50 Tales Of Flight - Owen Zupp

A very rare departure from WW2 for ABR to close out the week.  With all of my writing on here I try to express my enthusiasm for aviation as a whole.  This does it a lot better than I ever will.

I’ve never been employed in aviation. I’ve volunteered in it and I’ve certainly read about it, watched it and loved it. I am not a pilot and, despite grandiose plans at various times in my life, probably never will be. In all honesty I am very happy with my relationship with aviation. There is not much hands-on flying experience I can relate to (there’s enough there to be dangerous!) but, really, aviation is not just about flying (what else could a non-pilot say?). This is perhaps a funny thing to write but flying is aviation’s outcome – it’s public face if you will. Admittedly, it is the whole point of it all but the stories, the sacrifice, the innovation and the reflection behind every flight are the unseen, often unheard, foundations.

Understandably, pilots will understand this better than anyone. They literally live aviation and actively contribute to its heritage and future. Their viewpoint adds a richness often overlooked. Land-based writers can draw on limited experiences in ‘live’ cockpits and lay said experiences over those they write about to at least begin to understand. A pilot who picks up a pen can put themselves in the cockpit or, better still, inside the head of the fellow pilot in question . They can feel the aircraft in the seat of their pants and, if they can write well enough, can convey that experience with authority.

Aviation though, as alluded to above, is not a realm limited to pilots. Hang around it long enough and it gets under your skin. Despite the cold, hard business of the airlines and the ruthless efficiency of the modern warplane, there will always be romance in aviation. It touches the lives of everyone whether or not it is realised or appreciated. It has made every corner of the globe accessible and been the cornerstone for our greatest feat of engineering, adventure and endeavour. Anyone who steps into this world and decides to stay connected will certainly look at things from another plane.

One such person is Owen Zupp and he is neck deep in it. This experienced airline pilot has found another calling in his remarkable life – aviation writer. This is not a new revelation as he has been actively writing for at least the past decade. He brings a lifetime and a strong family background in aviation to the ‘profession’. These qualifications have resulted in a bottomless treasure chest of aviation stories, experiences and revelations to draw upon and that is how we have Owen’s latest effort, 50 Tales Of Flight, which is also his first foray into the e-book market.

Many of the tales featured in 50’ first appeared on Owen’s blog and were often inspired by the day’s events. Owen reflects on an aviation life as he’s driving home, waiting in an airport lounge, waking in yet another hotel in yet another city, or flying the latest sector. Pen is put to paper, fingers applied to keys and a story spills out. Whether it is recounting the most recent flight, remembering a museum visit, recalling a fascinating person or flying adventure or sharing a personal memory or moment in aviation history, each of the 50 tales has an immediacy, a freshness, to it and each is not only an intimate look at aviation but a window into an aviator’s soul. Not all of the tales are exciting or humourous – some were clearly painful, but liberating, to write – and a good number of them do not contain flying at all. All of them, however, simply exude aviation.

Aviation touches all of our lives and the perfect example of this is 50 Tales Of Flight. Anyone can enjoy this book and come away with a new or deeper appreciation of aviating and life in general. Owen claims 50 Tales is not autobiographical but, really, it is. His life, much of it laid out in this e-book, is proof of everything aviation has to offer – what it can give but also what it can take. The depth of aviation as an industry, as a defining interest, is such that being a pilot, while perhaps the most enlightened of ‘participants’, is not a pre-requisite for a passionate understanding. Never have I seen this better illustrated than in 50 Tales Of Flight.

Lancaster Men - the sequel

Peter Rees' lastest book, Lancaster Men, has met with considerable success and has been selling very well.  This is great news.  As I mentioned in the mini-review below, the book is very accessible from an availability and reading point of view.  You certainly do not need to be very familiar with Bomber Command or the air war to get the most out of this attractive and thick paperback.  Not since Hank Nelson's superb (and perfectly-titled) Chased By The Sun has an 'anthology' about the Australians in Bomber Command been so well-received.

Happily, it looks like we are in for a second helping.  With the success of LM Peter has begun to collect more stories to share more of the Australian Bomber Command experience.  He has sent out a request for contact with veterans and their families who would like their stories told.  If you think you can help, please drop me a line - aircrewbooksATiinet.net.au - and I will put you in touch with Peter (I'll share his email here once I have permission). 

