TOP 10 books with and about aviation. See our recommendations!

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After I presented you with a top movies with and about aviation, now we recommend TOP 10 books with and about aviation. Real stories of those who changed the world and made it possible for us to travel to our favorite destinations around the world.

1. "The Wright brothers" by David McCullough

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Twice Pulitzer Prize winner David McCullough tells the dramatic story of two brave brothers who taught the world how to fly: Wilbur and Orville Wright.

One winter day in 1903, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, two unknown brothers from Ohio changed history. However, people needed time to believe what had just happened: the era of flight had begun, the first electric car heavier than air carrying a pilot.

Who were these people and how did they manage to achieve what they did?

Wilbur and Orville Wright were two men of exceptional courage and determination, of great intellectual interest, and of immense curiosity, developed by the education they received. The house where they lived did not have electricity or indoor plumbing, but there were many books, provided mainly by their father - who was a preacher.

When they worked together, no problem seemed insurmountable. Wilbur was undoubtedly a genius. Orville had a mechanical ingenuity that few had ever seen. The fact that they had only a public education, little money and no contacts in high places, never stopped them, although, every time they took off in one of their invented means, they risked being killed.

2. "Herman the German: Just Lucky I Guess ”by Gerhard Neumann

Nicknamed "Herman the German" by his fellow "Flying Tigers" volunteers, Gerhard Neumann was more than a fan of flying - he was an avatar. Neumann catalogs his adventures, achievements and contributions in the close but flourishing world of aviation in these memoirs.

The book traces his journey from his beginnings as an aircraft mechanic with the legendary "Flying Tigers" to China during World War II, until he became an "aircraft engineer" and finally an influential executive in the glory years of the postwar period at GE Aviation.

"The harder I work, the luckier I am."

3. "Fate is the hunter" by Ernest K. Gann

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The classic memoirs of Ernest K. Gann's pilot are a detailed and thrilling account of the first treacherous days of commercial aviation.

"Few writers have ever drawn readers so intimately into the protected sanctuary of the cabin, and it is known that Mr. Gann is truly an artist" (The New York Times Book Review).

"A splendid and multifaceted personal memory, which is not just the story of a man, but the story, in essence, of all people who fly" (Chicago Tribune).

In his style, Gann brings you directly to the cabin, telling both the triumphs and the terrors of the pilots who flew in the really important moments.

4. "Skunk works: a personal memoir of my years of lockheed" by Ben R. Rich and Leo Janos

From the development of the U-2 submarine to the "Stealth" fighter jet, the book reveals the untold story behind the search for the American stake to dominate the sky.

"Skunk Works" is the true story of the most secretive and successful aerospace operation in America. As Ben Rich, the head of the operation for nearly two decades, said, the chronicle of Lockheed's legendary "Skunk Works" is a drama of Cold War confrontations and Gulf War air battles, extraordinary engineering deeds and human achievements against fantastic odds. .

A unique description of the scientists and engineers who made "Skunk Works" so famous. Full of personal anecdotes and adventures, with stories inside the CIA and Air Force pilots flying in the many secret and risky missions, this book is a captivating portrait of the most spectacular aviation successes of the twentieth century.

5. "The right stuff" by Tom Wolfe

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Tom Wolfe started "The Right Stuff" at a time when it was not fashionable to analyze American heroism. Nixon had left the White House in shame, the nation was spinning because of the catastrophe in Vietnam, and in 1979 - the year the book appeared - the Americans were held hostage by Iranian militants.

In his preface, he notes that by 1970, nearly one in four career naval pilots had died in accidents. "The right stuff," he explains, "became a story of why people were willing to take such risks, in a literary age that people had long characterized as the anti-hero era."

As Truman Capote did in the novel "In Cold Blood", Wolfe tells his story from a limited omniscient perspective, reaching the lives of his "characters", as each in turn becomes an important player in the space program.

