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    Air Force Blue: The RAF in World War Two – Spearhead of Victory
    Air Force Blue: The RAF in World War Two – Spearhead of Victory
    Air Force Blue: The RAF in World War Two – Spearhead of Victory
    Audiobook15 hours

    Air Force Blue: The RAF in World War Two – Spearhead of Victory

    Written by Patrick Bishop

    Narrated by Tim Frances

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    In 2018 the RAF is one hundred years old. In his new book, destined to be a classic, Patrick Bishop examines the high point of its existence – the Second World War, when the Air Force saved the nation from defeat then led the advance to victory.

    A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

    Air warfare was a terrible novelty of the modern age, requiring a new military outlook. From the beginning, the RAF’s identity set it apart from the traditional services. It was innovative, flexible and comparatively meritocratic, advancing the quasi-revolutionary idea that competence was more important than background.

    The Air Force went into the war with inadequate machines, training and tactics, and the early phase was littered with setbacks and debacles. Then, in the summer of 1940, in full view of the population, Fighter Command won one of the decisive battles of the struggle. Thereafter the RAF was gilded with an aura of success that never tarnished, going on to make a vital contribution to Allied victory in all theatres.

    Drawing from diaries, letters, memoirs, and interviews, Air Force Blue captures the nature of combat in the skies over the corrugated wastes of the Atlantic, the sands of the Western Desert and the jungles of Burma. It also brings to life the intensely lived dramas, romances, friendships and fun that were as important a part of the experience as the fighting.

    Air Force Blue portrays the spirit of the RAF – its heart and soul – during its finest hours. It is essential reading for the millions in Britain and the Commonwealth whose loved ones served, and for anyone who wants to understand the Second World War.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins Publishers
    Release dateSep 21, 2017
    ISBN9780007573998
    Author

    Patrick Bishop

    Patrick Bishop has been a foreign correspondent for over twenty years, reporting from conflicts all over the world and working as senior correspondent for the Daily Telegraph. He is the author of ‘The Irish Empire’; the acclaimed book ‘The Provisional IRA’ with Eamonn Mallie; and the bestselling ‘Fighter Boys’, ‘Bomber Boys’ and ‘3 Para’. He lives in London.

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    Reviews for Air Force Blue

    4.5/5

    14 ratings5 reviews

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    • 4/5
      One of the most exciting voices in young adult fiction, Jenny Valentine succeeds again with this story of a family coping with the death of a child.
    • 5/5
      This was a good case of "never judge a book by its cover". I bypassed this one for a while because the cover just looked too teenage (I'm an adult who just happens to still read a lot of children's/YA fiction). And yet when I did get round to it, I found it completely absorbing. One of those can't-put-it-down books. And I absolutely hadn't guessed the twist at the end!
    • 3/5
      First I should say that I did like the characters and cared about them. That being said, I didn't like much else. The plot varied between being unbelievable (coincidences, etc.) to being way too predictable. Also, the formatting of the dialogue was annoying. I guess I've just read so many books like this that this one doesn't stand out in any way for me, other than the fact they're in London rather than in the US.
    • 4/5
      This is a lovely story about 15-year-old, Rowan, who is trying to hold her family together after the death of her older brother, Jack, in a drowning accident. Her father has left the family home and her mother is suffering from a severe nervous breakdown so it left to Rowan to take care of the house, her mother and her little sister, Stroma. However, Rowan's life becomes even more complicated when a teenage boy hands her a negative claiming that she dropped it while in the checkout queue of the grocery store.This book deals with personal identity, bereavement, friendship and the difficulties of growing up. Rowan is a very engaging, likeable character who is struggling to survive. She is stubborn, introspective, brutally honest with herself and lonely. Although quite sad in parts, the book doesn't wallow in gloom and the thread of mystery throughout the story adds to a satisfying plot with an unexpected twist at the end. A worthwhile read.
    • 5/5
      A brilliant one volume summary of the RAF in World War Two. This covers basic training, to the Battle of Britain, the bombing war, the desert war & the Far East conflict. It deals with people rather than the events, and gives a real feeling of what it was like to experience the conflict through the prism of the Air Force. Highly recommended for those that like history,Memoirs, World War Two or the RAF.