Time is running out for us to record the living history that exists in each and every one of our surviving veterans.  While Peter will most likely also use personal records of those who have passed away, this is probably one of the final opportunites for those still with us.  We can learn so much from those who saw too much.

Eagles Of The Southern Sky - Luca Ruffato and Michael Claringbould

Whenever I review books that are well done I often wonder if I’m going to run out of things to say. Indeed, lately, I’ve been wondering if I’ve been repeating myself to some extent or am in danger of doing so. Then something like Eagles Of The Southern Sky appears and I realise it doesn’t matter as all that really counts is sharing the sheer joy that comes from reading something ground-breaking.

It’s all a bit ridiculous really. As a rule, I ‘avoid’ books about American, German, Italian and Japanese aircrew. Such books do exist on my shelves but, as I have enough trouble keeping up with the RAF and Commonwealth side of things, I try to draw the line somewhere. So why is there a Japanese-based book now featured on ABR? Read on, you’ll see.

The Tainan Naval Air Group was a major adversary for the RAAF’s No. 75 Squadron when the Australians made their famous ‘stand’ in New Guinea. Surprisingly, other than some USAAF Bomb and Fighter Group histories, only 75’s story is widely known when it comes to the New Guinea air campaign – a campaign practically forgotten amid the ‘clamour’ of Guadalcanal and the carrier air battles in the Pacific. For various reasons – among others, lost records, the language barrier and an uncaring post-war public trying to forget a war that destroyed their empire – next to nothing has been written about this phenomenally experienced Japanese unit.

For as long as I can remember, Michael Claringbould has been at the forefront of New Guinea air war research. His various books and endless series of investigative magazine articles have kept the memories of the air war alive and his work has uncovered lost aircraft and men and stoked the fires of a wider interest in a campaign fought over the most unforgiving landscape.

All of this work, though, as good as it is, was really just a prelude to EOTSS. MC joined forces with Italian Luca Ruffato and the pair, both experts in their own right, formed an almost symbiotic relationship as they filled the holes in each other’s knowledge and, with a magnificent supporting cast of contributing editors (a veritable who’s who of leading Pacific air war researchers), have written the most comprehensive English-language history of a Japanese unit we are ever likely to see.

This book is, simply, brilliant (and a little overwhelming at first look ... there is just so much to take in). For a ‘hard-core’ unit history it is wonderfully easy to read with a lovely flow that, I suspect, is largely a product of MC’s years of writing. The analysis of the actions and everything associated with the men of the Tainan Air Group will leave you dumbfounded. If you are familiar with particular combats or pilots from the Allied side, you will suddenly learn whom they were flying against and those opponents’ experiences … combined with the Allied viewpoint. This extraordinary balance – literally the full story – is maintained throughout the book and would certainly have been a challenge at times given the paucity of Japanese records and the fact men and aircraft simply disappeared without a trace.

As a Commonwealth-focused reader, the balance of Allied (RAAF and USAAF) and Japanese detail has resulted in a wonderful learning experience – almost a feeling of enlightenment. My knowledge is now more rounded in terms of the New Guinea air war and my existing knowledge of the RAAF’s involvement is now so much deeper. The exceptionally well-illustrated (period photos from both sides abound) EOTSS has easily set a new benchmark and I don’t think it will ever be surpassed. It has brought to life a unit everyone ‘knew’ about but few understood in detail. This aspect is reinforced with innovative computer-generated images of specific encounters/combats and many, many ‘traditional’ profiles of the aircraft involved (and, amazingly, a progressive colour palette of how Japanese paint faded!). The ‘CGI’ is a very clever device as, for the first time, the reader is treated to visual recreations of what did happen. Even the terrain pictured is the exact landscape over which the action took place!

Eagles Of The Southern Sky is a large-format paperback of 350+ pages. From a presentation and wear point of view, a hardback would certainly have been preferable but this would have placed such a massive work out of the reach of all but the most serious readers. It is, however, at A$80, not a small investment but I challenge you to find better value for money. No superlative can give a sense of how truly monumental this book is. Claringbould and Ruffato have given us their opus and it breathes new life into the lost and the forgotten. They must surely know what they have achieved is remarkable. Aviation history and our understanding of the New Guinea air war will never be the same again … and that is a great thing.

