Books About Aviation
Books About Aviation
In celebration of National Amelia Earhart Day on July 24 and National Aviation Day on August 19!
I've been participating in a lot of aviation-themed activities lately. Just a few weeks ago I went to the St. Louis Science Center to watch Aircraft Carrier: Guardian of the Seas at the Omnimax Theater. On our trip to Seattle, we toured the Boeing facilities where they make airplanes. Last year, when we visited Florida with my husband's family we visited the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola...TWICE. So when I heard National Amelia Earhart Day was a thing, I had to put together this list of Books to Read about Aviation.
Amelia Earhart, one of the most celebrated aviators in history, made significant contributions to aviation and women's rights. Born on July 24, 1897, Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932, a feat that earned her international acclaim. Her passion for flying and her pioneering spirit inspired countless people, particularly women, to pursue careers in aviation and other male-dominated fields. Earhart's legacy extends beyond her accomplishments in the sky; she was a vocal advocate for women's empowerment, using her platform to challenge societal norms and encourage women to pursue their dreams fearlessly. Tragically, she disappeared in 1937 during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe, and her disappearance remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the 20th century.
National Amelia Earhart Day, celebrated annually on July 24th, honors her life and contributions to aviation and women's rights. This day serves as a reminder of Earhart's bravery, innovation, and determination, which continue to inspire people worldwide. It also highlights the importance of encouraging young women to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), fields where women remain underrepresented. Through events, educational programs, and commemorations, National Amelia Earhart Day keeps her legacy alive, celebrating her as a trailblazer who pushed the boundaries of what was possible and paved the way for future generations of women.
National Aviation Day, observed annually on August 19th, is a celebration of the history and development of aviation in the United States. Established in 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the date was chosen to coincide with the birthday of Orville Wright, one of the pioneering Wright brothers who achieved the first powered flight in 1903. This day honors the incredible advancements in aviation, recognizing the contributions of aviators, engineers, and all those who have propelled the field forward. It’s a time to reflect on the transformative impact of flight on society, from connecting distant parts of the world to inspiring innovation in countless other fields. National Aviation Day is also an opportunity to inspire future generations to take an interest in aviation and aerospace, encouraging a continued spirit of exploration and discovery.
Aviation has always captured the human imagination, from the early days of daring test pilots pushing the limits of the skies to the modern marvels of aerospace engineering. Whether you're an aviation enthusiast, a history buff, or simply someone who loves a good adventure, books about aviation offer a thrilling glimpse into the world of flight. In this blog post, we'll explore a selection of captivating books that delve into the triumphs, challenges, and stories of those who have shaped the history of aviation. From stories of pioneering aviators like Amelia Earhart and Ernest K. Gann to technical explorations of modern aircraft, these books provide a rich tapestry of the sky's wonders and the people who dare to conquer it.
West with the Night by Beryl Markham
Beryl Markham's West with the Night is a true classic, a book that deserves the same acclaim and readership as the work of her contemporaries Ernest Hemingway, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and Isak Dinesen.
If the first responsibility of a memoirist is to lead a life worth writing about, Markham succeeded beyond all measure. Born Beryl Clutterbuck in the middle of England, she and her father moved to Kenya when she was a girl, and she grew up with a zebra for a pet; horses for friends; baboons, lions, and gazelles for neighbors. She made money by scouting elephants from a tiny plane. And she would spend most of the rest of her life in East Africa as an adventurer, a racehorse trainer, and an aviatrix―she became the first person to fly nonstop from Europe to America, the first woman to fly solo east to west across the Atlantic. Hers was indisputably a life full of adventure and beauty.
And then there is the writing. When Hemingway read Markham's book, he wrote to his editor, Maxwell Perkins: "She has written so well, and marvelously well, that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer . . . [She] can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves as writers . . . It is really a bloody wonderful book."
The Flying Circus by Susan Crandall
They are barnstormers…the daredevil fliers whose airborne acrobatics are a thrilling spectacle crisscrossing the Heartland skies. Rising above each of their circumstances in their own “flying circus” are Cora Rose Haviland, a privileged young woman left penniless when her father’s fortune is lost; Charles “Gil” Gilchrist, a World War I pilot whose traumatic past fuels his death-defying stunts; and eighteen-year-old Henry Schuler, the son of a German immigrant farmer, on the run from shocking accusations. Each holds secrets that could destroy their makeshift family. And, on their adrenaline-charged journey of self-discovery, one of them must pay the price.
With the poignant and powerful storytelling voice that made Whistling Past the Graveyard “a classic, a book people want to pass along for generations to come” (Feathered Quill Book Reviews), Susan Crandall artfully weaves the stories of three unforgettable characters, each searching for salvation that waits just beyond the horizon.
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
October 11th, 1943 -- A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.
When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.
As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy?
