Author: Jacky Hyams Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books ISBN: 1782438173 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 260
Book Description
Published in association with the Imperial War Museum, this is a fascinating anthology of first-hand stories from Spitfire heroes and heroines of World War II. Using documents, letters, stories, photographs and articles from the Museum's unparalleled archive, this is a tribute to the most iconic plane in aviation history - and the people behind it.
Author: Jackie Moggridge Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN: 1781859884 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 333
Book Description
The inspiring memoir of the remarkable Jackie Moggridge: ATA girl, Spitfire expert and pioneer. 'We had returned to a different world. We had taken off in peace at nine-thirty and landed in war at noon.' Jackie Moggridge was just nineteen when World War Two broke out. Determined to do her bit, she joined the Air Transport Auxiliary. Ferrying aircraft from factory to frontline was dangerous work, but there was also fun, friendship and even love in the air. At last the world was opening up to women... or at least it seemed to be. From her first flight at fifteen to smuggling Spitfires into Burma, Jackie describes the trials and tribulations, successes and frustrations of her life in the sky. What Amazon readers are saying about Spitfire Girl: 'There is something for everyone in this remarkable autobiography, adventure, romance, flight, struggle, victory. Must read!' 5* 'An amazing book by an inspirational woman' 5* 'Drama, aircraft, relationships... it's all there in this great page-turner!' 5* 'I am left with real admiration for Jackie Moggridge, truly an amazing lady' 5* 'Brilliant book. What an amazing women she was' 5*.
Author: James Haun Publisher: Col. James R. Haun ISBN: 0979000246 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 647
Book Description
E-Book Edition of SPITFIRE WINGMAN FROM TENNESSEE, which is the autobiography of a self-taught aviator who flew virtually every military aircraft (except jets) during the years 1939 to 1960. Col. Jim Haun, 1911-2001, with unusual honesty and wit, allows a "back door glimpse" into the USAF at the highest levels of command, including the Presidential Air Fleet in Washington, D.C. He flew fighters in WWII, transports in India, the Berlin Airlift, Japan and the Far East - eventually becoming Chief Pilot of the Military Air Transport Service. After retirement he built a stunt biplance in his garage and wowed audiences with "death-defying" performances. Col. Haun concurrently taught hundreds to fly, many later becoming airline captains and one, even became an instructor in the supersonic Blackbird.
Author: Jonathan Glancey Publisher: Atlantic Books Ltd ISBN: 0857895109 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 275
Book Description
Updated edition to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. It is difficult to overestimate the excitement that accompanied the birth of the Spitfire. An aircraft imbued with balletic grace and extraordinary versatility, it was powered by a piston engine and a propeller, yet came tantalisingly close to breaking the sound barrier. First flown in 1936, the Spitfire soon came to symbolize Britain's defiance of Nazi Germany in the summer of 1940. Spitfire: The Biography is a celebration of a great British invention, of the men and women who flew it and supported its development, and of the industry that manufactured both the aircraft and the Rolls-Royce engines that powered it. It is also about the ways in which the sight, sound and fury of this lithe and legendary fighter continue to stir the public imagination worldwide more than eighty years on.
