Product Description

In September 1939, World War Two is declared. For RAF fighter pilots patrolling the Franco-German border it is a bizarre time: one moment they are chasing an elusive Luftwaffe, the next ordering champagne in Paris. Then, in May 1940, Hitler launches Blitzkrieg and the Hurricane squadrons find themselves engulfed in battle. Blue Man Falling follows the fortunes of two RAF pilots; Englishman Kit Curtis, and American Ossie Wolf, who clash not only with the Germans, but also with each other, fighting for different reasons and employing different methods as France collapses and the Allies face humiliation and defeat. They also encounter the insidious Fifth Column, the enemy within, and those intent on profiting from chaos...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #130315 in Books
• Published on: 2006-08-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

About the Author
Frank Barnard trained as a journalist before moving into public relations. He worked as managing director for major international consultancies before quitting at 50 to write full time and race cars. He is married with two children and four grandchildren with whom he enjoys sailing and sea-fishing near his home in Rye, Sussex.

Customer Reviews

Derek Robinson has company
"Blue man Falling" is a great first novel and a welcome addition to the smallish realm of WWII aviation fiction. I must admit that initially I was a little sceptical being a great fan of Derek Robinson's novels and espeically "Piece of Cake". However I was very pleasantly surprised. This is a great novel, well-written, good characterisation, and a writing style that whips along without detracting from discription. In fact Barnard has done an exemplary job recreating the time, places, people and atmosphere of the Phoney War and Blitzkreig in France. However what really made the book stand out were his brilliant discriptions of aerial combat, these being some of the best I have read in a novel and, dare I say it, better than those of Derek Robinson. As the old cliche goes, they really put the reader in the cockpit - stirring stuff! The only minor point I would make is that the book tended to "waft off" a little in the middle to latter stages with the secondary plotline which was a flashback to earlier during the Phoney War. However this is by no means a major gripe and overall I think it's a splendid read. Well done Mr. Barnard and I'm looking forward to "Band of Eagles" and (hopefully) forthcoming titles.

Great story of the RAF in World War 2
This is a great story of the RAF and I only dropped a star as the the civilian subplot was not critical to the main story.
The quality of the writing describing the flying and the conditions was great with some of the banter between the pilots reminding me of 'A Piece of Cake' by Derek Robinson (another cracking read). The UK / US pilot split also reminded me of that book but this is better in that they seem to want to at least understand each other.
I finsihed the book thinking ' I hope there is a sequel ' - and now I find that there is - excellent !

To Biggles, a riposte
As the author of Blue Man Falling I would like to comment on the review posted by 'Biggles' of Sutton Coldfield. He is obviously entitled to his opinion that the book (widely praised elsewhere for its authenticity and faithfulness to the period) lacks credibility and cohesion, though there was precious little of either in the circumstances surrounding the Fall of France, which I sought to convey. However, he also mentions 'so many historical inaccuracies relating to aerial combat in early 1940...I lost count.' I would be most interested to learn what they are. Blue Man Falling was read, before publication, by a number of distinguished World War Two fighter pilots who, after pointing out a number of inconsistencies and honest mistakes, which were corrected, signed it off as accurate. After publication it has been read by many more veteran pilots, as well as current aviators, none of whom have reported errors. Ironically, the very book that 'Biggles' cites as 'the real thing', Fighter Pilot by Paul Richey, was the original inspiration for Blue Man Falling and very much the guiding light for what I wrote, including some of the more unlikely moments like pilots on leave in Paris sipping champagne cocktails in the Crillon! If 'Biggles' would like to contact me through the Headline Review Reading Circle website, I would be most happy to hear his detailed criticisms and, if a reprint is envisaged, incorporate whatever glitches he has detected. I do, however, thank for his interest and hope that perhaps the second novel in the series, Band Of Eagles, is more to his taste. I apologise for giving five stars to my own book. Please discount that, but it was the only way I could log this reaction to a fairly damning one-star review...