Pilot Memoirs

[Test Pilot]

Lately, I've been inspired by the accusimed 47 and have read the memoirs/recollections of two Thunderbolt pilots: Francis Gabrewski (sic?) and Marvin Bledsoe. I know there is also a book by Robert Johnson. What are some other memoirs of WWII pilots that anybody recommends??? And not just from 47 pilots; in fact, Id love to read a first hand account of an Axis flier. The two books Ive mentioned above that Ive read do a great job of conveying the sense of what being a fighter pilot in WW2 was about - namely combining excitement and exhilaration of flying and dogfighting with the overriding notion that death was just a heartbeat away. The air war was a brutal and all too often short affair for many pilots, and yet the fascinating thing is that even though the pilots were aware of this, romanticism of flying and even aerial combat existed. That's not to say that a pilot thought of dogfighting as a grand adventure. Far from it in fact. You can really see the complex, and often contradictory, emotions that fighter pilots struggled with during and after the war(s). If you guys havent read any of those books, check them out as they offer a tremendous amount of perspective about recreating flying these warbirds.

[8thFG]

" To Fly and Fight" by Bud Anderson, triple ace with 357th FG

"The Jolly Rogers" by John "Tommy" Blackburn, CO of VF-17

"An Ace in the Eighth" by Bud Fortier of the 355th FG

[Trumper]

First light by Geoffrey Wellum http://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Light-Geo ... 0141008148
The big show -Pierre Cloistermann [sp] http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Show-Cassel ... 0304366242
Alert in the West -Willi Heilmann FW190 Pilot- http://www.amazon.com/Alert-West-Luftwa ... 184145026X

Or Tail end Charlies for a different point of view http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tail-End-Charli ... 0670914568

[Test Pilot]

Good finds guys!

[oakfloor]

Sandford-tuck's account of the battle of britain, leonard carson's book is good reading, sorry I forgot the book titles.

[Trumper]

Sandford-tuck's account of the battle of britain, leonard carson's book is good reading, sorry I forgot the book titles.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fly-Your-Life-S ... 1841450251