Author: Jon E. Lewis Publisher: Robinson ISBN: 1472107829 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 217
Book Description
A celebration of the machine and the men who took to the skies in defence of Britain. It is also the dramatic illustration of a little understood truth: the Spitfire did more than win the Battle of Britain - it won the war. It was not Stalingrad which turned the corner of the war against Hitler, it was the Spitfire in the summer of 1940 when RAF Fighter Command destroyed the myth of Nazi invincibility. Praise for his previous books: London: The Autobiography: 'Fascinating ... brings the story of London to life' Good Book guide The English Soldier: The Autobiography: 'A triumph' Saul David, author of Victoria's Army 'Harrowing, funny and often unbelievable book.' Daily Express '[A] compelling tommy's eye view of war from Agincourt to Iraq' Daily Telegraph
Author: Mike Edwards Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN: 9386432196 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 504
Book Description
Their willingness to pay any price to uphold the honour and integrity of their Air Force meant an uphill battle against bigotry, difficult conditions of work and outdated equipment. However, showing tremendous fortitude, Harjinder and his men took the fight to the enemy and rose splendidly to the occasion. Be it the formidable Japanese, the mighty Germans or the resolute tribal warriors none could break the spirit of these airborne Indians. It is a story of relentless adventure, journeying from the scrublands of the North Western Frontier, to the jungles of Burma, to the UK on the eve of D Day and to the corridors of power in an independent India. The resourcefulness of the Indians and their sheer skill and determination meant that they could overcome the myriad of challenges thrown at them, much to the surprise and dismay of some officers of the Raj. It is a story of mutual respect forged and strengthened across lines of religion, caste, creed and race, as the Indian's undeniable courage and resilience won even the hearts and minds of their British counterparts and one man was the center of it all. Harjinder's is a life of intense friendship, of great ingenuity and of hard-work and dedication, interspersed with the humor and merriment that is ever present in the military environment. It was a bottom to top career for the lowly Hawai Sepoy who went on to become one of the top officers of the IAF. He is credited with the endeavor to make the Indian Air force self-reliant and designed, built and test flew two different aircraft to prove his point. He was one of the driving forces behind making the Indian Air Force the 4th largest in the world, an astonishing feat given the twin challenges of nation building and partition. Thus the only 'disgrace' to emerge from this book is how Harjinder's story could remain untold for so long.
Author: Sarah Miller Publisher: Simon and Schuster ISBN: 1442407247 Category : Juvenile Fiction Languages : en Pages : 200
Book Description
Annie Sullivan was little more than a half-blind orphan with a fiery tongue when she arrived at Ivy Green in 1887. Desperate for work, she’d taken on a seemingly impossible job—teaching a child who was deaf, blind, and as ferocious as any wild animal. But if anyone was a match for Helen Keller, it was the girl who’d been nicknamed Miss Spitfire. In her efforts to reach Helen’s mind, Annie lost teeth to the girl’s raging blows, but she never lost faith in her ability to triumph. Told in first person, Annie Sullivan’s past, her brazen determination, and her connection to the girl who would call her Teacher are vividly depicted in this powerful novel.
Author: Mary Ellis Publisher: Pen and Sword ISBN: 1473895383 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 340
Book Description
This WWII biography recounts the heroic contributions of a female pilot who flew Spitfires, Hurricanes and Wellington Bombers for the RAF. A farmer’s daughter from Oxfordshire, Mary Ellis fell in love with flying at the age of eleven, when she rode in a biplane at a flying circus. Already a licensed pilot by the time the Second World War broke out, Mary joined the Air Transit Auxiliary in 1941. As a ferry pilot, she transported aircraft for the Royal Air Force, including more than four hundred Spitfires and seventy-six different kinds of aircraft. After the war, Mary accepted a secondment to the RAF as one of the first pilots to fly the new Gloster Meteor, Britain’s first fighter jet. By 1950, she became Europe's first female air commandant. In this authorized biography, Mary and biographer Melody Foreman vividly recount her action-packed career spanning almost a century of aviation. Mary says: I am passionate for anything fast and furious. I always have been since the age of three and I always knew I would fly. The day I stepped into a Spitfire was a complete joy and it was the most natural thing in the world for me.
Author: Michelle Vogel Publisher: McFarland ISBN: 078646139X Category : Performing Arts Languages : en Pages : 245
Book Description
Here is the first extensive, full-length biography and career record on the life and work of Mexican whirlwind Lupe Velez (1908-1944). Over the years many crude myths have surfaced about Velez, the most notorious that she "died with her head in the toilet." This biography not only studies Lupe's personal life and career--including her tempestuous marriage to Johnny Weissmuller--but also examines her death in detail. It has been almost seven decades since her untimely end; at long last, the ugly rumors and myths are debunked--for good. Included are never-before-told family stories and photographs from Lupe's second cousin, and an analysis of the actress's lasting influence on popular culture. The foreword by Oscar-winning film historian Kevin Brownlow focuses on the fact and fancy behind Lupe Velez's colorful public image.
Author: Jacky Hyams
Author: Jackie Moggridge
Author: James Haun
Author: Jonathan Glancey
Author: Jon E. Lewis
Author: Mike Edwards
Author: Sarah Miller
Author: Mary Ellis
Author: Michelle Vogel
Author: Dilip Sarkar