After an initial chapter about the terror of being the wife of a test pilot, the story goes back to the late 1940s, when Americans first tried to break the sound barrier. Test pilots, we discover - readers, are people who live fast driving dangerous cars.

Chuck Yeager was certainly one of the fastest, and his determination to go through Mach 1 - a feat that some predicted would cause the destruction of any aircraft - makes him the guiding spirit of the book.

6. "GE Aviation: 100 years of reimagining flight" by Rick Kennedy

As a former head of media relations, Rick Kennedy spent 30 years getting to know the people and personalities who live and breathe GE Aviation's programs. So it was only natural that he should pack everything he learned into the fast-paced history of this world-changing company.

It also happens to be a good read. Kennedy covers 100 years of engine evolution - from the invention of the Sanford Moss turbocharger to the advent of the LEAP engine, additive technology, CMC and more.

7. "The power to fly: an engineer's life" by Brian H. Rowe

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When conceptually designing an aircraft, it is necessary to establish the details of the aircraft. This is done in two stages - the derivation of the applied load and the arrangement / sizing of the primary structural elements.

In his most recent contribution to the literature, Denis Howe provides comprehensive coverage of all aspects of load action analysis, along with logical extension, to the conceptual design of the aircraft.

It thus satisfies two perceived needs that are not currently addressed by existing aircraft design texts, in which load analysis tends to be treated somewhat superficially, dealing only with the basic symmetrical flight cover and where structural analysis often assumes a certain level of design detail already established.

The author's comprehensive lecture notes, accumulated over 45 years of teaching airplane design at Cranfield University, provided the basis for this valuable reference text that provides a direct, systematic approach to the quantitative derivation of the original structural concept.

8. "Fundamentals of Aerodynamics" by John D. Anderson Jr.

According to the best-selling previous editions, Fundamentals of Aerodynamics offers the most readable, interesting and up-to-date overview of aerodynamics that can be found in any text.

The classic organization of the text has been preserved, with new independent sections at the end of the various chapters to conceptualize the coverage of this topic and to complete the discussion on the fundamental principles.

Historical topics, carefully developed examples, numerous illustrations and a wide selection of chapter issues are found throughout the text to motivate and challenge students in aerodynamics. This is the most reliable updated text for aerodynamic students and teachers.

9. „Wind, sand and stars” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

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From the same author who brought us the children's book "The Little Prince", comes this memoir of his time as an airmail pilot for Aéropostale in the 1930s.

Saint-Exupéry describes his adventures - equally terrifying and exhilarating parts - as he flies over the Sahara Desert and the Andes Mountains and recounts the deep meaning behind the experience.

Interweaving in themes of bravery, friendship, loss, strong spirit and the wisdom that follows - especially in the difficult times of his life - the book is considered one of the best novels about the flight experience.

10. "Sled driver"  by Brian Shul

No aircraft has ever captured the curiosity and fascination of the public, such as the SR-71 Blackbird. Nicknamed "The sled" by the few who maneuvered it, the aircraft has been secretly shrouded since its inception.

Entering the US Air Force inventory in 1966, the SR-71 was the fastest and most powerful jet aircraft in the world. Now, for the first time, a Blackbird pilot shares his unique experience of what it was like to fly this legend in aviation history.

Through the words and photos of retired major Brian Shul, we enter the world of "Sling Driver". Major Shul gives us insight into all phases of flight, including the humiliating experience of simulator training, the physiological stress of wearing a space suit for long hours, and the intensity and magic of flying at 80.000 feet above the Earth's surface at 2000 miles per hour.

"Sled Driver" takes the reader through captivating accounts of the rigors of the initial training, the range of emotions experienced while flying over hostile territory and the pure joy of displaying the plane at some of the biggest air shows in the world. Illustrated with rare photos, seen here for the first time, "Sling Driver" captures the mystique and grandeur of this unique aircraft of all.

We look forward to your recommendations!

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