A universally acclaimed Edgar Award winner, Code Name Verity is a visceral read of danger, resolve, and survival that shows just how far true friends will go to save each other. This updated edition features a brand-new short story, essay from the author, a discussion guide, and more.
No Man’s Son: A Flight from Obscurity to Fame by Linda Chowdry
Author Interview with Linda Chowdry
An immigrant's memoir recounting the life of a young Pakistani man who came to the U.S. with only a driving ambition to make a difference in his chosen industry, aviation. Through challenges and successes, he soared to the very heights of the airline business. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, he unleashed his passion, ultimately building a successful airline, Atlas Air Cargo.
Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams
Author Interview with Beatriz Williams
Review of Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams
The beloved author returns with a remarkable novel of both raw suspense and lyric beauty— the story of a lost pilot and a wartime photographer that will leave its mark on your soul.
In 1947, photographer and war correspondent Janey Everett arrives at a remote surfing village on the Hawaiian island of Kauai to research a planned biography of forgotten aviation pioneer Sam Mallory, who joined the loyalist forces in the Spanish Civil War and never returned. Obsessed with Sam’s fate, Janey has tracked down Irene Lindquist, the owner of a local island-hopping airline, whom she believes might actually be the legendary Irene Foster, Mallory’s onetime student and flying partner. Foster’s disappearance during a round-the-world flight in 1937 remains one of the world’s greatest unsolved mysteries.
At first, the flinty Mrs. Lindquist denies any connection to Foster. But Janey informs her that the wreck of Sam Mallory’s airplane has recently been discovered in a Spanish desert, and piece by piece, the details of Foster’s extraordinary life emerge: from the beginnings of her flying career in Southern California, to her complicated, passionate relationship with Mallory, to the collapse of her marriage to her aggressive career manager, the publishing scion George Morrow.
As Irene spins her tale to its searing conclusion, Janey’s past gathers its own power. The duel between the two women takes a heartstopping turn. To whom does Mallory rightfully belong? Can we ever come to terms with the loss of those we love, and the lives we might have lived?
The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar
Author Interview with Noelle Salazar
Shining a light on a little-known piece of history The Flight Girls is a sweeping portrayal of women’s fearlessness, love, and the power of friendship to make us soar.
1941. Audrey Coltrane has always wanted to fly. It’s why she implored her father to teach her at the little airfield back home in Texas. It’s why she signed up to train military pilots in Hawaii when the war in Europe began. And it’s why she insists she is not interested in any dream-derailing romantic involvements, even with the disarming Lieutenant James Hart, who fast becomes a friend as treasured as the women she flies with. Then one fateful day, she gets caught in the air over Pearl Harbor just as the bombs begin to fall, and suddenly, nowhere feels safe.
To make everything she’s lost count for something, Audrey joins the Women Airforce Service Pilots program. The bonds she forms with her fellow pilots reignite a spark of hope in the face war, and—when James goes missing in action—give Audrey the strength to cross the front lines and fight not only for her country, but for the love she holds so dear.
Girls of Flight City by Lorraine Heath
Inspired by true events, a breathtaking WWII historical novel about the brave American women who trained the British Royal Air Force Pilots, by New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath.
Katharine, the Wright Sister by Tracey Enerson Wood
From national and international bestselling author Tracey Enerson Wood comes KATHARINE, THE WRIGHT SISTER, a vibrant historical novel about the unsung hero behind the groundbreaking aeronautical achievement of Wilbur and Orville Wright: their sister.
Wilbur and Orville Wright risked life and limb in their pursuit of human flight, but their sister Katherine was the behind-the-scenes mastermind of their inventions. She sourced materials, managed communications, and kept Wilbur and Orville focused on their goal—even when it seemed hopeless—all at the expense of her own unique dreams and plans. But the Wright brothers’ success in 1903 wasn’t the end of her sacrifice. At the height of Wilbur and Orville’s fame, tragedy rips them apart time and again, forcing Katherine to make choices that will haunt her for the rest of her life.
Perfect for fans of Marie Benedict and Fiona Davis, KATHARINE, THE WRIGHT SISTER is an intricate and refreshingly emotional historical novel that reveals the story of one of the most consequential women to ever live and the incredible, courageous choices she made so that others might fly.
A Pair of Wings by Carole Hopson
A riveting, adventurous novel inspired by the life of pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman, a Black woman who learned to fly at the dawn of aviation, and found freedom in the air.
For fans of Hidden Figures, The Great Circle, and I Was Amelia Earhart, A Pair of Wings is an epic novel about pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman, whose story has waited 100 years to be told. A few years after the Wright Brothers’ first flight, Bessie was working the Texas cotton fields with her family when an airplane flew right over their heads. It buzzed so low she thought she could catch it in her hands. Bessie wasn’t afraid. Without even thinking, she spread her arms out and pretended she was flying. She knew there was freedom in those wings.
