Aviation Book recommendation

[mirrodie]

I have some gift certificate dollars to blow and need some advice.

I was thinking of getting a nice coffee table type book about aviation. Something full of nice photos and light on text. And recommendations?


OR, instead of such a book, a good DVD?

[nwafan20]

Well, not full of pictures, but I picked up the book "Boeing Vs. Airbus", good read!

[Alex T]

I think "Hard Landing" is a must read for any serious aviation fan. tells u a LOT abou the history.

Alex

[cancidas]

right now, i'm reading mike durant's book "in the company of heroes."

[727C47]

if you don't have these books= READ THEM !

Fate is the Hunter,The High and Mighty, Blaze of Noon- Ernie Gann,essential parts of the canon, round engine trials,joys,and adventures wonderfully wrought.

Airmans Odyssey- Antoine de' St.Exupery, flying the sud americano,and african mails across the saharan deserts,and the andes in biplanes in the 1930's, rendered poetically by the poet laureate of aviation.

Stranger to the Ground,Biplane,Nothing by Chance- Richard Bach, -outstanding books,by an outstanding writer who used to be Jersey based.

The Last Enemy- Dick Hillary- A Spitfire pilot tells it like it is,an authentic voice straight from the Battle of Britain.

The Shepherd- Frederick Forsythe- An RAF fighter pilot flying home for Christmas over the North Sea, awesome story.

anything by Len Morgan,or Richard Drury, Pilots,and writers Extrordinaire !

[PhilDernerJr]

"Blue Streak" about JetBlue

"Nuts" about Southwest

Those are two good ones.

[mirrodie]

All great recommendations but I am heavily leaning towards a book primarily with lots of photos. A coffee table book.

I read NUts, good stuff ,mostly a great business read.

But please, can I tap into your collective knowlesdge for books laden with photos?


THe one I have now, for example, is Silverbird, About American Airlines.

I was thinking of Airbus vs Boeing but as stated above, not a lot of pics so I'm not thrilled.

MOre suggestions please, but a little more filled with photos?

[PhilDernerJr]

Go to Barnes and Noble to the Transportation section. There's always a cool George Hall aviation photography book.

[nwafan20]

Yeah, Borders has aviation books with lots of pictures in the Transportation section, so you might want to check it out.

[hiss srq]

"the burning blue hole"-how jet blue spiraled into the ground Oh yeah I did not write that one yet!

Seriously though there is a book out there called mayday that is a pretty intresting read.

[727C47]

surf Amazon for the best deals...

[Derf]

GREAT book but no pictures......AIRFRAME!!!! A book that you can not put down.

[AndrewM]

I have a great coffee table book that sits on mine right now. Lots of photos and info and its called Airports: A Century of Architecture. Here's a link from amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Airports-Century- ... F8&s=books (http://www.amazon.com/Airports-Century-Architecture-Hugh-Pearman/dp/081095012X/sr=8-5/qid=1171912059/ref=pd_bbs_5/002-7574030-0076842?ie=UTF8&s=books)

-Andrew

[mirrodie]

Thanks for that Andrew. Looks great.

And thanks for the other recommendations. I've been looking at Amazon but unfortunately, the gift certificate is for Barnes and Noble.


Has anyone come across this at all?


http://www.amazon.com/Jetliner-Cabins-Jennifer-Coutts-Clay/dp/0470851651/ref=pd_sim_b_4/105-3157281-2401215

Also looks good.

[mirrodie]

if you don't have these books= READ THEM !

Fate is the Hunter,The High and Mighty, Blaze of Noon- Ernie Gann,essential parts of the canon, round engine trials,joys,and adventures wonderfully wrought.

Airmans Odyssey- Antoine de' St.Exupery, flying the sud americano,and african mails across the saharan deserts,and the andes in biplanes in the 1930's, rendered poetically by the poet laureate of aviation.

Stranger to the Ground,Biplane,Nothing by Chance- Richard Bach, -outstanding books,by an outstanding writer who used to be Jersey based.

The Last Enemy- Dick Hillary- A Spitfire pilot tells it like it is,an authentic voice straight from the Battle of Britain.

The Shepherd- Frederick Forsythe- An RAF fighter pilot flying home for Christmas over the North Sea, awesome story.

anything by Len Morgan,or Richard Drury, Pilots,and writers Extrordinaire !


Oh, and I meant to add, these all sound like VERY interesting books, but not to fit my coffee table need. Regardless, I will have to take a look through these once figure skating comes back on TV. ;)

[tipek]

I've said it before and I will say it again. "Hard Landing" best aviation book ever written.
If you want to read complete history of JFK I recommend "The Airport" by James Kaplan. This book covers everything about JFK. Also on the top shelf of my collection.
The worst aviation book you can read is "From Worst To First" by Gordon Bethune. The only "aviation" thing in that book is that he meantions Continental a lot. This is typical business plan book. Thanks to this book I'm not falling for "We are nuts" and "Blue Streak"

Even if you don't have gift certificate for Amazon buy it from your own pocket. Its some good ****.
http://www.amazon.com/Airport-James-Kap ... 45-3727916 (http://www.amazon.com/Airport-James-Kaplan/dp/0688149545/ref=cm_cr-mr-title/104-8876945-3727916)


http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0688149545.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

http://ec3.images-amazon.com/images/P/0812928350.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Rafal

[mirrodie]

Tipek, thanks. I believe you and am considering your recommendation, but a coffee table photobook is my primary need at this moment and point of this thread :)

[FlyingColors]

This is what you want:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1882663 ... eader-link (http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/188266342X/ref=sib_dp_pt/105-1046873-4100430#reader-link)

I know its good, I got it.

[mirrodie]

Looks great actually.

You know what is missing? A good aviation book with photos from the recent near-gone era....say 1960-2000. It's recent history but history that I think has gone ignored.


Art, ROn, Mike, and anyone else I am missing....time for you to get together and make a good book.

[nwafan20]

Like the 727, DC-9 (wait, no, NW will operate those till 2049...), 747 classics, stuff like that?

[FlyingColors]

This one is a MUST have!

http://www.amazon.ca/Classic-American-A ... 0760307865 (http://www.amazon.ca/Classic-American-Airlines-Geza-Szurovy/dp/0760307865)

Don't let the amazon mini tour turn you off, its packed with color photos, delivery 747s from Braniff, TWA, National, United, American....tons more.
Many photos I never saw before.

[tipek]

Coffee table book? You can't go wrong with Aram Gesar's "New York Airport's" It covers 1970s to late 90s. I bought it in 1997 :)
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/4a/70/342e7220eca0588992eaa010._AA240_.L.jpg

Rafal

[mirrodie]

Got another question.



War Hawgs, by Logan, is a relatively new book. Has anyone seen this one?