welcome to the Forum!

I'd be hard-pressed to nominate The Best Aviation Book Ever Written, other than to disqualify anything of my own! Certainly Ernie Gann must be a contender for aviation fiction.

However, without a doubt the best How To Fly book is the classic Stick and Rudder by Wolfgang Langewische. Most of the how-to books I've seen are along the lines of Jules Bergman's: "If you can drive a car you can fly a plane." Well, no, actually, you can't. If you can drive a car you can drive a plane--flying is a whole 'nuther thing. Dad had me read S&R twice before I started flying, and it was worth the effort. If you don't read anything else, the chapter "How a Wing Is Flown" is still an education. WL was an exceptional writer, and I think that S&R (written in the 40s, I believe) remains one of the finest all-time examples of expository writing.

[Sandy Spigot-Colon]

Originally Posted by Barrett

G'day Sandy, and welcome to the Forum!

I'd be hard-pressed to nominate The Best Aviation Book Ever Written, other than to disqualify anything of my own! Certainly Ernie Gann must be a contender for aviation fiction.

However, without a doubt the best How To Fly book is the classic Stick and Rudder by Wolfgang Langewische. Most of the how-to books I've seen are along the lines of Jules Bergman's: "If you can drive a car you can fly a plane." Well, no, actually, you can't. If you can drive a car you can drive a plane--flying is a whole 'nuther thing. Dad had me read S&R twice before I started flying, and it was worth the effort. If you don't read anything else, the chapter "How a Wing Is Flown" is still an education. WL was an exceptional writer, and I think that S&R (written in the 40s, I believe) remains one of the finest all-time examples of expository writing.

Barrett
thanks for the welcome.
I'll be looking up the Langewische book later on ABE-Books.
I certainly wouldn't include anything I'd ever 'typed out' as any good either.

'The Spanish Farm' is a favourite of mine about The Great War because R.H. Mottram was was from from my home town (Norwich, Norfolk) and he managed to capture the atmosphere of wartime France very well I think. The final scene when the officer returns to the battlefields post war is very moving too.

Cheers (writing this surrounded by my books)
S S-C

[Ginger.]

'Flying Fury' By James McCudden would make up a fine trio along with 'Winged Victory' and 'No Parachute'.