Aircrew Book Review: Wine, Women and Song

23 January 2011

Wine, Women and Song - Hamish Brown

This year is off to a good start in terms of interesting and quality titles. Already we have news of David Vincent's The RAAF Hudson Story - Book Two and the new edition of Pathfinder Cranswick as detailed below. Now we can add Hamish Brown's tribute to his father in the form of Wine, Women and Song - A Spitfire Pilot's Story.

Doug Brown became, via training in New Zealand and Canada, a Spitfire pilot with No. 485 Squadron and flew over the Normandy beaches during the invasion of mainland Europe. He later joined, and led, No. 130 (Punjab) Squadron. His experiences and more are related in the book through his wartime letters to his family at home in New Zealand. More than 200 images, and passages that add further detail to the letters, complete a book of almost 400 pages.

While I have not seen this book in the flesh, the author has been kind enough to provide several extracts to give an idea of the style and content of his work. It reads well, the photos are re-produced to a high standard and the appendices, what little I have seen of them, appear useful and loaded with the type of information that will set you off on tangents! I have also noted some of the images of equipment comparing favourably to the Lewis/Cowper work Chasing Shadows which I have yet to see surpassed.

Hamish has said the books are not expected from the printer until the end of the month and WWS will be officially launched in February. He is currently working to have the book available in an NZ chain bookstore so overseas readers are asked to drop Hamish a line - hamishAThml.co.nz

To paraphrase an old flying adage, if it looks right, it'll read right.

Wine, Women and Song - A Spitfire Pilot's Story is now available. Click here for further details - WWS now available

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Welcome

Welcome to one of my silly ideas. I have been an avid reader of aircrew memoirs from the Second World War for as long as I can remember (not counting the various other interests that I have flitted to over time). I started collecting titles as found on Amazon but in the past few years have concentrated on books about the members of the RAF, FAA and Commonwealth air forces. I still maintain an interest in the operations of the USAAF, USN, Luftwaffe and Japanese forces but, as an Australian, you can probably understand where my heart lies!

Around about 2000, when I started collecting in earnest, I stuggled to find vast amounts of books on the subject. For those of you in the know this is a ridiculous thing to say as there are thousands of titles on the RAF alone.

In the past four or five years I have been fortunate to make some excellent friends in the UK and Australia who have helped broaden my knowledge of what's available and, in some cases, spend my money for me. In doing so, I have also corresponded with and met several authors and gained some insight into what it takes to put a well-researched book together. One of these days I hope to do the same but for the time being writing reviews and the occasional article will see me through as I gather what I need.

I have worked as a journalist in the past and run my own online magazine which was very time consuming and eventually led to another blog which is much easier to maintain. My interest in the aviation of the Second World War began with a school library book on The Battle of Britain when I was nine. Numerous plastic models, museum visits, magazine subscriptions, movies and Commando comics later I branched out into books like Squadron Signal's 'In Action' series (cheap for a teenager) and generalist titles covering certain aircraft. My first memory of a memoir (ha) was an oldish, secondhand copy of Alex Henshaw's superlative Sigh for a Merlin bought at a primary school market - incidentally, still the best Spitfire book I have ever read. I devoured it and although I haven't read it since (early 1990s) I can still vividly remember many of Alex's adventures testing this greatest of aircraft. One of these days I'll read it again.

My time as a journalist proper was short-lived as I had to make some decent money but it followed time as an accountant, truck driver and recruitment researcher. As of March 2010, I have stepped into commercial accounting which is a different kettle of fish and certainly not all spreadsheets and numbers (to be honest, the best job I have ever had).

Throughout my various incarnations I have maintained a fascination for what aircrew experienced during the war. I have been fortunate enough to meet several veterans and have even worked alongside some on a couple of major aircraft restorations down here in Australia. To a man I have found them friendly, modest and, at times, wondering what all the fuss is about. A gross generalisation perhaps but any variance would be understandable considering what they lived through. I know I could certainly not have done what they did in their late teens/early 20s. Fortunately, I have not had the opportunity to prove this otherwise and that's largely because of what these men (and women) sacrificed for what we have today.

Each book is a pleasure to read (even the not-so-great ones) and I try to convey what each is like to read without giving the game away too much. I also endeavour to let you know when or where I bought my copy and where it is available now as I try to review a mix of old and new titles (basically whatever takes my fancy at the time although when review copies come in, these take precedence). Honesty is at the core of everything I write on here so if something doesn't sit right with me or I feel it affects the 'experience' of the book, I will mention it.

Please feel free to recommend titles I may not be aware of or that you think would complement a reviewed title.

Cheers

Andy Wright

23 January 2011

Wine, Women and Song - Hamish Brown

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