My ‘Top 5’ Vulcan Reads
The best books to read if you want to know more about the RAF and the Vulcan bomber …
Writing Banshee involved a lot of research - which I absolutely loved - and I thought it was about time I shared my top 5 RAF, Vulcan and V-force related reads.
I say these are my top 5, however, they’re presented in no particular order! Aside from to say you can’t go wrong with a Tony Blackman book; his works are superb and that’s why they feature prominently here. I had the privilege of meeting him a few times, and he was a wonderful gentleman.
To be fair, any of Grub Street Publishing’s “Boys” series on Cold War aircraft are well worth picking up - I have many of them on my bookshelves.
Side note: if you click on any of these images it should take you to where you can buy the book. I’ve linked directly to the publishers where I can, although they’re not affiliate links. Supporting independent publishers like these means more books can be published in future, and as a reader and author I’m all for that.
1) Vulcan Test Pilot by Tony Blackman
This is one of my favourite Vulcan books, and well worth adding to your shelves if you don’t already have it. Tony was a test pilot for Avro, and flew 109 out of the 136 aircraft produced. This book strikes the perfect balance of being technical about the details of flying a Vulcan, while also being easily readable.
2) Vulcan Boys by Tony Blackman
This book tells the story of the Vulcan from its design to its service life, through the people who were there: ground crews, pilots, navigators, and so on. This collection of stories from the men who were there is fascinating.
3) V-Force Boys by Tony Blackman and Anthony Wright
Much like Vulcan Boys, only this book features stories from those who operated and flew all three V-bombers. Anthony Wright was a Valiant and Vulcan navigator, and it really gives the whole picture to read about Valiants and Victors as well as Vulcans.
4) Vulcan 607 by Rowland White
THE definitive account of the first Black Buck raid of the Falklands War. History written like a thriller. Not only does it cover the crews involved, we hear from the Falkland Islanders themselves - and Argentinians. If you haven’t read this, you absolutely should - even if you’re not an aviation geek.
5) The Avro Type 698 Vulcan: The Secrets Behind Its Design and Development by David W. Fildes
This is a deeply technical exploration of the concepts and details behind the Vulcan’s design, full of illustrations and drawings. To say it’s comprehensive is an understatement. While I enjoyed it, it’s probably more for engineers and enthusiasts than a casual reader.
Have you read any of these? Or are they sitting on your TBR pile? Alternatively, are there any you’d recommend instead? I’m always looking out for new books (as my husband knows!).