Reviews of books from the world of aviation. If you're an airhead, and are looking for your next read, you will find it here.
Review by Sven Atkin. This book is the personal account of an incredible flying career spanning 51 years in both the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. The difference is that it’s told from the perspective of an aircrewman who works ‘down the back’ of the helicopter. This was a first for me, and a... Continue Reading →
Review by Adrian Roberts. There have been several books published recently by non-specialist authors who have been inspired by a distant relative who was killed flying during the Great War. Sadly, I have not been able to be complimentary about all of them. This book is of a much higher quality. It is well written... Continue Reading →
Review by Andrew Kitney. When my review copy of Britain's Glorious Aircraft Industry arrived, it immediately struck me just what a thorough and comprehensive product it appeared to be, with nearly 500 pages and a weight and presence to match. UK-born and having spent upwards of 36 years working in the airline industry as a... Continue Reading →
Review by Andrew Kitney. Working in the airlines for more years than I’m prepared to admit, I’ve always been interested in the history of the airline world from its start, growth and development into what we see today. Of course, prior to the widespread development of airfields and airports with their hard runways, the only... Continue Reading →
Review by Stuart Forth. The Spitfire, Lancaster and Vulcan are all legendary British aircraft and, as such, have copious amounts of books written about them. The same is true for that icon of Cold War aviation, the English Electric Lightning. Quite rightly, the people who flew, serviced or just witnessed this fire-breathing thoroughbred firsthand wax... Continue Reading →
Review by Brett Holman. Even though the age of airships has long passed, they still exert an unparalleled grip on the popular imagination, appearing in science fiction as an easily-understood signifier of history taking a wrong turn somewhere, or in tech media as a temptingly slow-but-luxurious form of air travel that always seems just out... Continue Reading →
Review by Andrew Kitney. Given the longevity of the EE Canberra in service, not just with my ‘home’ Forces (RAF/RN) but with many operators around the world, and with some still serving, I was looking forward to reading this book. There is quite a story to tell, and I wasn’t disappointed. Like many, I’m sure,... Continue Reading →
Review by Stuart Forth. The F-4 and A-10 are two vastly different aircraft. The former is a supersonic, afterburning, multi-role weapons system that, although not pretty, looks menacing from any angle. On the other hand, the A-10 is a slow, ungainly and ‘Butt Ugly’ (author’s words, not mine) machine, built around a massive gun and... Continue Reading →
Review by Andrew Kitney. Having grown up visiting London’s Heathrow Airport as a kid, and watching the classic early jet airliners, I liked the look of this book as soon as it dropped through my mailbox. Presented in an easy-to-read, soft-cover book style, a quick flick through the pages had me hooked on just the... Continue Reading →
Review by Adrian Roberts. Mark Hillier is an established aviation historian and Stearman pilot who has written The RAF Battle of Britain Pilot’s Kitbag and a companion volume on Luftwaffe pilots’ equipment. These gave an insight into the lives of these men that complemented the accounts of their operations and their aircraft. Now he has... Continue Reading →
Flight Line Book Review 