A Non-Fiction Reading List Guaranteed to Include Something for Every Avgeek
When we published our (first) list of aviation-related novels you so need to read we received lots of feedback. Some of it was welcome, some wasn’t. That’s the nature of social media. This piece is comprised strictly of non-fiction works. They’re listed in alphabetical order by title. If you’re an avid reader you probably own some or perhaps all of these pubs, but if you don’t we think you can’t go wrong with any of them. Therefore, on to the list!
Beyond the Wild Blue: A History of the U.S. Air Force, 1947-2007 by Walter J Boyne
A noted aviation historian and prolific author, the late Walter J. Boyne wrote hundreds of books and articles about our subject. He actually released two versions of Beyond the Wild Blue, the second of which was expanded to include the tumultuous ten years between 1997 and 2007. We recommend the Second Edition, but both of them, like the vast majority of Boyne’s works, are great reads. Published by Thomas Dunne Books in 2007. ISBN-13: 9780312358112
During the Cuban Missile Crisis, author Ecker was Commanding Officer of VFP-62. His book about the Fighting Photos and their critically important photographic reconnaissance missions over Cuba at the height of the crisis that brought the world to the brink is required reading for fans of the Crusader and Naval Aviation in general. Published by Osprey Publishing in 2012. ISBN-13: 9781780960715
The Cannibal Queen by Stephen Coonts
Stephen Coonts is a former A-6 Intruder bombardier-navigator and a prolific writer of well-received novels, with several bestsellers under his belt- including Flight of the Intruder. During the summer of 1991 he took off in a Stearman biplane (The Cannibal Queen) with the goal of visiting all of the lower 48 States. His stories of the places he visited and the people he encountered during his open-cockpit odyssey are as entertaining as they are reveling. Published by Atria Books in 1992. ISBN-13: 9780671748845
Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice by Adam Makos
Devotion is the story of two Naval Aviators who became unlikely friends and were literally willing to die for each other. If you’re familiar with the story of Ensign Jesse Brown and the lengths to which Lieutenant Thomas Hudner went in order to try and save him you know how the story ended, but the level of detail author Makos includes in the book and the friendship between the two men makes the book required reading for our times as well. Published by Random House in 2015. ISBN-13: 9780804176583
Fate is the Hunter- A Pilot’s Memoir by Ernest K. Gann
When we published first aviation-related novels list we left Fate is the Hunter off that list because it’s not a novel. Rather, the book is autobiographical (as many of the great aviation books are) and Gann, with over 10,000 hours of flight time, many of them as a pilot with Air Transport Command, had a great many stories to tell. He told them exceedingly well, and his book withstands the test of time better than most. Published by Simon & Schuster 1961. ISBN-13: 9781416534075