The daughter of a woman born into slavery, Bessie answers the call of the great migration, moving to Chicago as a single woman. While working as a manicurist in the White Sox barbershop, she wins the backing of two wealthy, powerful Black men, Robert Abbott, the publisher of The Chicago Defender, and Jesse Binga, Chicago’s first Black banker. Abbott becomes her mentor and chronicles her adventures, while the good-looking gun-toting Binga becomes her lover. Her first love, though, remains the airplane.
But in 1920, no one in the U.S. will train a Black woman to fly, so 26- year-old Bessie learns to speak French and bets it all on an epic journey to Europe as she begins a quest to defy the odds and gravity itself. Two years ahead of Amelia Earhart, Bessie is molded by battle-hardened French and German combat pilots, who teach her death-defying stunts. Bessie’s signature majestic loops, spiky barrel rolls, and hairpin turns, just like her hardscrabble journey, are spellbinding.
While she finds there is no prejudice in the air, Bessie must wrestle with many challenges: She nearly dies in a plane crash, one of her brothers seems to be crumbling under the weight of Jim Crow, and as she grapples with tough truths about Binga, Bessie begins to wonder if the freedom she finds in the air means she must otherwise fly solo.
With tenderness and verve, Carole Hopson imagines the breathtaking moxie that led Bessie Coleman to strap up knee-high boots and don a self-designed flight suit to become “Queen Bess” of the sky.
The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West by Sara Ackerman
Author Interview with Sara Ackerman
During the Golden Age of Aviation, a young female pilot defines all odds to try and win the Dole Air Race, a 2400-mile, 26-hour Pacific crossing from California to Hawaii. In 1987, a woman uncovers her buried history and fights to secure its rightful place in the aviation hall of fame. The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West is a riveting tale of danger, secrets, and powerful families who will stop at nothing to promote their own narratives.
Crossing the Horizon by Laurie Notaro
It’s 1927.
Charles Lindberg has inspired millions but no woman has yet embarked on trans-Atlantic flight. Three women, based on real aviatrixes from the early years of aviation, determine to make their mark on history and set out on a thrilling but dangerous mission.
Elsie Mackay, daughter of an Earl, is the first Englishwoman to get her pilot’s license. Mabel Boll, a glamorous society darling and former cigar girl, is ardent to make the historic flight. Beauty pageant contestant Ruth Elder uses her winnings for flying lessons and becomes the preeminent American girl of the sky.
Inspired by true events and real people, Notaro vividly evokes this exciting time as her determined heroines vie for the record. Through striking photos, meticulous research, and atmospheric prose, Notaro brings Elsie, Mabel, and Ruth to life, pulling us back in time as the pilots collide, struggle, and literally crash in the chase for fame and a place in aviation history.
The Wright Brothers by David McCullough
Also appeared on my list of Best Books About History
"New York Times" bestseller Two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize David McCullough tells the dramatic story-behind-the-story about the courageous brothers who taught the world how to fly: Wilbur and Orville Wright. On a winter day in 1903, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, two unknown brothers from Ohio changed history. But it would take the world some time to believe what had happened: the age of flight had begun, with the first heavier-than-air, powered machine carrying a pilot. Who were these men and how was it that they achieved what they did? David McCullough, two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, tells the surprising, profoundly American story of Wilbur and Orville Wright. Far more than a couple of unschooled Dayton bicycle mechanics who happened to hit on success, they were men of exceptional courage and determination, and of far-ranging intellectual interests and ceaseless curiosity, much of which they attributed to their upbringing. The house they lived in had no electricity or indoor plumbing, but there were books aplenty, supplied mainly by their preacher father, and they never stopped reading. When they worked together, no problem seemed to be insurmountable. Wilbur was unquestionably a genius. Orville had such mechanical ingenuity as few had ever seen. That they had no more than a public high school education, little money and no contacts in high places, never stopped them in their "mission" to take to the air. Nothing did, not even the self-evident reality that every time they took off in one of their contrivances, they risked being killed. In this thrilling book, master historian David McCullough draws on the immense riches of the Wright Papers, including private diaries, notebooks, scrapbooks, and more than a thousand letters from private family correspondence to tell the human side of the Wright Brothers' story.
Sully: My Search for What Really Matters by Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III
Now a major motion picture from Clint Eastwood, starring Tom Hanks—the inspirational autobiography by one of the most captivating American heroes of our time, Capt. ‘Sully’ Sullenberger—the pilot who miraculously landed a crippled US Airways Flight 1549 in New York’s Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew.
On January 15, 2009, the world witnessed a remarkable emergency landing when Captain "Sully" Sullenberger skillfully glided US Airways Flight 1549 onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 passengers and crew. His cool actions not only averted tragedy but made him a hero and an inspiration worldwide. His story is now a major motion picture from director / producer Clint Eastwood and stars Tom Hanks, Laura Linney and Aaron Eckhart.
