See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Reach for the Sky: Story of Douglas Bader, D.S.O., D.F.C. (Cassell Military Paperbacks)
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book

Reach for the Sky: Story of Douglas Bader, D.S.O., D.F.C. (Cassell Military Paperbacks) (Paperback)

by Paul Brickhill (Author)
4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


9 used from £1.70
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover Order it used
Paperback 8 used & new from £12.15
Mass Market Paperback 2 used & new from £3.99
Library Binding 4 used & new from £15.58
Audio Cassette (Audiobook) 7 used & new from £7.18
Unknown Binding Order it used

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Dam Busters (Pan Grand Strategy Series)

The Dam Busters (Pan Grand Strategy Series)

by Paul Brickhill
5.0 out of 5 stars (5)  £5.49
Reach For The Sky [DVD] [1956]

Reach For The Sky [DVD] [1956]

DVD ~ Kenneth More
4.7 out of 5 stars (9)  £3.98
The Great Escape (Cassell Military Paperbacks)

The Great Escape (Cassell Military Paperbacks)

by Paul Brickhill
5.0 out of 5 stars (7) 
Fight for the Sky: The Story of the Spitfire and Hurricane

Fight for the Sky: The Story of the Spitfire and Hurricane

by Douglas Bader
4.5 out of 5 stars (2)  £9.99
Enemy Coast Ahead Uncensored: The Real Guy Gibson

Enemy Coast Ahead Uncensored: The Real Guy Gibson

by Guy Gibson
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £7.67
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Phoenix; New Ed edition (3 Aug 2000)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0304356743
  • ISBN-13: 978-0304356744
  • Product Dimensions: 20 x 12.9 x 2.7 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 121,257 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #36 in  Books > Biography > Political > Britain > Prime Ministers
    #57 in  Books > Biography > War & Espionage > Air Force

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Book Description
To be included in the Cassell Military Paperback promotion High profile Guardian advertising Full range of promotional POS and catalogue

Product Description
In 1931, at the age of 21, Douglas Bader was the golden boy of the RAF. Excelling in everything he did he represented the Royal Air Force in aerobatics displays, played rugby for Harlequins, and was tipped to be the next England fly half. But one afternoon in December all his ambitions came to an abrupt end when he crashed his plane doing a particularly difficult and illegal aerobatic trick. His injuries were so bad that surgeons were forced to amputate both his legs to save his life. Douglas Bader did not fly again until the outbreak of the Second World War, when his undoubted skill in the air was enough to convince a desperate air force to give him his own squadron. The rest of his story is the stuff of legend. Flying Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain he led his squadron to kill after kill, keeping them all going with his unstoppable banter. Shot down in occupied France, his German captors had to confiscate his tin legs in order to stop him trying to escape. Bader faced it all, disability, leadership and capture, with the same charm, charisma and determination that was an inspiration to all around him.

See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
(2)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
See all 8 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Per Ardua Ad Astra (Through Adversity to the Stars), 5 May 2003
By C. J. Husing "fact275" (California United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Reach for the Sky (Bluejacket Books) (Paperback)
If one man truly embodied the motto of the Royal Air Force, it was Douglas Bader. The basic outlines of his story are known: pilot loses legs, goes on to become an ace in the Second World War, only to be shot down and spend the rest of the war in captivity. But what is not so well-known is Bader's struggle from his pre-war flying accident in which he lost his legs to "reach for the sky" once more. Brickhill strikes just the right balance in describing Bader's life--each part is detailed but not too much that the reader gets bogged down. Bader's rehabilitation is truly inspirational. Bader lived in a time when modern prosthetics were in their infancy. People then had a hard enough time just learning to live with them and do every day tasks--Bader was determined to drive and fly again. And he did. It is some mark of the man that when Bader was freed by Allied forces, his first request to the RAF was to find a flying squadron and get back to the war before it ended. Brickhill's account on suffers from two minor points. First, it was written in the 1950s. Bader died in 1982. This edition sorely needed a forward or epilogue written by an intimate or a historian which highlighted the man's life afterwards. The second point is that Brickhill's account is slightly dated in tone. For instance, in his relating of Bader's courtship of his future wife, whom he met while she was a waitress, Brickhill felt compelled to explain to the reader that his wife was only working as a waitress to get over a lost pet! (Working as a waitress apparently was not something a "respectable" woman would do!)
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An inspirational man, 13 Mar 2007
The true story of a remarkable man who epitomises the grit and sheer bloody minded determination of the Brits during the Battle of Britain and there after. An amazing story of a man who on the verge of being picked to play Rugby for England has a 'dink' with his aeroplane and looses both his legs and hence his RAF flying career. Refusing to give up and with an annoying degree of persistence he manages to bounce back to get his wings at the start of the war and goes on to become a legendary fighter pilot with 22 'kills' to his credit before being shot down and captured. He casues havoc trying to escape and eventually ends up in Colditz for the remainder of the war. All who know the story of Bader realise he had something special, something within him inspired everyone he met. His story has been an inspirational legacy for years and will be for many more. A great fighter ace and an even greater inspirational character ....simply a legend!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars will we ever see his like again?, 30 Jan 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Reach for the Sky (Library Binding)
Follow Douglas Bader from the trauma of his near-fatal flying accident to the skies of southern England and the hilarious escape of this legless man from POW custody.I met Douglas Bader in the 70's and can understand why he was an inspiration to RAF pilots and disabled people everywhere.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A true hero
I 1st read this book when I was in my teens, I am now in my 30's and it's still a great read. It's the kind of story that makes you realize what we as individuals are capable of... Read more
Published 1 month ago by edzshed

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly amazing man
I first read this book as a child and it totally captured my imagination. I re-read it so many times that the book eventually fell apart. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Lizzie Ward-Holmes

5.0 out of 5 stars a hero of heart and metal
A wonderful story of a man that knows his dream and goes all the way to make it come true. The story is fluent and very readable - I enjoied reading it again and again. Read more
Published on 9 Oct 2002 by ido rosenthal

4.0 out of 5 stars The story of a brave and determined man
The stirring story of the war hero, Douglas Bader, who lost both legs in a plane crash before the war but came back to become one of the great flying aces of the Battle of... Read more
Published on 5 Mar 2001 by W. Weinstein

5.0 out of 5 stars a brillaint example of courage & endurance
This book cronicles the life of a great pilot & a great leader of men, his strugles & his acheivements in life over the german pilots & over the german gaurds his... Read more
Published on 30 Oct 2000

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Spitfire: A Test Pilot's Story

Spitfire: A Test...

A worthy memorial to an exceptional pilot, and a great aircraft. Read more
£10.95 £7.67

›Find similar items

 

More From Paul Brickhill

The Dam Busters

The Dam Busters by Paul Brickhill

Originally published in 1951 by Evans Brothers this is the story of... Read more
£6.99 £5.49

 

Up to 53% off Braun Series Shavers

Braun Series 3 390cc Clean & Renew System Rechargeable Foil Electric Shaver
Get in touch with your smooth side with Braun Series shavers, now with Gillette blade technology.

›Discover Braun Series at Amazon.co.uk

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates