Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6065 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Patrick Bishop, February 20, 2008
What the pilots did and what they thought, described in their own vivid words. It rings with unalloyed authenticity.

Patrick Bishop
"This is the real thing... it rings with unalloyed authenticity"

Synopsis
The extraordinary stories of ten fighter pilots, told in their very own words during the Second World War. First published by Collins in 1942, this is an utterly compelling collection of first-hand accounts taken from ten fighter pilots, who, at the time of writing, were in the midst of the onslaught of fighting during the Second World War. Unsure of how or even when the war was to resolve itself, these ten young Spitfire pilots, all of 66 Squadron, offer an incredibly personal insight into war-time experience - both in the air and on the ground as one of the greatest aerial battles ever fought raged. Told with unaffected zest, by men who were living in the constant presence of death - five of the original contributors were killed before the book came off press. Only one man of the ten is still alive, Jimmy Corbin, and he has provided a foreword for this re-issue.

Customer Reviews

A classic piece of history
I picked this book up from Amazon for £3.99 and as always I am mindful of the fact that cheap books do not always equate with a quality read. How wrong I was and this book is a little piece of modern history. Hugh Allen (Co-Editor) is one of the few survivors of this interpid band of WW 2 Spitfire pilots belonging to 66 Squadron. The foreword is written by Jimmy Corbin, himself a pilot and chapter contributor.
The re-issued book provides personal histories of the exploits of 10 of these pilots and it was first written in 1942. What makes this book unique is that each of the 10 chapters are written by the pilots themselves soon after the 1940 Battle of Britain, each having their own distinct personalities and writing style. As you progress through the book you begin to see the interdependance between each pilot during this period of conflict. Unlike other accounts of the Battle of Britain the differing perspectives allow a glimpse of the diversity of the RAF pilots of the day, from sergeant to officer pilots, Wing Commanders to Squadron Leaders, Dead end kids to public school boys. The tragedy of war is that people do die and we have accounts of pilots completing their chapters and being killed in action soon after. I usually take my time reading a book of this nature but on this occassion I could not put it down. Ordinarily, I am not usually drawn to writing book reviews but I was enthralled by the book. A book filled with humour, excitement and tragedy. Whilst in a reflective mood I have sat outside in the garden on a balmy summer evening peering into the sky. I gaze at aircraft vapour trails flying thinking that 68 years ago, these young guys were flying at 30,000 feet fighting and dying for a national cause. A sobering thought! I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get a real sense of the Battle of Britain. Perhaps a book to be taken on holiday and when you are flying long haul 5 miles high spare a thought for these pilots.

an amazing book
Before i perchesed this book i was just getting to know the subject of ww2, and i hoped this book could give me an insight to the battle of britain. The book gave me everything i wanted, i couldn't put it down, one of the only and best first hand accounts of the battle of britain and would recomed it to anyone iterested in ww2 or aviation history. A truly great book!

Amazing tales of courage and gripping first-hand accounts
Great to see this reissued after so many years out of print. The different personalities and experiences come across so well, and you really feel as though you're getting a true taste of the war in the air during World War II. There aren't many first-hand accounts that were written during the war, so these are really valuable historical records as well. The men seem to have a humility and quiet strength, as well as a sense of humour. I really enjoyed hearing ten different stories.
It's so sad to read that quite a few of the pilots didn't survive very long after writing their chapter, it really brings home to you how precarious life was for them.
Certainly a wartime classic that deserves to be read by anyone interested in the subject.