Spitfire: A Very British Love Story

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A rich and heartfelt tribute to this most iconic British machine' Rowland White, bestselling author of Vulcan 607 We would love to hear from you if you would like to discuss aviation book collecting, find specific books, authenticate signatures, provide valuations or other related matters. 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. Nichol doesn’t spend much time pondering his own question. Instead the book provides a history of the Spitfire, primarily through first-hand accounts from those who flew it during WW2. In Britain today the Spitfire is very much associated with the Battle of Britain, but Nichol’s book takes us through the subsequent campaigns in Malta, North Africa, Italy, France etc. There’s also a short section about the use of Spitfires in the Burma campaign, and another interesting one about the work of the mainly female pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary, who flew planes from the factories where they were manufactured to their operational airfields. The author could have focused just on the pilot's stories, or how the Spitfire handled itself in battle, however, by choosing to add in some historical facts about WW2 at the same time, I feel as though I have travelled through time, learning more about those 6 years we were at war in a way I wasn’t taught or have read about previously. The way he covers people on the ground too really adds to the depth of what you are reading.

While not incredibly clear in the beginning of the book, Nichol’s follows several former Spitfire pilots throughout the book using their experiences and stories to bring life and love to the story as well as connect his chapters. Upon introduction to each of these pilots, there is always the line “and that’s when he knew he wanted to fly fighters,” and sadly by the tenth time it gets monotonous and gives a slow, repetitive start to the book. John Nichol's book tells the stories of dozens of pilots, both men and women, and the sacrifices they made during the war. It's finely balanced between the technical side and development of the Spit, and the personal accounts of the pilots, many now in their 90s. In parts, it's incredibly moving, especially when you think many of these pilots were under twenty when they first took to the skies. 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. Spitfire' was a book depicting the everyday struggles of WWII for the brave pilots who would be forced to handle the spitfire on a heroic route to the nazis. This is no ordinary history book. This is no run-of-the-mill, over done book on a very famous plane. This is a book which shines a light into the soul of the Spitfire: it tells the story of the people.This is a truly fascinating book from so many angles. I suspect that many, like me, would view the Spitfire as being synonymous with the Battle of Britain, but then having a very sketchy picture thereafter. This book inks in that sketch in effect by telling the story of the second world war through the contribution of this one aircraft.

Here you will find books and collectables from the early pioneering days of the Wright Brothers, through the two world wars to the incredible exploits of the test pilots of the post war era and the space race. It is very special to own a book, knowing that the author or subject once held the very same copy as he signed it for a friend, a relative or perhaps just for a stranger at a bookshop or airshow. Your Choice This book was so well written that it was the first time I really understood the various movements of the war. Perhaps I needed a bird’s-eye view to see it all more clearly; although maybe I should say a Spitfire’s view. The Spitfires fame is due in no small part to a brilliant PR campaign by Lord Beaverbrook. He instigated the "Spitfire Fund" in 1940, it was this campaign which drew widespread public attention to the Spitfire. Amongst the people of Britain the Spitfire became a national symbol of defiance as well as a tool for retribution. it is an icon, probably the most famous aircraft ever made. When Goering asked the distinguished German ace, Adolf Galland in October 1940 what was require beat the RAF, he replied ‘A squadron of Spitfires,’ From its first flight in 1936, through the war and to today’s airshows, it is still loved by both fliers and spectators alike. This is a book about an aircraft, about a war and about technology, but at its core it is a book about people. It is built around interviews with the men and women who flew and maintained the Spitfire. It therefore gives a personal, direct view of unimaginable horror and indescribable bravery of people who should have been living a carefree life at university. Twenty year old combat veterans, 23 year old squadron leaders. People who don't know if they or their comrades will live another day, or even another hour. People who witness gruesome death as part of combat or as the result of ridiculous, mundane accident.The vignettes are an interesting approach to the book. Because the narrative doesn't follow a specific squadron or pilot, there is a lot of jumping around in short sections. There are a number of pilots who make multiple appearances as their stories, locations, etc. follow the flow of the book. Usually the vignettes are specific mission experiences or thoughts about the war experience pulled from their letters or diaries. While maybe a bit disjointed, there are some great war stories and it does allow you to read it in small chunks (which is why it took me a while!).

The book was published in 2018 and is a compilation of stories about the experience in WWII. The stories focus on the heartbreaking tales of those who had to serve and sometimes give up their life for us to be here today. The few romantic liaisons really tugged at my heart strings, Joe and Betty more so than they probably should have done. I am often asked which is my favourite aircraft.it is a very difficult question for me to answer. Who wouldn't be impressed with the gut-wrenching climb performance of the Lightning, almost touching the lower reaches of space, out of howling along in a Hawker Sea Fury? So I answer the question this way: if God said that I could have just one more flight, my last flight before I die, in any aircraft I have ever flown, I would choose to get airborne in a Spitfire." As the RAF marks its centenary, Nichol has created a thrilling and often moving tribute to some of its greatest heroes' Mail on Sunday magazine As soon as I saw the cover of this book, I knew I just had to read it. Oddly, it wasn’t until I actually started reading this book that I remembered a time when I was 14 or 15 my Dad took me to an airshow as a father/daughter outing about three hours’ drive from where we lived. I was completely fascinated.I would've wished more some sort of technical analysis or something more tangible than "everyone loved the plane, it was easy to fly". There were some parts where the plane and it's variants were compared to German ME109(variants) and FW190, but I would've liked more and especially to other allied aircraft.

While it hasn't convinced me that the Spit was superior to the Hurricane, I have a new regard for the aircraft. It's always nice to be challenged in your prejudices. The Spitfire was a thing of beauty to behold, in the air or on the ground, with graceful lines of its slim fuselage it elliptical wing and tail plane. It look like a fighter and it certainly proved to be just that in the fullest meaning of the term. It was a aircraft with a personality of its own-docile at times, swift and deadly at others-a fighting machine par excellence."(p.376)What is it about the Spitfire? …Why, over eighty years after she first flew, is the Spitfire regarded as the very symbol of Britishness; … Why is this particular aircraft loved so much? We aim to provide our customers with a friendly reliable and first-rate service however, we appreciate that matters relating to condition can be subjective. We do set very high standards for all our books and memorabilia and provide accurate descriptions but if there is a problem then please tell us straight away.