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‘I know of no more thoughtful nor yet more moving study of their achievement.’ Max Hastings, Sunday Telegraph
‘A living, breathing monument to the fighter boys.’ Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday
‘As a vivid chronicle of who the Battle of Britain pilots were, what motivated them, and why they were ultimately successful, “Fighter Boys” is unsurpassed.’ Daily Telegraph
‘No one reading this book can possibly doubt the heroism of those involved…there can’t be a finer history.’ James Holland, New Statesman
‘Powerful yet restrained, at times almost unbearably touching.’ T. J. Binyon, Evening Standard
‘A superb account of the spirit and character of Fighter Command.’ Martin Fletcher, Independent
‘Patrick Bishop gives these young men posthumous honour and respectful tribute…a moving and generous book that will bring pain as well as pride…to the many who read it.’ The Times
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Many memoir and diary entries are quoted to give us a real impression for the feelings of these young men as they went into battle - not just the gung-ho sentiments of the standard war movies. Particularly touching were those pilots mourning the deaths of close comrades; one man seeing the towel that his roommate had thrown casually on the window sill that morning, little realising that he would never return to pick it up to go for another shower.
The story moves backwards and forwards chronologically a little, but this is almost inevitable with this sort of anecdotal history.
An enjoyable read and a good testament to these bravest of men...
Fighter Boys takes the pilot's view of the aerial war of 1940 and succeeds in painting an eloquent and often harrowing picture of what it was like for those who fought. As far as history is concerned, Bishop has nothing much new to say, but this gives him space to concentrate on the human tales of both sides, RAF and Luftwaffe.
Patrick Bishop's greatest strength is his keen understanding of the RAF's history and mentality, and he does a fine job of explaining its complex attitude to rank, nationality, individualism and class.
My main criticism is that the technical dimension is neglected. While the book contains many insights into the lives of the pilots and ground crew of Fighter Command - and deals well with the question of how RAF tactics compared with those of the Luftwaffe - it omits a great deal of the technical detail that actually bound together the lives and experiences of those involved. I'm thinking of aircraft manufacture, testing, maintenance and armament; flying techniques and pet modifications favoured by the pilots; the detection of enemy aircraft; and airborne communication and ground control, both at day and at night.
But this book is really very good: humane, balanced and compelling. If you are already widely read on the subject of the Battle of Britain, you will find much of interest. If on the other hand you are new to the subject, this book will provide an excellent and balanced overview and will spark off new and rewarding lines of further reading.
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