"Touch Wood!" by Duncan Hamilton

[Seahawk]

There's a book there out called Touch Wood by a chap called Duncan Hamilton, who was apparently famous after the war as a racing driver for Jaguar. He had also been an FAA pilot, owner of the black (or blue) Seafire with a lightning stripe down the side based at Port Reitz, Kenya. It strikes me that such a flamboyant character ought to have an interesting yarn or two to tell about his FAA experiences. However my interest in motor racing hovers around the zero mark. Can anyone who has the book please tell me how much of this book is devoted to his FAA flying career? (The Amazon critiques of the book don't mention it at all, which makes me nervous.) Did he see active service and if so with which units and/or types?

[John(txic)]

If you buy it anyway, post a critique on here.

My opinions are exactly the same as yours!

[stevehnz]

Then second review on this page indicates that the war years are most likely fairly well covered.

Steve.

[Seahawk]

Then second review on this page indicates that the war years are most likely fairly well covered.

Steve.

Thanks for that tantalising glimpse! Useful site too: bookmarked for future reference.

[John(txic)]

Seahawk,

As our interests seem to be close, I can commend this Link to you:

http://www.naval-review.org/books.asp

However, only reviews post-2003 are on there

[wkennerley]

I am bidding on a copy of this book and the seller tells me chapters 3, 4, 5 (pages 19-52) cover the FAA service plus there are some B&W photos. If I win the book I can let you know more info

Wayne

[Seahawk]

Seahawk,

As our interests seem to be close, I can commend this Link to you:

http://www.naval-review.org/books.asp

However, only reviews post-2003 are on there

Thanks for the kind thought - and the flattering assumption! I have some of the books reviewed and wouldn't mind reading the reviews as ranging shots. However, unless I am being dim (not altogether unknown), you need to be a subscription-paying member to gain access to the reviews themselves as opposed to the index of them. Pse put me straight if I've got that wrong.

[John(txic)]

Bit of a downside, that....

Copies of the Naval Review are also hard to come by in the 2nd-hand book trade.

[John Aero]

I've just dug out my copy of Touch wood which I must have last read 40 years ago! The are about 25 pages of his war experiences on aircraft, most of which he appears to break, which is how he seems to treat most machinery he came into contact with. I got mine as part of the Motor Book Club I used to subscribe to. There is one picture of his Spit VB.

John

Edited September 12, 2012 by John Aero

[Seahawk]

I've just dug out my copy of Touch wood which I must have last read 40 years ago! The are about 25 pages of his war experiences on aircraft, most of which he appears to break, which is how he seems to treat most machinery he came into contact with. I got mine as part of the Motor Book Club I used to subscribe to. There is one picture of his Spit VB.

John

Many thanks. And no pictures at all of the famous Seafire! At 60p per page of potential interest I think I shall pass on this one.