DOC Wings on My Sleeve (Phoenix Press) by Eric Brown in History

Review

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. The incredible life of Captain Eric BrownBy Flying PhotographerIn this book; Captain Brown is sitting next to you and telling you the incredible story of his life. While his writing style will probably not win him any prize (being the most decorated FAA pilot in history he certainly doesn't need any!); the book is written in an easy to follow conversational style. It is just amazing how flying 8 different aircraft (mostly prototypes) in one day can be part of your daily routine; and that's what Captain Brown did for many years. To say he is a walking encyclopedia of aircraft in the 1939-1970 period would be an understatement; and he has the distinction of being one of the very few who have flown almost all mayor types in WWII of any air force - that is not only UK; but also US; Germany; Italy; Japan...In just shy of 300 pages you cannot go into every detail when presenting a lifespan of interesting adventures; so this book is a good introduction into the human being behind all the records; and puts many things into perspective. It certainly also serves as a good companion to Captain Browns many other books (if you can find them); which are usually devoted to more delimited topics and thus enter into much more detail.There are also a few very interesting pictures; correctly captioned and wonderfully accompanying the text. Regarding the binding (see other reviews); the book is rather heavy for its small size; and the binding is a bit narrow; but nothing that will get in the way of an extraordinary reading experience. You would probably need quite some harsh treatment to get a few pages loose; so if you open the book and pages do fall out; then you should return it!I seldom recommend any book as a "must have"; but this one is one of these that any aircraft enthusiast simply cannot miss - highly recommended.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A fascinating read!By Food LoverIf you are in aviation; have been in aviation or have an interest in aviation; this is a fascinating read. It helps to understand some aviation terms to fully enjoy the book and it's told in event by event form rather than story form. Eric Brown has flown more types of aircraft and made more carrier landings than anyone and the man is still alive. After you read his flying adventures you'll wonder how he lived through them. His interviews of captured German staff is eye opening and gives a great insight into their political beliefs and loyalty to their leaders. The pictures of unusual WW II aircraft alone are worth the purchase of the book. It's a little pricey for a paperback but it's a book you'll likely want to keep for reference. I'm a former career pilot and picked up a lot of previously unknown; to me; aviation history. After reading the book I believe that Eric Brown is likely the most talented and luckiest pilot to ever live. And he lived at precisely the right time and place(s) to experience the age of aviation.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Great story; poor book binding!By Dave V.This is a wonderful story by someone is isn't well known in the US. Winkle Brown flew more different types of aircraft than anyone in history. And the types he flew were incredible. Almost all of the WW2 fighters from each of the combatants. Including early jets and the German ME-163 rocket fighter. He was selected to fly the Miles supersonic research aircraft; which probably would have beaten the US X-1 through the sound barrier had it not been cancelled. His evaluations of these aircraft are of particular value; as he could compare each's performance with their contemporaries. What a wealth of information!Unfortunately; I couldn't give this review 5 stars because the book binding is so bad. My first copy came apart within the first few readings and I have been VERY careful with the second. It looks like the binder just didn't use the right type; or amount of glue.