Lancaster Men - Peter Rees

In the cold light of day war is about statistics.  Lose a smaller percentage of your force than your opponent over a period of time and odds are you’ll emerge victorious.  It’s a numbers game.  Strongest, fastest, heaviest … deadliest.  Deadliest.  That’s what it really comes down to.  The best machine is nothing without the people who operate it.  It is the people who make the sacrifice.  It is the people who make the stories and the history.  It is the people who make the numbers.

The percentages of Bomber Command are well known yet they will never lose their impact.  Generally, of 125,000 aircrew, 46 percent were killed and 14 percent survived being shot down.  Sixty percent, therefore, did not return home as they left (a clumsy way of putting it considering those wounded but you know what I mean).  These are figures we expect to see in relation to the trenches of WW1.

Many of the sons of those who served in the trenches would spend their wartime career flying over the same hallowed ground in machines that could hardly have been dreamt of 25 years earlier.  This ‘new’ form of warfare, though, exacted the same terrible toll.  Like those in the trenches, the men of Bomber Command came from almost every corner of the world.  When the war ended, the survivors – such as they were as not one remained unaffected – returned home to countries trying to rebuild and a public that, largely, would never understand the job they had to do and the camaraderie, the brotherhood, the family, that was a bomber crew.

The stories of these crews are seemingly endless, happily (after all there’s at least 120,000-plus out there!), and the market is certainly well-populated (again, happily) with books by or about the men of Bomber Command.  The ‘anthology approach’ is certainly not rare in this world and the very nature, and number, of bomber crews lends itself to this style of story-telling.  However, given the ‘melting pot’ that was the bomber crew, telling the story of an Australian often involves also telling the story of a Canadian, a couple of Poms and a Kiwi or two among others!  So, Peter Rees, author of the new book Lancaster Men, certainly had his work cut out to maintain his focus.  It is no surprise he has as, over the past decade, this experienced author has turned his attention to groups of Australian servicemen and women who, at times, appear to slip from the collective psyche.

It is hard to imagine more than 10,000 men being ‘forgotten’ especially when they lost roughly 35 percent of their number, but, with the abandonment of the Command as a whole by politicians distancing themselves from previously ‘sanctioned’ raids like Dresden and a return home that was greeted with monikers like ‘Jap dodgers’, it is understandable.  Many would have wanted to have been forgotten given this disregard for their achievements.  A little more than 25 years later, Australian Vietnam veterans received similar treatment and one can’t help but think what pain must have been dredged up in the old bomber men.

Lancaster Men is nothing out of the ordinary.  It tells good stories of fine men and, as expected from this author, it does it well.  It is, however, a very important work.  Produced as a large, well-illustrated 448-page paperback by a publisher with an enviable reputation and an established market, LM is very accessible.  It is written for the ‘everyman’ not the hard-core specialist aviation enthusiast.  This is a book that deserves to be widely read and, dare I say it, part of the curriculum of many schools.  The numbers mean a lot but only if they are remembered for what they really are - people, not statistics.  Lancaster Men does that and will find a wide audience of appreciative and respectful readers.

Time off ... again

Well, I might as well write something this month!  I'm about to disappear until the end of April as I prepare for yet another exam.  The past few months haven't generated as much material for ABR as I would have liked but that has been entirely due to my lack of time to do so. 

The new books have been flowing in quite nicely as you can see by the ever-increasing list of covers on the right-hand side of every page.  There is a distinct Bomber Command theme - note the Australian title in the 'pile', the weighty Lancaster Men by Peter Rees - with many of the new books and I will be partly highlighting this in the near future by shining a bit of a light on the works of Alan Cooper and the new editions of his books being published by Pen & Sword this year.

ABR has recently had the review for The Bomber Command Memorial Book published in the Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia's magazine, Rag & Tube.  Well, I had it published as it's attributed to me and doesn't mention the site but it's 'out there' all the same.  Hopefully, a shorter version of this review and two others will appear in the next issue of Flightpath.

On the subject of new books, I am very much looking forward to Graeme Gibson's first volume of his No. 16 Squadron SAAF history, Path Of Duty.  As comprehensive and 'unknown' a history as this is, I can guarantee every reader will be blown away by the sketches, profiles and artwork that will supplement the photos.  You will never see better.  Something more well known is the Battle of Britain and Kristen Alexander is set to release Australian Eagles which is the prelude to her 'opus' - the much-anticipated Australia's Few.  What was to be an e-book will be available as a lovely, limited edition hardback in early July.  It is an enjoyable yet sobering read and will certainly open a few eyes to the Australian BoB experience ... and break a few hearts.

