Fly

Fly

Michael Veitch

‘Fly is an absorbing read thanks to the amazing and previously untold stories Veitch collected from aging pilots, navigators and gunners.’ HERALD SUN

All over the world during World War II, thousands of young men who had never so much as been near an aeroplane left offices, farms and classrooms to learn to fly and fight in the greatest conflict the world has ever seen. They fought over deserts, cities and jungles, in-single-engine fighter aircraft, heavy bombers, transport planes and flying boats. How do they feel about their dramatic days in the air? What is it they remember, and what do they choose to forget?

In these candid and moving stories, Michael Veitch, writer, broadcaster and aeroplane fanatic, uncovers some of the untold stories of World War II: Australian, British and even German. He captures the events that defined a generation of men before these stories are lost forever.

Michael Veitch’s life-long obsession with the aircraft of the Second World War led him to conclude that every single person who flew, or flew in them, has at least one extraordinary story to tell. With most of these veterans in their eighties, he knew that it was a matter of urgency to find them now, before their personal stories disappear forever. So, over the course of a year, Veitch interviewed over fifty former aircrew across Australia, many of whom had never spoken about their experiences before, even to their families. The result was FLAK – a collection of vivid, unforgettable stories from RAAF veterans about their experiences of combat in World War II – and Fly is the second instalment of stories. From bomber pilots to fighter aces, from rear gunners to bomb aimers, from stories of death and fear to tales of humour and comradeship, Michael has helped unearth the extraordinary stories of ordinary men living and fighting in extraordinary times.

This is an excellent copy of this fascinating and informative and ‘hard to find’ book. Available at this discounted price, postage free, only at The Booklovers Club