Harrier boys book

[Shaun]

Currently reading this excellent book, a really enjoyable book told by the people who flew and maintained the aircraft.

https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/513FSjvTv1L._AC_UL320_SR216,320_.jpg

Some great stories about the Harrier and its was interesting to read that the aircraft was considered so dangerous that aircrew selection in the early days was sometimes based on the pilots relationship status, single unattached men were preferred for the training!

After reading though a few of the stories, you can see the Harrier had many areas the could make your day interesting!!!

Recommended

Shaun

[Latinbear]

I agree with you entirely on the "Harrier Boys" - a really good read. I've got pretty much all of the series and have enjoyed them all with the exception of "Phantom Boys" in which I felt a number of the contributors wrote too much about other aircraft they had flown to the detriment of detailing their experiences on the F4. Have still to buy Meteor and Tornado Boys though.

In the Harrier book I remember the instructor taking issue with a junior pilot who wanted the chef to squeeze the fat out of his burger to make it marginally more healthy and which struck the IP as strange behaviour given the JPs profession. If I remember correctly the JP was killed within the year.

[Antoine]

Yes, great serie, I have most of them, appart all the V (Maybe someone will change my mind?).

So far, I've read Harrier (1st vol. And signed!!) and Jag, next will be Phantom, I think.

Ah, got to get the Tournedos, also.

Edited August 4, 2016 by Antoine

[Nigel Bunker]

have enjoyed them all with the exception of "Phantom Boys"

Oh how I agree - I wanted to read about Phantoms not "When I flew Lightnings......". The clue's in the title. Possibly the weakest of the series - if it ever gets a reprint it needs a rewrite first.

[Latinbear]

Oh how I agree - I wanted to read about Phantoms not "When I flew Lightnings......". The clue's in the title. Possibly the weakest of the series - if it ever gets a reprint it needs a rewrite first.

Absolutely agree. "Phantom Boys" was the one I was looking forward to most and was left feeling a bit cheated after I'd finished reading it. I read it a while ago and the memory is a bit hazy but doesn't one of the chapters refer to a pilot ejecting from a Tornado shortly after take-off? A fascinating story but not when you want to read about his life and experiences of flying a Phantom.

The small positive is that it is a signed copy from when various contributors were marshalled at Duxford upon publication by John Davies.

[Antoine]

Guys, I was looking forward reading it...

Can you elaborate, so I know what to expect?

[Biggles87]

I am listening to the " Lightning Boys " audio book at the moment and find it very entertaining/informative, and will follow that with the Harrier and Jaguar episodes.

[PhoenixII]

Could I suggest - The Phantom in Focus: A Navigator's Eye on Britain's Cold War Warrior - if you don't want WIWOL stories?!

David Gledhill is (in my opinion) a good fiction, as well as a factual writer.

Just a thought........................

Paul

[Latinbear]

Could I suggest - The Phantom in Focus: A Navigator's Eye on Britain's Cold War Warrior - if you don't want WIWOL stories?!

David Gledhill is (in my opinion) a good fiction, as well as a factual writer.

Just a thought........................

Paul

I completely endorse your recommendation of Phantom in Focus. Absolutely superb book (I put a glowing review on Amazon under Latinbear as soon as I'd finished reading it). Gledhill's other factual books on the fighter detachment at RAF Stanley and Tornado F3 in Focus are also top drawer in my humble opinion. I haven't read any of his fiction work and so can't comment.

[Antoine]

Interesting.

I've read Phantom in focus, and the book concerning his Falklands time, and I do not like his views.

For an officer, he seems to have a very restricted view and a related understanding about things beginning just outside his cockpit.

He is at the bottom of the list of my prefered Brits authors.

[Latinbear]

Interesting.

I've read Phantom in focus, and the book concerning his Falklands time, and I do not like his views.

For an officer, he seems to have a very restricted view and a related understanding about things beginning just outside his cockpit.

He is at the bottom of the list of my prefered Brits authors.