Finally, I'll close with a quick recommendation.  Owen Zupp, author of Down To Earth, released his first e-book, 50 Tales Of Flight, earlier this month and it, for want of a better description, has been a runaway success.  50 Tales is currently top of the pile in its genre on Amazon and is firmly into the top 10 in the iTunes biography category.  A phenomenal effort whichever way you look at it but completely justified.  While many of the stories are beyond the scope of ABR, aviation lies at the very heart of each one and that same joy of, and fascination with, flight experienced and recounted by many WW2 aircrew in their memoirs can be found on every page.  An enlightening and uplifting read if ever there was one and to read this book is to understand the meaning of passion.  Owen didn't regard this as a biographical work but the reader will certainly soar with him, heart and soul, through many adventures, and inspirations, from his time in aviation ... so far!

Until May, keep reading and exploring.  I'll live vicariously through you!

Andy

Blood, Sweat And Valour - Steve Brew

You know the times when you just have to sit back and take stock of what you see before you?  Often, it is a good thing to be sitting down as the euphoria and awe that washes over you might be a bit too much!  Such was the case when my copy of Steve Brew's epic work on No. 41 Squadron - Blood, Sweat And Valour - arrived in the mail yesterday. 

Epic is an understatement but the only other word that comes close is "brick".  At 980+ pages this book is simply massive yet, cleverly, maintains a manageable size in that it would not look out of place among the big hardback fiction books that top the bestseller lists.  Fiction it most certainly is not of course.  As one of two units to receive the Spitfire Mk XII in 1943, No. 41 Squadron and its EB codes are a familiar sight to RAF, Spitfire and WW2 afficianados.  Exploiting the first Griffon-powered Spitfire in operational service to the hilt, the Squadron excelled particularly against the V-1 flying bomb threat.

However, while the Mk XII is perhaps the most famous 'face' of the Squadron post-Battle of Britain, there is a reason why this volume (effectively volume two) is so large.  No. 41 Squadron was involved in just about every major operation that has since become iconic within the history of the RAF - Dieppe, D-Day, Operation Big Ben (anti-V2 ops) and the Arnhem landings.  A ridiculously impressive service record that deserves a ridiculously comprehensive 'biography'.

This has been achieved with BSV and is an absolute credit to the tireless work of Steve Brew.  He is the current historian for the Squadron and, beyond the valued relationships he has developed with current and past members, has a direct and proud link to the unit in that his great uncle was shot down and taken prisoner in 1941.  A very quick flick-through of the book revealed an attention to detail very rarely seen particularly with regard to personal details ... and not just of aircrew.  This is truly a tribute to every serviceman who had the privilege of calling the Squadron home.

As you'd expect from a book of this size and detail, there is a lot of text.  Happily, there is no separate photo section.  The more than 300 photographs can be found throughout the book and are placed so as to be relevant to the text surrounding them.  Nothing like putting a face to a name as you read.  One of the more personal aspects of the book are the numerous caricatures which reflect a lighter side of squadron life and are the perfect foil to the purposeful, and somewhat sobering, maps and tables.  Text that is missing, however, is an index.  This would have been invaluable but its absence is understandable given how much bigger it would have made the book.  Fortunately, Steve Brew has circumvented this somewhat by including a downloadable personnel index on his BSV website.

A word of advice.  This is, obviously, a very heavy book and I was reliably informed it will justifiably retail in Australia for more than $70.  I am not in this game for free books so rather than expect publishers Fonthill Media (they have excelled themselves with the production of what must have been a challenging project to put together) to foot the bill, I bought my copy through an Abebooks seller in the UK for roughly, all up, A$40.  I am a strong supporter of book stores but, like you, have a limited budget for such things so like to 'invest' wisely. 

That this book is accessible affordably is something to take advantage of as its value goes beyond anything monetary.  It will teach, enlighten, move and entertain even the most 'hardened' reader of this genre.  BSV is the shining light that guides us down the historical path to a time seven decades in the past.  It is a past we are losing as the men of that time dwindle in number.  Blood, Sweat And Valour keeps their memory alive like no other RAF squadron history before.

