What WWI book inspired you as a child?

[uncletony]

Yeah, isn't that amazing? And it isn't just the first post. It goes on for pages, so be sure to scroll down past the first round of comments.

[sobrien]

The first WWI book I think I read was "The Red Knight of Germany." But my biggest influence from literature was from my dad's aviation mags from the 1930's. Flying Aces, Air Trails, Popular Aviation, etc. I loved Phineas Carbuncle Pinkham as a kid.

Sean

[Trackpad]

For me, it had to be the Harleyford book series, mainly the one on Manfred von Richthofen (1958, my copy 1959):



I was entranced by the photographs, the story, and especially by the fact that a Canadian was officially credited with shooting von R down:



But we will not revisit that point of discussion today! 

I have other Harleyfords from that era relating to World War One aviation, such as "Fighters," "Bombing and Reconnaissance Aircraft," as well as "Sopwith." But it was the Richthofen book that lit the fuse!

[lcarroll]

I recall going to the Public Library and spending hours poring over the Harleyfords (you could not sign them out on loan as they were classed as References) The only one I have is Air Aces of the 1914-1918 War, 1959 however mine is a later reprint byAero Publishers in the USA.
My favorite was the foregoing, V.R. and the Flying Circus. Again, great memories!
Cheers,
Lance

[Tony Haycock]

For me as a young boy it was Biggles, followed by watching "Wings" on TV.

Roll on the WnW Eindekker, but I really want a BE2 to go with it... my own "Wings" re-creation.

[GHE]

Meine Herren !

It wasn't a book but the artwork of Airfix viewed in a catalouge or on the box - I was just 5 years old and now can't exactly
tell what came first).
Ever since I liked the Doppeldecker Aeroplane and an Airfix kit then was my first kit I ever built- red styrene of an Albatross,
I think; later came the Walfisch.
But I remember a book lying around in the old and dusty sleeping chamber built into the barn at our house .
I still remeber a pitcure of a Doppeldecker and think it must have been an original postwar book on Richthofen.
Unfortunately it was forgotten and torn down with the barn.
At the age of 13 for Konfirmation I got a precious gift by my godfather's wife ( he , as an Tank Battallion Comander of the
Bundeswehr unfortunately - after having survived WW2- was killed by a drunken driver crashing in to him during manoeuvres).,
3 volumes written in 1919 called "Der Weltenbrand" (World Ablaze) lavishly full of pictures and photos that I cherish until today.
My godfather whom I still can remeber from a visit when I was about 4 years old , must have been a georgeous man:
on a duty flight he ordered the helicopter pilot to our village to visit his tiny godchild and his dear friend, my father who still is with us.
Those rememberances are very fond and I can still feel the joy of looking at Airfix artwork an having built the Albatross.

bizz bald, Gunther

[WarrenD]

Being a boy growing up in the 60's, the worst possible fate that could befall you during your day was to have you mother go to the beauty shop to get her hair done. I would rather have been tortured by the Gestapo. She very wisely asked if she dropped me off at the public library would I be good. I would have promised anything to avoid the beauty parlor. so yes. Among the treasures and new-found hardback friend I discovered there were:

- Phelan's Aircraft and Flyers of the First World War

and

- Munson's Aircraft of WWI

Between those two books and the annual watching of It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown I was hooked for life.  My son became a rabid fan of historic aviation (another story), so I made sure a copy of each found their way to him when he was very young. (The Phelan book came to me as a generous and charitable donation from a fellow Aerodrome member who wanted to encourage a youngster to pursue this interest.) 

Warren

[Vickers]

For me it was "Iron Men With Wooden Wings" by Lou Cameron:

[pepperman42]

UT - That site is nothing but trouble...in a good way....more memory....need  more memory...

Steve

[rhallinger]

Hello everyone.

In the late 1960s, Joseph Phelan's "Heroes and Aeroplanes of the Great War 1914-1918" (still on my shelf, well-worn but still enjoyable);

Ernst Udet, "Ace of the Iron Cross," Ace Air Combat Classics paperback;

DC Comics "Enemy Ace";

A photo booklet from Old Rheinbeck Aerodrome signed by Cole Palen, with smudges of castor oil and machine gun smoke from the DR1 upon landing (thrilling for an 11 year old!), obtained on a family vacation in 1968 or thereabouts.

Great stuff!

[rhallinger]

This is an older topic, but it just came up again for me as I yesterday bought, for $5, a copy of the book that first kindled my interest as a child, "Flying Aces of World War I" by Gene Gurney, 1963.  A hardbound copy like the one I had came up on ebay for $5, and I couldn't resist.  The lure was mostly nostalgia I suspect, since we have such great reference materials all these years later, but it's fun to go back and re-read some of the old stuff that inspired us, from time to time.

Regards,

Bob

[N.C.S.E]

Okay so I am strictly speaking still a child but I must admit that good old Biggles was what inspired me originally, of course I have moved on since then

[Nigel Jackson]

Hello All

For me, the Harleyford books I could admire in the bookshop in Birmingham but never afford and then anything with profiles in. I can recall hours of fun looking at these images, sometimes placing my hand over upper wings and something over the fixed undercarriage to see how they compared with World War II fighters.  Try taking a look at how fantastic the SE5A looks; then compare it with my bête noire the Camel!

Best wishes
Nigel

[rhallinger]

In addtion to the others mentioned prevously, this youth history was influential in sparking my interest:



It had a good section on the war in the air, with some excellent paintings reproduced.

As a kid in the mid-60s, DC Comics "Enemy Ace" was also a regular influence.  Anyone else follow the fictional tales of Hans Von Hammer? 

Regards,

Bob