Our Team's Five Must-Read Aviation Books

The AOPA team loves to read, and anything aviation is undoubtedly on the top of our list. To accommodate the avid readers among aviation lovers, we have compiled ones we think you need to read. We hope our list of favorites inspires your reading for 2021.

What is It: Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Who Loves It: Jiri Marousek and Jonathan Taylor
About the Book: In his autobiographical work, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, an early aviator, describes a series of life events, specifically his work for the airmail carrier Aéropostale. In the book, he recounts several episodes from his years flying treacherous mail routes. The book's themes encompass friendship, death, heroism, camaraderie, solidarity among colleagues, humanity, and the search for meaning in life. 

What is It: Fate is the Hunter by Ernest K. Gann
Who Loves It: Kevin Cortes
About the Book: In this 1961 memoir, Ernest K. Gann details his years working as a pilot from the 1930s to 1950s. He first started at American Airlines when civilian air transport was in its infancy, and then moved onto wartime flying, and finally he went to Matson Navigation's short-lived upstart airline and various post-World War II "nonscheduled" airlines in Douglas DC-4s. 

What is It: Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of the Art of Flyingby Wolfgang Langewiesche
Who Loves It: Daria Knupp
About the Book: Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of the Art of Flying by Wolfgang Langewiesche is the first exact analysis of the art of flying ever attempted. It has been continuously in print for thirty-three years and is loved by many. This book explains the essential phases of flying in a way a learner can use. It shows precisely what the pilot does when he flies, just how he does it, and why.

What is It: Violet the Pilot by Steve Breen (a children’s book)
Who Loves It: Claire Urban
About the Book:  The books protagonist, Violet Van Winkle, is an inventor with a flair for air. Her father manages a junkyard. While other girls play with dolls and tea sets, Violet is busy tinkering with monkey wrenches and needle-nosed pliers building elaborate contraptions, especially flying machines her Bicycopter, Pogo Plane, and Wing-a-ma-jig. This is a fantastic book to introduce kids to the magic of flying.

What is It: The Wright Brothers by David McCullough
Who Loves It: Morgan Boerum
About the Book:  The Wright Brothers explores the courage and curiosity of the seemingly ordinary bicycle-manufacturing brothers from Dayton, Ohio, who went on to “invent the future of flight” for all humankind. The book thoroughly describes the events leading to the famous 12 second flight in 1903 at Kitty Hawk that we celebrate as the “take-off” of powered flight. While a significant milestone, it was almost another five years of pain-staking trial and error development that followed before the real public roll-out of aviation occurred.