They Hosed Them Out - John Bede Cusack

I'm not much of a fan of aircrew fiction.  For the most part I find little, niggly errors (factual and historical and perhaps some not so small) that get under my skin.  That said, the same can be found in non-fiction books on the same subject!  I do admire the ability to write and publish one's own book but, really, aircrew fiction is not for me.  I mean, there's so many true stories out there - some more outlandish and incredible than the most gung-ho fiction author's imagination - I'll never have time for anything else!

However, where the fiction is written by a former airman, I am more than happy to recognise the exception to the rule.  Here's someone who was there and saw it all, for better or for worse.  Whatever the reason for writing a fiction story rather than a non-fiction one is not for me to ponder (too much).  I am just grateful the effort was made and, in doing so, a window to the man's soul is revealed.  It would take an iron will of a type never seen before to not let one's opinions and emotions be reflected in the story.  Understanding what they went through is part of respecting and honouring their memory and a 'fictionalised' account can achieve this just as well.

They Hosed Them Out's reputation precedes it but, until now, it has remained somewhat of an enigma.  Published incomplete, but with no effect on the story, it was written by former air gunner John Bede Cusack ... whose name didn't even appear on the cover (pseudonym John Beede).  So, an enigma wrapped in a mystery etc etc.  Whatever it was, THTO's impact cannot be denied.  This fictionalised autobiographical effort has been justifiably elevated to 'classic' status and shares this pantheon with the well-known (non-fiction) works of Don Charlwood and Ivan Southall.

How can something like this have new life breathed into it?  Why not just ride on the coat tails of the book's legacy?  Fortunately, this was not the approach taken when this new edition was put together.  Wanting to honour Cusack publicly, perhaps giving the man the publicity he somewhat avoided, this new edition has included, for the first time, all of the chapters originally written and, again for the first time, included his full name on the cover.  It does not stop there, however, as the editor, Robert Brokenmouth, has gone to great lengths to, where possible, reference the people and events of this fictional account to Cusack's logbook (and other sources) and the operations he was known to have flown.  This has been achieved through the use of footnoting and appendices so the original narrative is in no way interrupted or impaired.  It is a wonderful piece of work with the added gem of a short biography of Cusack written by his daughter.

So, not only do you get to experience a classic book in its entirety for the first time but you also see just how firmly this work of fiction is planted in reality.  The seed planted by 'Beede' many decades ago has truly matured.  The original was hard to put down and is truly revered by those who have lost themselves between the covers.  Expect the same from the new edition ... including the appendices!

Happily, this new THTO comes presented as a high-quality paperback.  Wakefield Press' tagline on their website is "We love good stories and publish beautiful books".  No argument here.  The pages are crisp and the book has that lovely, solid feel to it that I have come to expect from quality publishers in Australia and New Zealand. 

What excites me the most about this book is that it is not 'just another' heavy bomber crew book.  If you haven't read the book, this new edition may give you that false impression with the cover image.  Cusack flew as a gunner in Wellingtons, Venturas (Eindhoven raid, anyone?!) and Mitchells.  I can't even think of a book written by someone who flew all of these workhorse types operationally during their wartime career.  They are certainly few and far between and, with the justifiably massive interest in Bomber Command's heavy campaign at the moment, that's what makes the timing of this new edition so important.  These were the 'other' bomber men and they will be remembered.  They Hosed Them Out is fiction but not like anything you have experienced before.

Coastal Dawn - Andrew D. Bird

The Blenheim fighter men were pioneers. In their hands they had a twin-engined aircraft that, upon introduction, was a step ahead of the single-engined fighters of the day. While this advantage was fleeting, the fighter version of the Blenheim allowed the RAF to provide long-range escort to coastal convoys and begin to develop the intruder role. As we all know, the Blenheim, in any guise, proved to be outclassed when confronted with modern fighter aircraft. Despite this, the type, in bomber form, soldiered on effectively for several years. The Blenheim fighter was, however, very quickly replaced by the Beaufighter but not before the older type had laid the foundations for heavy fighter operations.

The early years of the war were particularly hard for Britain and her allies. The Blenheim fighters were in it from the start. If the aircrew did not know the inadequacies of their aircraft in the role, they quickly found out yet they continued to fly and fight with astounding courage. If anything, what the aircraft lacked in performance, the crews made up for with their skill and commitment.