Sully's story is one of dedication, hope, and preparedness, revealing the important lessons he learned through his life, in his military service, and in his work as an airline pilot. It reminds us all that, even in these days of conflict, tragedy and uncertainty, there are values still worth fighting for—that life's challenges can be met if we're ready for them.
Circling the Sun by Paula McLain
Author Interview with Paula McLain
Paula McLain, author of the phenomenal bestseller The Paris Wife, now returns with her keenly anticipated new novel, transporting readers to colonial Kenya in the 1920s. Circling the Sun brings to life a fearless and captivating woman—Beryl Markham, a record-setting aviator caught up in a passionate love triangle with safari hunter Denys Finch Hatton and Karen Blixen, who as Isak Dinesen wrote the classic memoir Out of Africa.
Brought to Kenya from England as a child and then abandoned by her mother, Beryl is raised by both her father and the native Kipsigis tribe who share his estate. Her unconventional upbringing transforms Beryl into a bold young woman with a fierce love of all things wild and an inherent understanding of nature’s delicate balance. But even the wild child must grow up, and when everything Beryl knows and trusts dissolves, she is catapulted into a string of disastrous relationships.
Beryl forges her own path as a horse trainer, and her uncommon style attracts the eye of the Happy Valley set, a decadent, bohemian community of European expats who also live and love by their own set of rules. But it’s the ruggedly charismatic Denys Finch Hatton who ultimately helps Beryl navigate the uncharted territory of her own heart. The intensity of their love reveals Beryl’s truest self and her fate: to fly.
Set against the majestic landscape of early-twentieth-century Africa, McLain’s powerful tale reveals the extraordinary adventures of a woman before her time, the exhilaration of freedom and its cost, and the tenacity of the human spirit.
The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin
Author Interview with Melanie Benjamin
Also appeared on my list of Best Historical Fiction Books About Real Women
When Anne Morrow, a shy college senior with hidden literary aspirations, travels to Mexico City to spend Christmas with her family, she meets Colonel Charles Lindbergh, fresh off his celebrated 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic. Enthralled by Charles’s assurance and fame, Anne is certain the aviator has scarcely noticed her. But she is wrong. Charles sees in Anne a kindred spirit, a fellow adventurer, and her world will be changed forever. The two marry in a headline-making wedding. In the years that follow, Anne becomes the first licensed female glider pilot in the United States. But despite this and other major achievements, she is viewed merely as the aviator’s wife. The fairy-tale life she once longed for will bring heartbreak and hardships, ultimately pushing her to reconcile her need for love and her desire for independence, and to embrace, at last, life’s infinite possibilities for change and happiness.
Flights of Fancy by Richard Dawkins
Flights of Fancy is a book about flying – all the different ways of defying gravity that have been discovered by humans over the centuries and by other animals over the millions of years, from the mythical Icarus, to the sadly extinct but magnificent bird Argentavis magnificens, to the Wright Flyer and the 747. But it also means flights of digression into more general ideas and principles that take off from a discussion about actual flight.
Chicago Air and Water Show
The Chicago Air and Water Show is one of the city’s most thrilling and beloved summer events, drawing millions of spectators to the shores of Lake Michigan each year. Held annually over a weekend in August, this free event showcases an exhilarating display of aerobatics, precision flying, and daredevil stunts, performed by some of the most skilled pilots and skydivers in the world. The show has a rich history dating back to 1959, when it began as a modest event with a budget of just $88 for fuel, but it has since grown into one of the largest and oldest free admission air shows in the United States.
The show’s lineup typically includes performances by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, the U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights, and other military and civilian aviation teams. Spectators can watch awe-inspiring formations, high-speed flyovers, and heart-stopping aerial maneuvers, all set against the stunning backdrop of Chicago’s skyline and lakefront. In addition to the airborne excitement, the water portion of the show features boat races, water skiing, and demonstrations by rescue teams, adding another layer of excitement to the event.
The Chicago Air and Water Show is more than just a spectacle; it’s a celebration of aviation, teamwork, and the city’s vibrant spirit. It offers an opportunity for families, aviation enthusiasts, and tourists to come together and enjoy a world-class event that is both thrilling and accessible. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a long-time fan, the show never fails to deliver an unforgettable experience.
The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
And if your interest in aviation extends to space…
Millions of words have poured forth about man's trip to the moon, but until now few people have had a sense of the most engrossing side of the adventure; namely, what went on in the minds of the astronauts themselves - in space, on the moon, and even during certain odysseys on earth. It is this, the inner life of the astronauts, that Tom Wolfe describes with his almost uncanny empathetic powers, that made The Right Stuff a classic.
