THE SUNDAY TIMES NON FICTION BESTSELLER 'The best book
you will ever read about Britain's greatest warplane.' Patrick Bishop,
bestselling author of Fighter Boys. `A rich and heartfelt tribute to this most
iconic British machine. By focussing on the men (and women) who flew the
Spitfire, John Nichol has brought a fresh and powerful perspective to the
story. And by recording their bravery, humility, camaraderie, tragedy and sheer
joy in flying their beloved Spits he has done them - and us - a valuable
service' Rowland White, bestselling author of Vulcan 606 'As the RAF marks its
centenary, Nichol has created a thrilling and often moving tribute to some of
its greatest heroes.' Jon Dennis, Mail on Sunday magazine. 'A stirring portrait
of a piece of aviation art in motion flown by the bravest of the brave.
Nichol's Spitfire is still a sky-borne prima ballerina that kicks like Bruce
Lee.' The Royal Air Force Times. 'A superb and compelling book. Brilliantly
written with some incredible and astonishing stories; it is gripping, moving,
emotional and sometimes humorous - just perfect' Squadron Leader (Ret) Clive
Rowley, former Officer Commanding RAF Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight 'A
superb journey through the remarkable tale of that British icon, the Spitfire.
Brilliantly and engagingly written, this is the most readable story of the
aircraft and her pilots that I have ever had the pleasure to read in a period
spanning some forty-odd years of personal study and research. Truly stunning.'
Andy Saunders, Editor, Britain at War Magazine. The perfect complementary
narrative to the bestselling memoir by Geoffrey Wellum - First Light. Achtung,
Spitfire! The iconic Spitfire found fame during the darkest early days of World
War II. But what happened to the redoubtable fighter and its crews beyond the
Battle of Britain, and why is it still so loved today? In late spring 1940,
Nazi Germany's domination of Europe had looked unstoppable. With the British
Isles in easy reach since the fall of France, Adolf Hitler was convinced that
Great Britain would be defeated in the skies over her southern coast, confident
his Messerschmitts and Heinkels would outclass anything the Royal Air Force
threw at them. What Hitler hadn't planned for was the agility and resilience of
a marvel of British engineering that would quickly pass into legend - the
Spitfire. Bestselling author John Nichol's passionate portrait of this
magnificent fighter aircraft, its many innovations and updates, and the people
who flew and loved them, carries the reader beyond the dogfights over Kent and
Sussex. Spanning the full global reach of the Spitfire's deployment during
WWII, from Malta to North Africa and the Far East, then over the D-Day beaches,
it is always accessible, effortlessly entertaining and full of extraordinary
spirit. Here are edge-of-the-seat stories and heart-stopping first-hand
accounts of battling pilots forced to bail out over occupied territory; of
sacrifice and wartime love; of aristocratic female flyers, and of the mechanics
who braved the Nazi onslaught to keep the aircraft in battle-ready condition.
Nichol takes the reader on a hair-raising, nail-biting and moving wartime
history of the iconic Spitfire populated by a cast of redoubtable, heroic
characters that make you want to stand up and cheer.
Nessun commento:
Posta un commento