Despite the high casualties of Blenheim fighter crews from the Phoney War and the retreat from France to Norway and the Battle of Britain, their actions have often been overshadowed by those of the Spitfire and Hurricane squadrons. The crews are certainly mentioned in accounts of each of these campaigns but few authors have sat down and pulled all of the threads together. That, happily, is no longer the case.

Andy Bird is best known for his in-depth look at Coastal Command’s Banff Strike Wing in A Separate Little War. With his new book, Coastal Dawn, he turns his gaze to the very beginnings of the RAF’s heavy fighter ‘era’. It is a period poles apart from the hard-hitting, long range strikes performed by the Mosquito squadrons of the Banff Strike Wing when, mostly, the RAF crews had the upper hand. Their predecessors in the Blenheims, though, were almost always up against it so there is certainly a different feel to CD. It is evident as well that the author has adjusted his writing style. The detail is obviously still there but it is wonderfully humanised with long passages from crews’ memories interspersed with very well-researched ‘creative’ scene setting and descriptions of events and landscapes. The recurring theme, however, is one of loss. If you were to flick through this book and stop at 10 different places, I could almost guarantee the majority of those would contain some detail of a lost crew or a forced-landing. It is really quite sobering but you cannot help be uplifted by the spirit with which these crews flew and fought. Just astounding.

Coastal Dawn is a typical Grub Street hardback – solid, good-looking and well-produced (in the UK!). At a tick over 220 pages it feels good in the hand. This is largely due to the good quality paper used. There is no glossy photo section as is often found in books of this ilk. Due to the good paper, the many photographs are reproduced within the text and are comparable to their glossy ‘counterparts’. Indeed, the placing of the photos in the text means they are immediately relevant and many put faces to names now long gone.

Andy Bird has excelled himself with Coastal Dawn. The same can be said for Grub Street who have produced a truly beautiful book and, having seen other recent releases from them, it is clear they have raised the bar in the hardback aircrew book stakes … but then, the Blenheim fighter crews deserve nothing less.

The book is available direct from Grub Street of course but also from large online booksellers like Booktopia.

The Bomber Command Memorial - We Will Remember Them

June 2012 was a long time coming for many people, not least the veterans of Bomber Command. Decades of large-scale criticism and derision by those who chose to forget the whole reason behind the bombing campaign have given way, finally, to widespread respect, admiration and a lot of love for the Bomber Boys. That’s not to say there hasn’t always been honour for these men but it is plainly clear now that the work of authors, historians and enthusiasts has seen the general public and, importantly, the media, largely understand just what these men faced, fought and how they lived and died.

Despite this groundswell of ‘popular’ support, the men of Bomber Command remained officially unrecognised for their service. There is no campaign medal and, until June this year, there was no one public space that honoured this particular group of service men and women. It took a throwaway comment from a veteran in late 2007, admittedly while in good company, for something to happen.

The rest, to roll out the first cliché, is history. Driven by the Heritage Foundation and ably supported by other worthy organisations such as the Bomber Command Association, The Bomber Command Memorial became a reality when it was opened on June 28 by Her Majesty The Queen. Many veterans were present but for some, 70 years after they served, it was obviously too late. That they now have a permanent and magnificent place for anyone to reflect on their service and sacrifice is a testament to a dedicated group of men and women. From ‘leaders’ Robin Gibb and Jim Dooley to Steve Darlow donating proceeds of book sales; to the veterans, relatives, friends and enthusiasts sending in their hard-earned, arranging sponsorship or standing on street corners shaking a tin … it has truly been an unfathomable worldwide effort. The memorial’s very existence owes everything to many fine people.

The story behind the idea for the memorial right through to its unveiling needed to be told to not only honour the aircrew but also to shine a light on the ‘drivers’ of the project itself. Fighting High Publishing is still a relatively new name on the military publishing scene but it has certainly made an impact in a short time. Already renowned for high quality books, the company easily caught the attention of the memorial organisers through FH principal Steve Darlow’s efforts arranging book-signing events to raise funds for the project. Set the unenviable task of drawing together all aspects of the project from that throwaway comment to The Queen’s unveiling – on top of providing context through Bomber Command history – Fighting High has produced an astounding large-format hardback that, in itself, is a standalone memorial.

