Customer Reviews

Warbird Recovery: The Hunt for a Rare WWII Plane in Siberia, Russia

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found Gordon Page's book "Warbird Recovery" to be a very enjoyable and compelling adventure. I was not able to put it down from the time I started reading it until I finished. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

I appreciate the fact that there are people willing to put so much on the line in order to keep our rich history alive. It's this drive that will keep these planes flying long into the future and help all to remember the struggles and sacrifices that were made for us.

Thanks Gordon to you and the people working with you that made this story possible.

For years I have been an aviation buff. Gordon Page put a dream of mine into words. I was there with him on every page. I have collected several bits and pieces of warbirds and can only dream of what Gordon has done. It is a very easy fascinating read, very tough to put down and leaves you wishing for more and more chapters. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone or any age.

I confess: I'm not an aviation buff. But I do appreciate a great story and Warbird Recovery is a gripping, real-life tale, filled with turn-the-page intrigue, shady characters, Russian history and laugh-out-loud humor. Take a journey with the author as he risks his life in pursuit of a childhood dream. Warbird Recovery is a terrific read!

Warbird Recovery is a great, true story of a journey to bring some WWII aircraft to the US for restoration and display. This journey starts with Gordon Page's childhood dream of flying a Messerschmitt 109 and grows into a real life adventure.

After the break-up of the USSR Russia was open for business with the West for the first time in decades. Buyers were looking for treasures and just about anybody was willing to take their money. As the author goes on his own treasure hunt for vintage aircraft he encounters the Russian mafia, the KGB and questionable dealers who always want cash in advance. Along the way he experiences the breakdown of just about everything in Russia. His focus on what he wants and a willingness to follow his dream when it looks like there is no hope brings the search to a surprising end.

Recommended for high school, college and public libraries particularly where there is an interest in aviation and recent history.

Take a safe journey to Siberia Russia through the pages of Gordon's book. This is a story that can be enjoyed by everyone, not just aviators. You will find adventure, uncertainty and suspicious characters in every chapter. It is also a great reminder to pursue your dreams and never let them die. `Warbird Recovery' is an easy, inspirational read.

I couldn't put this book down! I had been aware of the Bf 109 Project from the Warbird Recovery website and was very eager to hear the whole story. What a story it is! Wow, few of us who view restored warbirds can appreciate the effort that goes into them. This is a rare look behind the scenes and is quite an adventure story. Gordon Page does a great job at transporting the reader in time an place to experience the journey to Russia along with him. The many side trips along the way are the real gems! I kept reading to find out what would happen next! I can't wait to see what happens next and look forward to seeing these rare fighters take flight once again!

So the phone rings and someone asks if you'd like to go to Russia and get a P-63 King Cobra.

'What condition,' you ask.

'Just put oil and fuel in it and fly it home.'

Your first thought has to be, 'you gotta be kidding.'

But then, a flyable P-63 has got to be worth a small fortune. A million dollars wouldn't be out of order at all, depending on condition. Although there were some 3300 P-63's built, only a handfull remain, and most of these are not in flying condition.

Would you go to Russia?

Gordon Page did. And he found lots (30 perhaps) P-63's. From the photograph on the back, with the engine over here, the wings gone, the tail missing; I don't think that you can just put fuel in it and fly it away.

His story of traveling to Russia leaves me with the impression that he is lucky to be alive. And he reports that his wife has refused to let him go again.

Then after that, he made another trip, this time in search of a Me-109. He found it, he bought it, and another miracle, they shipped it. Not only did they ship it, but they included a second Me-109. Now, with a million dollars, you can get a flying Messerschmitt.

I'm passing this book along to a friend of mine who goes to Russia (not far from the P-63's) a couple of times a year (gold mining) to see if he can find a P-63 -- it would be almost worth it's weight in gold.

He went to Russia in 1993. This was one of the first to begin to try to do business in Russia. I don't get the feeling that things have improved very much.

This is an excellent book for anyone with even a slight interest in aircraft.

Although the book won't tell you much about WWII planes (hey you can get that in a 1000 boring tomes on the subject), it is a gripping and well-written read. You get a true sense of adventure and wonder if Gordon Page was either brave, lucky or determinedly stupid in his quest for the ultimate wreck!

I enjoyed it immensely from the first to last page.

This book makes you want to be right there to experience it with them. It intertwined history, reality, excitement, and anxious apprehension all in one. This book takes you through a whirlwind of emotion. It is amazing to see what can happen when two cultures are mixd together. It made me feel exceptionally privileged to live in the world and environment we do. I also was especially grateful for the way aviation is regulated in the states.

This book is well written as a "don't try this at home" story about what it takes to try and save some aviation history. This is an easy to read story with a lot of uneasy moments. We have vistited the museum where the parts of these rare aircraft reside and it is amazing what they went through to get these historic aircraft. It is hard to believe what happened to save these planes and the story to try and recover historic aircraft is amazing. A terrific story!!!