Mick Mannock

Bulldog90 · 14 March 2007, 12:00 PM

Hi,

Can anyone recommend a biography of Mannock. There have been several in the past few years, but in shopping for them, all are pretty pricey.

Thanks,

Bulldog 90

Bulls_i_ · 14 March 2007, 01:39 PM

It depends on what you consider expensive. I have -MANNOCK, VC, ACE WITH ONE EYE, and it only cost me $15.95. I also have MICK, THE STORY OF MAJOR

EDWARD MANNOCK V.C., D.SO., M.C., R.F.C., R.A.F. and it cost me $19.95. I got both from BYRDAVIATION BOOKS. I believe that their web address is www.byrdaviationbooks.com.

Andy

dpolglaze · 14 March 2007, 02:58 PM

Amazon.com has the reprint softcover of Ace with One at $15.95. Also, some used book sellers on Amazon have it as low as $10.26 with $3.49 shipping.

Adrian Smith wrote "

Mick Mannock, Fighter Pilot: Myth, Life & Politics" which was published in 2001 but often runs over $50.

See also

Ira Jones, "King of Air Fighters" which I found in reprint for about $20, and for the autobiographical, Oughton edited "The Personal Diary of Mick Mannock" which looks like it's going for more than I remember ($50+)

Also, there's libraries to try to find copies for reading.

Dan

rainbase · 14 March 2007, 03:34 PM

I recently read Frederick Oughton's "Ace With One Eye" (1963) and thought it was a decent enough biography of Mick. I got my copy pretty inexpensively on ebay. There's a reprint too, which shouldn't be much.

I'd also recommend "The Personal Diary Of

Mick Mannock V.C." (1966) which Mick kept between April and September of 1917. This is a really cool volume; you get a photocopy of each handwritten page as well as the typed transcription. Frederick Oughton's involved again, and provides a fine running commentary to Mannock's personal account. I don't think this book is especially rare and it pops up on ebay now and again. I probably paid around $15 for mine.

TomVrille · 15 March 2007, 03:35 PM

My personal favorite is 'MICK' - The Story of Major Edward Mannock by James M. Dudgeon. It seems to me to be the best researched of the lot of Mannock biographies. This one was published in 1981.

A cautionary note on the volume by Adrian Smith. The subtitle says Myth, Life and Politics. The underlining is mine! I believe Smith was a bit carried away with anointing Mannock as everyman's ideal Socialist. Overall, the book is a scholarly presentation, but somewhat dry. Definitely not a page turner.