Flying Start by Hugh Dundas

Hardbound 16x24 cm, 180 pages. Written in the 1980’s, over 30 years after WWII in Europe ended, the story takes the reader through the war years from 1939 with the author’s memories of his fellow pilots, the process of both Britain and himself getting ready for it, the travails of both the air force and its aircraft as well as air battles he was involved in. His experience in many ways was not atypical of many pilots then, but he had the luck to have survived being shot down several times and crash landings as well. Though involved in the Battle of Britain (shot down), much of that time period in the book was spent giving the pilots eye view of Briton’s strategy and tactics employed during the war. After being made Squadron Leader and working to develop the Typhoon Fighter-Bomber, he was reassigned to North Africa, but back flying his beloved Spitfires in this theater. The story follows the war back into Sicily and Italy as the allies returned to the continent, requiring changing tactics as the war progressed and the needs for fighter support changed to more of a fighter-bomber role to fit those needs. He ended the war as a 24 year old Wing Commander and DSO recipient in1945. 9780091737320 Stanley Paul books