The Bomber Command Memorial – We Will Remember Them is a collective effort from familiar people – Robin Gibb, Jim Dooley, Gordon Rayner, Steve Darlow and Sean Feast – deeply connected to the project. As already mentioned it recounts the project from the germ of an idea through to the BBMF Lancaster anointing the structure with poppies from above. Naturally the bomber campaign is examined – expertly so as it turns out as it is broken into several sections throughout the book and a lot of information is provided in a relatively short space. This overview is ably, no, strongly, supported by ‘spotlights’ on particular raids throughout the campaign. These are very well done as they add the finer detail the Bomber Command at War sections necessarily avoid. The book is certainly well served by having Bomber Command historians Darlow and Feast on board.

It will be no surprise to discover the real gems of this book are the personal accounts from the air and ground crew themselves. The vast majority are from veterans who were interviewed especially for the book and who, collectively, form a complete heavy bomber crew. This is a marvellous device that serves to remind the reader that the loss of a crew was often the loss of seven, sometimes eight, men. I realise this sounds an obvious thing to say but think about it – 10 aircraft lost without trace, 57 bombers failed to return from the target. They weren’t all killed but…

The Last Letters sections hammer this ever-present aspect home and are especially poignant with the originals being reproduced in photo form with the text transcribed alongside. These sections are expertly dispersed throughout the book and the several featured are fitting endnotes to the many small photos of men featured in the small They Gave Everything insets. Behind each of these men were families who may have received such last letters or who may have only received an official telegram and a letter from an empathetic, if not sympathetic and grieving, CO.

The memorial is very much a 21st Century project even though it has been 70 years in the making and employed age-old skills in its construction. The extensive colour photos are a stark reminder of this but there is an even stronger link to the past. The veterans interviewed for the book were asked their opinion of the memorial and the efforts being made. To include these comments – made today by those who were there in their youth – is a masterstroke. The sum of these words would be lucky to be one per cent of the book’s content yet they are the most powerful and the most fitting. In some ways, the last words on the memorial have been given to those who deserved it so much.

That this book is a triumph is obvious. It is not only a tribute to those of Bomber Command but it is a record of honour for those who toiled so hard in the face of significant opposition (sound familiar?) to build something magnificent on a corner of Hyde Park in London. From the front cover photo – note the five aircrew in the image to signify the smaller crews of the Wellingtons, Whitleys and Hampdens (an idea discussed with Steve Darlow in the early days) – to the back cover acknowledgements, the highest quality abounds. Fifty pages in during a ‘flick-through’ I was suddenly hit by a wave of emotion as I saw an artist’s rendition of the structure and the magnificent bronze sculpture (whose genesis and creation are also documented) within. It was, all of a sudden, so real. Everything is so well put-together that this really must be the benchmark for all future books featuring the exploits of RAF and Commonwealth aircrew. It is truly, powerfully, the finest work on Bomber Command yet to be produced. Nothing less would be expected from the publisher. Nothing less would be expected for the men.

I pre-ordered my copy to ensure 10 GBP went to the memorial. At 19.95 GBP plus another 13 for air mail to Australia it is a remarkably affordable book as far as ‘commemorative’ titles go. My copy, which arrived two days ago, is the standard, unsigned edition but there is also the option to purchase the book in a hard slip case and there is a planned UK signing event. All orders now will see sales proceeds and signing fees go direct to the memorial for its continued upkeep.  I truly believe this title will be the best-selling aircrew book of the year (1,000 had been sold by July) and that means a lot.

Luck, pleasant surprises ... and Typhoons

I'm always on the lookout for books featuring the men who flew the Hawker Typhoon.  It is one of those aircraft that demands awe and, considering the environment it worked in, it certainly gets it ... the men even more so.  There's not a massive amount of books on the subject out there - there are some very well known ones - so I regard finding any memoir-style title about the Tiffie and her men as a bit of a coup.  As you can imagine, the excitement can know no bounds.

Anyway, in late October we were in Echuca, Victoria, on a family long weekend. Echuca is a lovely place with a lot of history. Anywhere with a river scores high on my scale of places to visit. As the family is wont to do, I found myself wandering the main street behind the heritage port precinct and stopping in at various shops selling trinkets and nibbles. As ever, my book senses were on high alert and any shop with a “oo” in its title (I hate bookkeepers!) had my attention. My nose was set to its paper setting and my ears were tuned-in for the rapturous screams of fellow book-lovers finding that one title they’ve always been after. A look through one second-hand shop – books and antiques – revealed an interestingly diverse military section but nothing that caught my eye.

