forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
Modelers Lounge => Time to relax => Topic started by: Checkers67 on August 01, 2012, 02:21:13 AM
-
Mine is: Aeroplanes and Flyers of the First World War. Great illustrations. The book was Christmas present from Mom and Dad long ago.
-
Mine were (and are, have them to this day and though the bindings are ruined I still pore over them; mine were both childhood presents too)
The Fighters : Thomas R. Funderburk (1965)
Heroes and Aeroplanes of the Great War 1914-1918 : Joseph A. Phelan (1966)
-
"The Red Knight of Germany" Gibbons, F 1927.
Mine was the Ballentine Books paperback bought in the mid 1960's.
I might even still have it!?
Jim
-
My Grandfather bought me a hard cover copy of "The Red Knight of Germany, The Story of Baron von Richthofen" by Floyd Gibbons at a Charity Rummage Sale for $0.50 in 1952. I still have it and treasure it although it has, over the years, recieved some fairly critical reviews vis a vis accuracy and the author's artistic licence. It's still in pretty good shape and has the place of honor on my bookshelf surrounded by over a hundred other WWI Aviation books, at least a dozen on the same topic.
I credit the dear old Guy with starting my love affair with WWI Aviation at the then tender age of 8 and also with the beginnings of my love of flying which led to a lifetime in the flying game. My copy, BTW, was published in 1927, I believe an original release.
Great topic, brings back many fond memories!
Cheers,
Lance
-
Uncle Tony, Good ole' Joe is tne author of the book I mentioned too. Mine must be a second edition or first US release.There was a second book that influenced me; "Flying Aces of WWI". It was a scholasticc paperback I ordered in elementary school. Also the film "Dawn Patrol".
-
Checkers --
I don't think it is the same book, but am not sure. Heroes & Aeroplanes was reprinted in 1973, the same year Aeroplanes & Flyers came out. My hunch it was reprinted to coincide with the release of A & F....
-
Lance,
That is a treasure! I will agree that compared to more recent books, it
leaves a lot to be desired. However, I try to keep a couple of things in mind.
One, it was written less than 10 years after the War ended and I'm sure that research
material was pretty hard to come by. Heck, even today some Authors don't get it
right and they have the internet and a great many peers to draw upon. Two. those
same people that have pooh-poohed the book, like us. were probably inspired by it; thus,
serving it's purpose. I also happen to feel that W.A. Wylam has suffered from the same
type of flack. They kept things going until others came along to advance our knowledge.
OK, time to take the Soapbox and carve a solid model from it! ;D ;D
Jim
-
I had a couple: "The Great War' by Ed jablonski, 1965 and "The Red Baron" by Emile C. Schurmacher 1970. I've since acquired some others on 'ol Manny, but those two were favorites.
-
.......Biggles........
Steve
-
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51n1HKsVBpL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
followed by.
(http://www.find-a-book.com/db/thumbnail.php?img=http://www.colophonbooks.com/images/21867.jpg&type=full)
-
I still remember the book that kindled my interest in WWI aviation. Knights of the Air was published in the late 50's and was aimed at the young reader. If I remember correctly, I bought my copy through Scolastic Book Services at school around the 5th or 6th grade. It's long gone now but I'll still bet it's a good read.
(http://i331.photobucket.com/albums/l474/ChrisJohnson56/3211514772.jpg)
It didn't have any photos, but it had some great black and white pencil drawings accompanying the riveting stories about Canadian aces. First impressions count for a lot, so I still have a soft spot in my heart for Billy Bishop. So much so that when I get around to building that Academy Nieuport 17, she'll be sporting Bishop's markings.
Cheers,
Chris
-
Actually it was a combination of two books; the Profile series and Harleyford's Fighters 1914-1918. I was making $3 cutting lawns (this was the early 1960's) and the Profiles were .50 cents each at my local hobby shop but they didn't carry all of them so I remember mailing cash to a bookseller in NY for the WWI profiles I was missing. I also saved up and bought the Harleyford book - still have the Profiles. The Harleyford got wet at sometime and I've since replaced it. I still enjoy looking at both.
-
There were too many to list here. But the one that really stands out to me would be "Fighting the Flying Circus" by Edward Rickenbacker given to me by my late Father when I was 10 or so years old. Still have this book too,it's been reread multiple times. Excellent book and one I'd suggest reading to all.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette
PS: I'd second Charlies books too,excellent resources. I still wish I could find a copy of Harleyford's Recon. and Bomber Aircraft 1914-1918.
-
speaking of, here is a link to a huge list of public domain books to fill up your hard drive (or iPad). I think "Fighting the Flying Circus" is in there somewhere.
http://riseofflight.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=31190
-
Tony,
That's one excellent link my friend.Thanks so much for sharing,most appreciated.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette
-
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.
-
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
-
For me, it had to be the Harleyford book series, mainly the one on Manfred von Richthofen (1958, my copy 1959):
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff205/29selley/DSC_0013-3.jpg)
I was entranced by the photographs, the story, and especially by the fact that a Canadian was officially credited with shooting von R down:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff205/29selley/DSC_0014-2.jpg)
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!
-
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
-
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.
-
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
-
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
-
For me it was "Iron Men With Wooden Wings" by Lou Cameron:
-
UT - That site is nothing but trouble...in a good way....more memory....need more memory...
Steve
-
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!
-
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
-
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 :)
-
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
-
In addtion to the others mentioned prevously, this youth history was influential in sparking my interest:
(http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a632/rhallinger/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20HOME-PC/IMG_5771.jpg)
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