RMP2 Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 (edited) I recently read By Any Means Necessary by William E Burrows and found it a really good read - It covers USAF recon and ELINT work around and over the USSR from the very start of the cold war to the SR-71 and details a lot of interesting (sometimes miserable) meetings in the air along with loads of other stuff. Grab a copy on Amazon if you like the sound of it, cost me all of 1p and £2.80 postage. But... can anyone recommend other books of similar quality and content that cover this era? Be they RAF, USAF etc or USSR, Chinese, Korean etc view points. Also interested in Wild Weasel stuff. I have had a search around but the number of results are rather bewildering! Cheers for any help. Rob Edited July 17, 2016 by RMP2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 (edited) Can you give more precisions about the kind of book you're looking for? Bio, monography, campaign, anything else? I mean also, Vietnam, Falklands happened during the Cold War, is that fine with you? Edited July 17, 2016 by Antoine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 In the meantime, here's one. The Swift's story, by one of its pilot. Very nice read, a good book full of anecdote from the beginning of the Cold War. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMP2 Posted July 17, 2016 Author Share Posted July 17, 2016 Hi Antoine. Thanks for the reply. A bio appeals more to me, I should have said, but also a kind of documentary as per Any Means Necessary (unsure just what the correct term is for that...). Fiction is no-go for me, I like the stories and details of well researched actual events all hooked up together if that makes sense. Vietnam, Falklands etc is all good, its the period rather than the East/West front that appeals to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Pretty much anything by Rowland White: Vulcan 607 (Black Buck), Phoenix Squadron (1972 Honduras/Guatemala), Storm Front (Battle of Mirbat) and the new one, Into the Black. This latter is a real page-turner, interleaving the story of the design and development of the Space Shuttle with its maiden flight into space, with some interesting revelations about a highly-classified part of that flight. All great "narrative" history... best, M. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMP2 Posted July 17, 2016 Author Share Posted July 17, 2016 Cheers, Mr Bacon. Could you send the redhead over to read them to me too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 (edited) I think she's busy at work... bestest, M. Edited July 17, 2016 by cmatthewbacon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMP2 Posted July 17, 2016 Author Share Posted July 17, 2016 Link be frustratedly broken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Well, don't know if you you need something refreshing as you seem to start reading about the Cold War, but here there are anyway. The story of a not-so-well-known conflict, viewed from the air (and from the Indian side, but its quite well balanced). And its sequel, from 1971, but only on the eastern front (Bengladesh). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Well, it's all on the cover. One of the most interesting book I've ever read. The title comes from what was written on a case of beer by British soldiers to the author in Oman just after the aborted ops. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMP2 Posted July 17, 2016 Author Share Posted July 17, 2016 Top stuff, bang on target too. The smaller/less talked about conflicts are always intriguing. Thanks very much. I think she's busy at work... Shes just earned a double shift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 As refreshing as a war story can be, on the Malouines side. I've read nearly all that was published in english about this conflict, but was nevertheless hooked from the start with this one. A must, by Dick Lord. But every book from Dick Lord is a must. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMP2 Posted July 17, 2016 Author Share Posted July 17, 2016 Thanks again, all very interesting stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 And if you're interested by African wars, then there's Rhodesia. And this one is top notch. I would even dare to say that it's equal to Lord's book, or even a little better... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Ok, a bit out of scope, as it's no more Cold War when you write about DS and the second Gulf war. But not that much Prowler pilots talk about their war. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Appart those concerning the V trio, I've got all the serie. Easy to read, slice by slice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMP2 Posted July 17, 2016 Author Share Posted July 17, 2016 I see I have asked the right question in the right place! Ah, I have read Lightning Boys and Jaguar Boys. They are ok, not bad, but not super exciting/interesting which is a shame as theyre my two favourite aircraft. I guess it boils down to where they ended up and what they came across and thats fair enough and understandable. The story of the Lightning fire over Spurn Point was nice though, could see Spurn from my house as a kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 The best book about USN aces from Vietnam. By far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 This one is on the shelves, but can't say much, as I didn't read it yet!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Again, not read, but as you said you had an interest in Wild Weasels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Who can beat Dan Hagedorn at writing about South American Air Wars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMP2 Posted July 17, 2016 Author Share Posted July 17, 2016 Many thanks, Antoine. I am working away as from Monday and this lot will give me something to peruse and order for when I get home. Much appreciated, it all looks good to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tempestfan Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 Mr Cunningham's also retired as a Representative - sort of.... Some interesting books there Antoine, you must have bulging shelves. I do not have too much time reading (and do it professionally the whole day anyway), but one I have found a page turner is Force V by Andrew Brookes, bought dead cheap 2nd hand. Most informative both technical, operational and in hostoric background, though it's written in very small typeface and so somewhat tiring. Also very informative are the Cull/Aloni/Malizia works, though Wings over Suez becomes somewhat hard to read at some point into the operations because the narrative on the missions is somewhat repetitive (by necessity, to some extent). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabberwocky Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 I picked up these two at Bruntingthorpe earlier this year: Out of the Blue and Out of the Blue 2. they are of a similar format to Lightning Boys but cover many aircraft types, including many Cold War-related episodes. Basically a collection of dits with the proceeds going to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund and Help For Heroes, what's not to like? Recommended reading if you come across a copy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 Chickenhawk by Robert Mason is a good read, think I've read it 2 or 3 times now. It's a personal account of his time as a Huey pilot in Vietnam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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