We eventually made it across the road and I sauntered into a dedicated second-hand bookseller, Read Heeler (geddit?) Book Shop. A quick nod and “G’day” to the man behind the counter was the extent of my pleasantries as I made a beeline, again, for the military section.

Scanning the shelves, I was pleased to see several familiar titles but I did note the prices were beyond my budget or, at least, I had paid less for my copy of the same title. However, Michael Enright’s Flyers Far Away had “$10” pencilled on its first page and, since I didn’t have that title in my collection of ‘anthology’ aircrew books, the visit to this bookshop was already a good one. Not astounding, just good.

This changed rapidly as, several shelves further on in my scan, a slim volume caught my eye and two words that, when I had thought about it in the past, I thought I’d never see caught my eye as if they’d just lit up. There it was. Typhoon Warfare. Reminiscences of a Rocket Firing Typhoon Pilot. The first copy I had seen. Not since finding Sortehaug’s The Wild Winds at the RNZAF Museum had a book leapt off the shelf into my hands more quickly. Immediately I knew this was perhaps my one chance to buy this book (something to look into there regarding another edition perhaps?) as the author had passed away. He had been selling his copies for $20 so with some trepidation, I opened the cover and was pleasantly surprised to see $15. In reality, that’s what the book is worth as a slim, second-hand paperback.

Long story short, $25 and a few more pleasantries later, I was walking out the front door of Read Heeler in somewhat of a daze. No one, other than my wife, would understand my jubilation and, indeed, she did nod approvingly with a knowing smile (or was it a "That's nice, dear"?) as I had once again bought books to add to our groaning (since rationalised slightly) shelves. Ah, basking in the warmth of a successful hunt.

Funnily enough, I pulled another rabbit out of the hat just this past Saturday. This time, however, it involved a book I could find relatively easily but was a fair way down the ‘wish list’. If only I’d known just how good it is…

I was in Melbourne overnight as I had to sit an exam on Saturday morning. Melbourne is one of those cities with lots of lovely little alleyways full of cafes and shops and nooks and crannies. The kind of place you’d expect to find eclectic and specialist bookshops (indeed, one of the leading military bookstores in the country, Hyland’s, is in the Melbourne CBD). However, the discount bookshop I found – its name escapes me but it’s between 440 and 480 Collins Street – was not in one of these alleys. I refrained from popping in until after the exam – no one was more surprised than me when I passed. The glow of a successful brain dump continued as my usual scan of the shelves, initially interesting but not heart-grabbingly so, settled on a 200-page hardback nestled in to the end of a shelf. The first thing I noticed was the Grub Street logo at the base of the spine. “Ooh, hello”, I breathed quietly.

The rest is history as I discovered a lovely (Grub Street do make fine books) copy of To Live Among Heroes by George Armour Bell. The Typhoons (yes, Tiffies again) on the cover are enough for me but the “A Medical Officer’s Insight into the Life of 609 Squadron in NW Europe 1944-45” will soften even the hardest of aviation hearts. Despite my excitement with regard to Typhoon Warfare, Bell’s book has proven to be my purchase of the year (in a year where The Bomber Command Memorial Book is on its way).

As I flew back to Jodi and Maggie that afternoon, I started reading even though I have two other books on the go. I was immediately struck by Bell’s humour and heart. It is a truly wonderfully written effort and there are already hints of his understanding of flying stress and the affinity he had for the pilots … and the trust and love they had for him. That the squadron led him astray in many ways is an understatement (he was, after all, a young Scottish doctor who had had a relatively sheltered and peaceful life) but he grew as both a man and a professional and felt the loss of his charges as keenly as the pilots who witnessed the “ball of fire”. At one stage on the plane I had to turn away from my fellow passengers as I collapsed into uncontrollable, body-shaking, tear-inducing laughter as Bell recounted a briefing by CO Johnny Wells (with an attending Dwight D Eisenhower!). On the next page, after again smiling at a pilot putting on his silk inners (gloves) and saying there were that many Tiffies on the op he was going up to direct traffic, the still present tears began to build again, but for the opposite reason, as Bell waited for said pilot to return from a costly trip…

To Live Among Heroes is what you always wish for when you settle down to read a new book. It pushes all of the buttons, is delightfully written and gives you that light-headedness and warm glow all good books do. Find a copy.  The rewards are immeasurable.