My liking for his books is based on the clear description of the aircraft, its role, the way it works - or doesn't - on a day to day basis and life in a squadron environment. What also (again in my view) makes his books more interesting is that he was a navigator which means he writes from a different perspective to that of a pilot. In the Phantom book his explanation of how the UK's air defence network operated was the clearest and most comprehensive I have ever read while his book on the Falklands offered an an in-depth examination of the issues surrounding the air defence of the islands and the operational constraints imposed by a fleet of only four aircraft. In comparison to many other modern combat aircraft the Tornado F3 has had a limited amount written about it and what appealed in this book is an insight into how procurement works within the Ministry of Defence and some of the problems encountered in the F3's early life.

Ultimately it's a subjective assessment.

You asked about Phantom Boys: for me there was an insufficient lack of detail about daily life in flying a Phantom. For me the essence of a book about an aircraft written by those who did it for a living should be to leave the reader with a mental image, to actually put them there in the cockpit and carry them along with the writer. I wasn't left with that feeling after reading Phantom Boys. Too many of the contributors seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time on other aircraft they had flown either before or after their time on the F4.

It's not a bad book - it just didn't live up to my expectations which, as the F4 is my favourite aircraft are quite high.

Incidentally I thoroughly enjoyed both Robert Prest's "Phantom - A Pilot's Story" and John Trotti's book on his experiences of flying the F4 in Vietnam.

[eng]

I agree with you entirely on the "Harrier Boys" - a really good read. I've got pretty much all of the series and have enjoyed them all with the exception of "Phantom Boys" in which I felt a number of the contributors wrote too much about other aircraft they had flown to the detriment of detailing their experiences on the F4. Have still to buy Meteor and Tornado Boys though.

Again, as with others posting here these are great books, with the exception of "Phantom Boys" (or is it Lightning Boys 3!) which didn't tick the right boxes for me. I can certainly endorse "Tornado Boys", I'm about 80 pages in and it's bloody good so far.

Is the "Jaguar Boys" volume worth a read? Quite fancy that and the Harrier ones, and I've had a tip off that I might be getting a Kindle for my birthday

Eng

[Simon Cornes]

My liking for his books is based on the clear description of the aircraft, its role, the way it works - or doesn't - on a day to day basis and life in a squadron environment. What also (again in my view) makes his books more interesting is that he was a navigator which means he writes from a different perspective to that of a pilot. In the Phantom book his explanation of how the UK's air defence network operated was the clearest and most comprehensive I have ever read while his book on the Falklands offered an an in-depth examination of the issues surrounding the air defence of the islands and the operational constraints imposed by a fleet of only four aircraft. In comparison to many other modern combat aircraft the Tornado F3 has had a limited amount written about it and what appealed in this book is an insight into how procurement works within the Ministry of Defence and some of the problems encountered in the F3's early life.

Ultimately it's a subjective assessment.

You asked about Phantom Boys: for me there was an insufficient lack of detail about daily life in flying a Phantom. For me the essence of a book about an aircraft written by those who did it for a living should be to leave the reader with a mental image, to actually put them there in the cockpit and carry them along with the writer. I wasn't left with that feeling after reading Phantom Boys. Too many of the contributors seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time on other aircraft they had flown either before or after their time on the F4.

It's not a bad book - it just didn't live up to my expectations which, as the F4 is my favourite aircraft are quite high.

Incidentally I thoroughly enjoyed both Robert Prest's "Phantom - A Pilot's Story" and John Trotti's book on his experiences of flying the F4 in Vietnam.

Totally agree with you Mr Bear. I think Bob Prest's book was the first book of its type that I read back in around 1981 and I loved it, in fact its one of only a few books I've read more than once!! I currently have Harrier Boys 1 and 2 to read and also Tornado 'People' - to be technically correct! I always look forward to this series and I'll have the Meteor book when its available at the right price!!

Simon

[Latinbear]

Totally agree with you Mr Bear. I think Bob Prest's book was the first book of its type that I read back in around 1981 and I loved it, in fact its one of only a few books I've read more than once!! I currently have Harrier Boys 1 and 2 to read and also Tornado 'People' - to be technically correct! I always look forward to this series and I'll have the Meteor book when its available at the right price!!

Simon

You have impeccable literary tastes Simon!

As a teenager keen to become a Phantom pilot (we all have to dream) I remember seeing an advert for an excerpt of Bob Prest's book that was going to feature in "Penthouse" magazine. Does it even exist today I wonder? Anyway, despite being too young to buy it and hardly able to reach up to the top shelf to get my mitts on it I agreed with a lad who worked behind the counter in the newsagents where I did my paper round that I'd buy it when there was nobody around. Believe it or not the Phantom excerpt was the first thing I turned to and after reading the article multiple times I ordered a copy of the book from the local bookshop for when it was published. I still have that copy today and like you have read it numerous times.

