Book description
This is the story of a magnificent pilot, a reckless, steely-nerved warrior of the sky, feared by the Luftwaffe and known as a legend in the Royal Air Force Fighter Command. He was shot down four times, wounded twice, crash landed in the Channel, and survived two air collisions. Officially,…
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Why read it?
2 authors picked Fly for Your Life as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
A classic biography about one of the Royal Air Force’s most colorful fighter pilots during the early part of the war. Robert Stanford Tuck was born into a wealthy family, but had an individualistic spirit that was sometimes at odds with that family. Prior to the war, he went to sea aboard a tramp steamer where he did much growing up. Upon his return, he was drawn to the excitement of flight and joined the Royal Air Force. Not an intrinsically gifted pilot, he nearly washed out of training, but ultimately flourished. He excelled as a leader as one of…
From Jay's list on The best personal accounts of World War II air combat.
My father was an RAF pilot during WW2, and a prisoner of war who escaped several times, so I have always been fascinated by flying stories. I own perhaps 50 such books, but this is by far my favourite. It covers the incredible wartime story of WW2 fighter ace Bob Stanford Tuck and shows how he coped with adversity during his time as a pilot and POW.
Tuck was one of the highest-scoring pilots during the Battle of Britain and had achieved 29 confirmed "kills" by the time he was shot down over France and taken prisoner. After participating in…
From Nick's list on The most inspiring books about dealing with unexpected events.
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