Best Spitfire book

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Member for

15 years

Posts: 1,712

Just out of interest, what do forum members think is the best book that has been done on the Spitfire, and their reason for the choice, be it technical, photographic or whatever. Thanks

Original post

Member for

20 years 4 months

Posts: 1,713

Spitfire Survivors, vol.I and II. Without having ever held one of the books myself, the research behind it and the execution has always impressed me. I should have bought them when I could.... :(

Member for

10 years 7 months

Posts: 188

Morgan and Shacklady. By far the most used book on my bookshelf, and an awesome piece of authoritative research.

Survivors I and II are pretty good too.

Gifts of War is THE work on presentation aircraft and along one of my pet areas of interest.

Spitfire International for where they all ended up once the RAF didn't need them any more.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 16,832

Can't argue with the Morgan & Shacklady. It's the definitive work.

Moggy

Member for

18 years 4 months

Posts: 2,810

Spitfire..Flying legend John Dibbs and Tony Holmes..the best collection of images with just enough historical content.

Member for

20 years

Posts: 1,587

Can't argue with the Morgan & Shacklady. It's the definitive work.

Moggy

Absolutely agree. (Moggy I think that's a first?)

Survivors vols 1 and 2 are excellent reference for each survivor, but for the history of the spitfire design and its evolution Morgan and Shacklady is unlikely to ever be surpassed.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 10,029

I do have all the movement card data on file.

The book I still reach for most often for basic information is:-

Spitfire -The story of a famous Fighter by Bruce Robertson.

First published in 1960 and revised in 1961 & 1973.

Mark

Member for

20 years

Posts: 1,587

Hi Mark.

I've not seen that one. How does it differ from Morgan & Shacklady and what content do you make most reference to?

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18 years 3 months

Posts: 2,025

Spitfire the History, (Morgan and Shacklady), Schooldays to spitfire, (Gordon Mitchell) and Spitfire in detail ( Frantisek Koran, Vladimir Danda, Josef Martinek, Miroslav Khol) almost entirely photographs and very detailed ones at that.

Member for

14 years

Posts: 1,788

Morgan & Shacklady and Bruce Robertson's Harleyford book. It would take something to better either.

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 18,353

Another vote here for Morgan and Shacklady. Spitfire - Flying Legend is a fantastic bit of pornography, too.

Survivors Vol 1 & 2 are great, also.

Member for

14 years 5 months

Posts: 3,447

I have M and S and its the best reference on any single aviation subject I have ever seen, because of the sheer amount of data and info the authors unearthed and reproduced. HOWEVER the edition I own (first?) reads like a first proofing copy. It has terrible errors on every page - misplaced captions, repetitions, omissions, transpositions, even a whole chapter clearly mis-titled. Deeply frustrating, I found myself continually having to work out what the authors were meaning to say before it got scrambled. Still, worth it for the sheer volume of detailed information that's in there somewhere.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,537

The book I still reach for most often for basic information is:-

Spitfire -The story of a famous Fighter by Bruce Robertson.

First published in 1960 and revised in 1961 & 1973.

Mark

Me too!

Along with the Morgan & Shacklady book, I'd say if push came to shove and I was allowed only two Spitfire books, these would be the two.

I have the 1973 edition with Mark12's list of the then currently known Spitfire survivors around the world.

I'd also recommend Bruce Robertson's 'Camouflage & Markings' by the same publisher, as well.

Cheers

Paul

Member for

20 years

Posts: 1,587

Thanks Mark

Which edition would you recommend? Plenty of 1960 & 61 available.

I know of another one that is tolerably good. Or so I'm told. :)

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 10,029

Thanks Mark

Which edition would you recommend? Plenty of 1960 & 61 available.

The 1961 edition was the second reprint and just had a few corrections. I would go for that one.

The 1973 edition was just an update to the survivor listing taking it from a nominal 80 to 127.

Gosh! That was 42 years ago.

Mark

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Member for

16 years 2 months

Posts: 823

Morgan and Shacklady #1 for sure, but also an honourable mention for The Spitfire Story by Alfred Price

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,537

Morgan and Shacklady #1 for sure, but also an honourable mention for The Spitfire Story by Alfred Price

Oh, I forgot about that one! :eek:

I'd recommend that too, especially if you are into the handling and performance side of the Spitfire.

Cheers

Paul

Member for

15 years

Posts: 1,712

Thanks for all your replies, interesting to hear your points of view, much appreciated.

Member for

13 years 3 months

Posts: 205

Does such a book exist for the Hurricane? :)