I think it is a superb read and it pains me to see copies going for less than the price of a broadsheet newspaper at model and air shows

[At Sea]

Chaps!

Lets be fair. I have just read Phantom boys and re-read Phantom in Focus just recently.

Yes, Richard Pike and David Gledhill both have thier own approach.

Phantom in Focus is a brilliant book for a real feel of what was involved with operating the Spey Phantom from the back seat.

Phantom Boys is a selection of bar room (what we at sea would call 'swinging the lantern' but maybe for aviators is is wagging the wings?) chat which is more texture than substance.

I enjoyed both. Phantom Boys is very inetresting as it gives a bit more info on the FAA operation of the FG.1, a subject that is not really well written up yet in its own right.

It better than "How I singlehandedly won the Falklands war on my own" by Sharkey. So its okay by me on that basis! :-)

P.S.

I can be genrous in my judgment as my hard back copy was £10 on ebay and is signed by all the contributors. :-). Smug mode.

[Antoine]

It better than "How I singlehandedly won the Falklands war on my own" by Sharkey. So its okay by me on that basis! :-)

It's been quite a long time since I've read this book, but I still think it was a very good and well written account of the Falklands war in the air.

I would have loved to read further books from N. Ward, about his whole FAA career for exemple.

But I'm French, and maybe I've missed something about him?

Yes, great serie, I have most of them, appart all the V (Maybe someone will change my mind?).

No feedback really?

[At Sea]

It's been quite a long time since I've read this book, but I still think it was a very good and well written account of the Falklands war in the air.

I would have loved to read further books from N. Ward, about his whole FAA career for exemple.

But I'm French, and maybe I've missed something about him?

Cdr. Ward's book is accurate and is very readable, unfortunately he allows too much of his own political bias against the RAF in, which clouds the merit of what is good.

I completely understand that for FAA aviators who lived through the destruction of the large carrier fleet and the turning over of the Buccaneer and Phantoms to the RAF it must have been very bitter.

However Jerry Pook's book on the same subject manages to be more balanced, and recognises the merits of the FAA and RAF.

I did not put my neck on the line in 1982.

I have never been a fast jet pilot.

I would not presume to criticise a man's recollection of his war however when you write a book, which manages to paint anyone but his squadron of Harriers as being superfluos to the Air war in the South Atlantic you leave yourself open to other peoples opinon of your prose. :-D

Edited August 14, 2016 by At Sea

[Antoine]

Cdr. Ward's book is accurate and is very readable, unfortunately he allows too much of his own political bias against the RAF in, which clouds the merit of what is good.

I completely understand that for FAA aviators who lived through the destruction of the large carrier fleet and the turning over of the Buccaneer and Phantoms to the RAF it must have been very bitter.

However Jerry Pook's book on the same subject manages to be more balanced, and recognises the merits of the FAA and RAF.

I did not put my neck on the line in 1982.

I have never been a fast jet pilot.

I would not presume to criticise a man's recollection of his war however when you write a book, which manages to paint anyone but his squadron of Harriers as being superfluos to the Air war in the South Atlantic you leave yourself open to other peoples opinon of your prose. :-D

Ok, Understood, I see what you mean.

I've read every aviator's book on the Brit side of the conflict, and if I remember well Ward's charge against RAF, I also remember that he was very harsh too toward the top brass of the task force. And in this he's backed-up by nearly everyone else, SHAR pilots (Morgan), Harrier pilots (Pook), helo crews (Parry), Staff officer (E. Southby-Tailyour), and so on.

Also, we can't blame him for writing the story of his own squadron. Appart from Morgan, there's no story of 800 sqn FAA as seen by the CO, or the AWI. Does this mean something?

[President Trff]

Just an FYI, "The lightning Boys" is currently £7 at The Works. Just bought mine in Hemel Hempstead, but I'm sure it must be available elsewhere as well. I also got "The Kamikaze hunters, Fighting for the Pacific" The story of the BPF in in the battle for Japan in 1945, by Will Iredale for £6 at the same time. both appear to be brilliant reads.

Cheers

J