Just finished reading Vulcan 607 again, and it's still a superb read. Some genuinely fine storytelling, as well as some superb comedy value;
[i]Mid-air refuelling was as easy, according to one Vulcan pilot, as "sticking wet spaghetti up a cat's arse"[/i]
Anyone else read this?
Yep read it 3 times.
A very good read
love all those kind of stories
Yes. It's a great story of individual and group achievements, shorn of context.
Another war that should never have happened, and which could have been avoided.
Incidentally, I reckon that the defence agreements made with the US, to get their co-operation and satellite pictures, are those which have resulted in Blair poodling Bush into Iraq.
Yup I went through a series of Falklands books last year. This rated as one of the best. I did also enjoy Sea Harrier over the Falklands by Sharkey Ward and Hostile Skies by David Morgan.
If you thought that this was a marvelous mission (and it was in many ways) read Sharkeys account from a navy pilots side of things. David Morgan gives the view from the other boat as a crab seconded to the Navy pre-war.
read it on the flight to oz before christmas, good story and well told, kept getting confused by all the different codes for the planes/groups etc. but then i was very jetlagged, still enjoyed it though.
Excellent book - I like the bit where they require a valve of some description and can't find any. Then they find one propping the mess door open or something?
There are some other excellent 'war' type books I can recommend that really try and tell the story of what these people went through.
The Last Escape is about Allied POW's and Tail End Charlies is about the bomber crews, both written by John Nichol & Tony Rennell.
Fighter Boys is about the Spitfire pilots, written by Patrick Bishop.
Band of Eagles is about the small band of men based on Malta in WWII. It's more fiction based on the truth than the books above, but still a good read. That's written by Frank Barnard.
It's interesting to hear about other people having read these types of book. I always try to read at least one documentary style book for every few fictional books I read. I always get the impression when people see me reading one of these type of books, that I am some kind of war-obsessed geek.
Quite often I will take one on holiday with me - I think a lot of people imagine them to be depressing, but I find them quite uplifting. The things people went through and did, because it was required of them.
Wild Blue by Stepehn Ambrose is another good one, this time about B-24 Liberator crews over Europe. Not quite as good as 607, but then again that book really is good, so precious little is.
And whilst not war, another good book for any male is Two Sides of the Moon, which recalls (side-by-side) the stores of a US astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut during the space race. Proper boys stuff! 😀
Awesome planes - I remember lying in long grass at the end of Waddington runway as a kid, visiting my grandad, and having Vulcans come in 30-50' above us to land, or standing up on end to climb as they took off - what a noise.....
I bought it for my Dad for Christmas. I must borrow it back.
I have just read a Max Hastings on The Falklands which is well worth looking out.
Sniper one as well, different conflict cracking read 🙂
Gee-Jay, the Max Hastings penned Sunday Times book on the Falklands from shortly after the conflict is a very good read indeed. Is that the one you meant?
If you fancy something a bit more up to date I'd thoroughly recommend [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sniper-One-Blistering-British-Battle/dp/0718149947 ]Sniper One[/url]. It's one of the best written books about any conflict or engagement I've ever read and makes you feel like you're right in the thick of the action.
Cap'n. Sort of, the one I read was [url= http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Falklands-Hastings-Simon-Jenkins/dp/0393301982 ]this[/url], as I understand it it is a slight re-write with Simon Jenkins adding more about the political side of things.
It did make me grin gently, having read the Sharky Ward book as well, he doesnt get a mention... so perhaps some of the others involved do not think he was quite as much Mr Sea Harrier as he thought.
It was quite interesting chatting to a few mates who were down there & getting their input compaired to Hastings' book. They seem very close.
Plucky British spirit all the way through.
Top book and made me proud to be English.
Two of the best pilot/war autobiographies are IMO: Robert Mason's Chickenhawk. Huey pilot's eve view of the Vietnam war, and Pierre Clostermann's Le Grand Cirque (the Big Show) for a slightly different perspective on the Allied WW2 fighter pilot yarn.
Both very good reads
Robert Mason's "Chickenhawk" is indeed a superb read.....
Fate Is The Hunter by Ernest K Gann is a compelling book about the early (and dangerous) days of commercial aviation... One of the best books I have read!
While we're talking of this sort of thing, I shall also recommend
First Light - Geoffrey Wellum
http://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Light-Geoffrey-Wellum/dp/0141008148
Definitely agree about First Light - fantastic book!
Slightly off subject: Victoria Cross Heroes by Michael Ashcroft. Inspiring! Really not sure I should step up to the block if called upon so to do, but my admiration to those who did and continue to.
I third 'Chickenhawk'.
I must say though I disagree with the recommendation of 'Sea Harrier Over The Falklands' by Sharkey Ward. Its a piece of ego pandering of the highest degree by a chap that many among those deployed detested immensely for his complete lack of professionalism (as displayed by his 'welcome' call to Vulcan 607 when it arrived over the Falklands, even though radio silence was in effect) and pig-headed arrogance.
A far superior book if you're interest in the operations of Harriers over the Falklands is 'Harrier Ground Attack, Falklands' by Jerry Pook.
[i]First Light - Geoffrey Wellum[/i]
great book.
Indeed, Sharky is, well, he's a "character"......
Vulcan 607 is a fantastic read, on a (slightly)similar vein I have just read Stalingrad by Antony Beevor and it too is great.
[i]as displayed by his 'welcome' call to Vulcan 607 when it arrived over the Falklands, even though radio silence was in effect) and pig-headed arrogance.[/i]
pile of RAF rumour bollox devised to make themselves feel better about the fact that the Vulcan missions were a complete shambles. (and I'm an RAF brat) Sharky's views on the Vulcan raids are well known, but to suggest that he tried to scupper the Blackbox missions, and put fellow airmen in danger is really beneath contempt.
The comments above seem to confirm my thouhgts & the fact that Max Hastings didnt mention him ...
Oh yeh, another RAF Brat here too ... or scaley brat as we are officially known
I fourth Chickenhawk.
Another for chickenhawk, and isn't it 'Blackbuck?'
"Above All Courage" is probably the best Falklands book as it covers more of the Conflict
[i]pile of RAF rumour bollox devised to make themselves feel better about the fact that the Vulcan missions were a complete shambles.[/i]
The book makes no bones about the fact that hte missions were a shambles. What's your point, caller?