BOOKS and modeling

Rudy,

Books are everything.  Without them, it is hard to know enough about what you are modeling. Plus in my view the knowledge gained multiplies the appreciation the builder gets  for the actual item he's modeling.

I believe, the more you know about the aircraft, ship, military vechicle you are building, the better model you will build.

Makes it more fun too!

Oh, Yeah! My modeling hobby is just an excuse to buy books. I usually buy at least one for every model.

It's nice to see other bibliophiles here. I actually collect first edition, first print books, signed (if possible) by the author. My collectables are mostly in the horror genre, all authors from the founding member's of HOWL, which is now the Horror Writers Association.

I do have a fairly large collection of history books also, most are not collectable, but great reference material. Most of the books deal with WWII air warfare.

I hope you dont mind me sharing a few of my titles with you.

RudyOnWheels

........................... THe flying colors book has enough paint and decal schemes for the rest of my life....

Rudy

 

I've owned that book for some years..............

Big fan of books and hard copy reference material.  Fiction or non-fitction, doesn't matter to me.

And I've finished more books than I have models.  You really can't screw up finishing a book.  And you can't efficiently bring a model in to the 'reading room' either.

 Youve got some AWESOME material there!!! I am jealous!!! I read around 50 books in one year a couple years ago, then I decided to do more modeling, so Its hard to do both.  I recently started listening to Audible books, and really like it! So Now I listen to my books while modeling. Two birds, one stone!! I am a non-fiction guy myself, although I am listening to "299 days"  by Glen Tate right now, which is semi-fiction...

   Rudy

Well ;

   I'll be hornswaggled ! A photo of the Dornier D.O.X. ! (the top seaplane in your group .)  I read about it and my shop teacher had me build it ,  from some plans he had in his files , even at 1/72 it was a monster !      Tanker - Builder

Yes I enjoy reading,lots of military history books in my library.I still like hard copies,although I download quite a few for reading on vacation.

Like others, I usually buy 1 or 2 books for every build.  Plus, I love reading, when I have the time I pick up books that look interesting to me.  History and military books are #1 on the list.

Jim  

Nice old model in 1/144.

I used to buy up a lot of books...just about anything for refs. Then, I got inernet.

I was on a reading kick for a while...several years ago. Primarily WW2 pilots memoirs. Most were quite good and very hard to put down. I bought up all that I could find, then there was nothing left. I'm sure there's tons more, but ahve totally lost interest in reading.

I am a bona fide book addict. I love and cherish my library. Yes, I have a sizeable stash of kits and yet it pales in relation to the size of my collection of books. The vast majority are reference books. I easily have at least 2-3 books per kit. And Lord knows how many books I have on the F4U Corsair and PBY Catalina, my favorite aircraft. I read at every oppurtunity I have available. Although the internet is a valuable tool, for me it cannot and will not replace a good ole book. 

fermis

I'm sure there's tons more, but ahve totally lost interest in reading.

Fremis, I pray for your return to the fold.

JOE RIX

I And Lord knows how many books I have on the F4U Corsair and PBY Catalina, my favorite aircraft.

I found my taste in aircraft to change by the material I am reading at the time. I read Ding Hao -Americas Air war In China 1937-1945, and I was on a P40-B/C kick for well over a year. The book was so good it stuck with me for the better part of a 2 years. Then I picked up Max Brands, Fighter Squadron At Guadalcanal and I was sent on a F4F-4 Wildcat craze, which I still enjoy today. I still love both planes but I'm sure if I come across another book that holds my interest as well as these, I will be sent on another plane craze. I read Ba-Ba Black Sheep, but for whatever reason that book just didnt measure up for me. I think it had to do with reading Ding-Hao and getting a look at Boyington from another angle.

I love books too.  I have many of all kind waiting to be read, and with my retirement from teaching just months away, I'm really looking forward to getting in some good reading.  Book storage is a big problem for me.  My bookshelves filled long ago, and space for more shelves is at a premium.  Well, space for anything is at a premium actually...such is the life of a pack-rat!

One book I haven't seen mentioned is "The First and the Last, The Rise and Fall of the German Fighter Forces, 1938-1945" by Adolf Galland.  I found a first edition copy, 1954, at a school library book sale several years ago.  It's very interesting.

Gary

Mike F6F

Rudy,

Books are everything.  Without them, it is hard to know enough about what you are modeling. Plus in my view the knowledge gained multiplies the appreciation the builder gets  for the actual item he's modeling.

I believe, the more you know about the aircraft, ship, military vechicle you are building, the better model you will build.

Makes it more fun too!

 

Well put, and I fully agree that the more you know about your subject the better off you are as a individual. It's true what they say - "Knowledge is Power"

Thanks for the book suggestions fellas!! I will put them on my reading list. The CBI theatre is another interest of mine, My one grandfather was one of Merrils' Marauders, and the other was a tail gunner in B-17's and B-24s who was in Europe very early on, in the daylight raids, including the Ploesti raid (flying at treetop level attacking the Romanian oilfields, with around 70% losses IIRC) and "Big Week". I wish I got to meet them both, they were gone before I was born.... 

RUDY 

RudyOnWheels

The CBI theatre is another interest of mine, My one grandfather was one of Merrils' Marauders, and the other was a tail gunner in B-17's and B-24s who was in Europe very early on, in the daylight raids, including the Ploesti raid (flying at treetop level attacking the Romanian oilfields, with around 70% losses IIRC) and "Big Week".

Rudy if you enjoy the CBI theater of war "Ding Hao" is a must read, I would also suggest "Spearhead" which may be hard to find at this time. I enjoyed Spearhead, but some of the stories were repetitive, I think the book could have been editied down by a couple hundered pages." Behind Japanese Lines With The OSS In Burma" is also a very good read, and the classic "Walk Out With Stilwell In Burma" is another book not to be forgotten. Happy reading!

Texgunner

One book I haven't seen mentioned is "The First and the Last, The Rise and Fall of the German Fighter Forces, 1938-1945" by Adolf Galland. 

If you havent already read "JG 26 Top Guns Of The Lufwaffe by Donald Caldwell with a foreward by Adolf Galland", I highly recommend it.

I used to think digital publishing would eventually replace printed books, but it seems the tide is changing back in favor of the latter these days. I welcome that trend, especially since I still write books. I think reading my Bill Campbell book wouldn't be nearly as good an experience on an e-reader.

http://www.schifferbooks.com/a-weird-oh-world-the-art-of-bill-campbell-5537.html

Weird-Oh

I used to think digital publishing would eventually replace printed books, but it seems the tide is changing back in favor of the latter these days. I welcome that trend, especially since I still write books. I think reading my Bill Campbell book wouldn't be nearly as good an experience on an e-reader.

http://www.schifferbooks.com/a-weird-oh-world-the-art-of-bill-campbell-5537.html

 

I own both a Kindle and a Nook, and I love them for general reading. I can store hundreds of books in two small units, all the fiction books I used to buy in paperback form now end up on my eReaders. Most of the material I buy in book form are collectables and reference material. The reference material cant be beat in book form, at least not from my point of view.