Reading for September 2008

The Battle of Hamburg, Allied Bomber Forces Against A German City in 1943 oral history combined with archival research. Very good although Middlebrook's repeated apologies for having to include minor technical detail can become irritating. Crossposted to the relevant groups.

Just started Pacific Breakthrough (Zebra World-At-War #29) by Lawrence Cortesi, about the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

Two-block fox; the rise of the aircraft carrier, 1911-1929 stupid touchstones. Covers the debates between wheeled and float planes as well as the doctrine surrounding the utility of battleships. Billy Mitchell comes off as a real weasel. Crossposted.

Just started Spitfire: Portrait of a Legend by Leo McKinstry. Really enjoying it so far! Already learning new things - I had no idea that Barnes Wallis was called into the Supermarine plant to figure out why production bottlenecks were occurring (taking over R.J. Mitchell's office in the process - Mitchell was away), and that Mitchell kicked him out in indignation!

>2 BOB81:

I think Clint Eastwood might call this book a Cluster-F___: errors too numerous to count, and the dialogue between historical figures seems to have been made up on the spot by the author. I'm disappointed, because the other Zebra World-At-War books I'm familiar with have been very good.

Just finished Wingless Eagle, which if rather dry at least provides a good overview of the factors that strangled the development of American military aviation before 1917.

I have recently bought during a journey in the Nord- East of the USA:
- "I Could Never be So Lucky Again" by Gen. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle
- " First Blue" (The Story of WWII Ace Butch Voris and the Creation of the Blue Angels) by Robert K. Wilcox
Further news when I will have read this books.

Hi GEOCO,

I've read I Could Never Be So Lucky Again - good book!

Yes, I also quite enjoyed it.

Do keep in mind it is slightly sanitized.

I am reading HUNTER-KILLER SQUADRON: Aero-Weapons, Aero-Scouts, Aero-Rifles, Vietnam 1965-1972 by Matthew Brennen. A single squadron, the 1st Squadron/9th Air Cavalry regiment killed more communists than the rest of the 1st Air Cavalry Division put together. The preferred flying altitude of their H13 armed scout choppers on patrol was seven meters! The would rather fly under the trees where possible than fly above them and become a target. Some of the enemy were killed by the tail rotor! However, one time the commies once set up an air ambush, lured the choppers into range, and shot down 27 of them in one day before being wiped-out. This is the story of one of the most successful American units in that war.

I'm halfway through Floyd Gibbons' Red Knight of Germany. An excellent Christmas gift from my mother.
And also casually flipping through the entire Time-Life History of Flight set, my wife's xmas contribution. I had a great Christmas!