Aviation Books and Flying Writer Websites

Looking for a great aviation or space read? Why not go directly to the source on an aviation writer's very own web-site:

Enjoy passionate philosopher of flight Richard Bach.
Read about Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (French Language Site).
Got a question? Chances are it's been answered by Patrick Smith.
Fly with legendary Walter Boyne.
Learn more about the late 'Fighter Writer' Jeff Ethell.
Experience Vietnam era fighters with Ed Rasimus.
Author of the 'Aces Speak' series and much more, Eric Hammel.
Fly with triple ace Bud Anderson
Like navy aviation? So does Barrett Tillman!
See what novelist Stephen Coonts is doing.
As well as the busy John Nance.
And what's hot with non-fiction Bob Gandt.
Or Henry Matthews collection of books on experimental test flying.
Then look at Barry Schiff's homepage, who offers autographed books.
Ride with former Flying Pros Nest columnist Michael Maya Charles.
Or for lots of fun and a technical education see Rod Machado's site.
Maybe master instructor Greg Brown will inspire and educate.
Captain Reece is Flying North South East and West.
Brian Cassidy has a free pdf of his Shorts Empire flying boat book.
CloudDancer is having fun in Alaska.
Also William Ippolito has a very nice book on his long career at Delta airlines.

And to see just what is possible when you commit to excellence in aviation books, see Brian Shul's classic Sled Driver.

 

Be a better pilot . . . read the classics

Want to own an aviation or space book? If you know what you want, you can go the cheap way and buy second-hand. This may be the only way to obtain old and out-of-print titles. You can browse an aviation only store like Aeroplanebooks.com, Airways Collection and FlyingBooks.co.uk. For space books see Boggs or Astrobooks. Or if you know what you want, you can use search sites that link thousands of stores, Bookase FetchBook & Bookfinder.com are some good ones. An amazing resource for finding old, rare, or just out-of-print books is Alibris. If you are starting out, take a look at the article, Collecting Books in the Area of Space Exploration.

Or maybe you would like searching and bidding for old aviation books and collectibles at auction site ebay. There are two other routes to super books — collectables and closeouts. You can pay (upto) hundreds of dollars for special signed copies at AviationAutographs.com or cruise a cheap-o discount place like Bookcloseouts.com. So many books, so little time!

And every month there are magazines, most of which, like Flying, are much cheaper if you subscribe rather than buying them monthly.

There are many many 'must-have' aviation books. But I'll limit myself here to five personal choices:

Jonathan Livingston Seagull
by Richard Bach

Short. Sweet. Required reading!

A Gift of Wings
by Richard Bach

Forty-eight amazing magazine articles from the the late 1960's/early 1070's

Wind, Sand, and Stars
by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Intensely autobiographical aeronautical adventures told by a philosopher and poet.

Fate is the Hunter
by Ernest  Gann

Former American Airlines pilot pens the classic tale of serious flying.

Stick and Rudder
by Wolfgang Langewiesche

In print since 1944, this is the way and the how of flying an airplane. If you are learning to fly this is, shall we say, important information!

A couple of aviation books are now available free on-line. Take a look at The Red Fighter Pilot (1917) by Manfred von Richthofen and Fighting The Flying Circus (1919) by Edward V. Rickenbacker.

Other great places for aviation books include:

Aero Vintage Books
Airlife Books
ASA Books
Ashgate Publishing
Balloon Books
Bob Wander's Soaring Books
B D King Press
Historic Aviation
Icarus Books
Wind Canyon Books


If you know of others, or have links to aviation book buying and collecting please e-mail me and I'll add them to this page. Thanks!

Happy reading!

 

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