As a child, I heard tales of my uncle Ken, an RCAF Halifax navigator, who was shot down over Berlin in January 1944. As an adult, I lived in Berlin while earning a PhD in History and left roses on my uncle’s grave. Now, I am retired, and with the noise of earning a living silenced, I can hear the voices of those who want their story told. Among them are men from Bomber Command who feel they have been ignored and disparaged in fictional writing about WWII. I hope to correct that injustice and depict them as people rather than symbols or victims.
There are many memoirs by members of Bomber Command, yet few convey the emotions and perspectives as intensely and authentically as this book, based largely on Stevie’s own diaries and other first-hand accounts.
Too often, memoirs are written long after the fact with the wisdom of hindsight. Alternatively, wartime diaries can be terse, cryptic, and lacking in emotion.
In sharp contrast, Stevie’s humanity and humor shine through in this book, making it a rare and unique window into the life of a poor boy who became one of those exceptional men to take to the skies in an effort to subdue a brutal enemy.
Leonard Cheshire became the most highly decorated RAF officer of WWII — yet devoted the rest of his life to charity and trying to change the fate, status, and prospects for people with disabilities. This book, first published in 1943, was written before Cheshire became the CO of the famous “Dam-Busters” Squadron (#617).
It provides a fascinating glimpse into a young man caught in the conflagration we call the “Strategic Bombing Offensive.” Cheshire later regretted publishing this book, and it is said that members of the 617 Squadron who read it before his arrival were offended by it.
In short, among RAF aircrew, the book was controversial — which only makes it all the more interesting. It is a fascinating read.
Leonard Cheshire was one of the most highly decorated pilots of the Second World War. As the Royal Air Force's youngest Group Captain in 1943, he took a drop in rank and went on to command No. 617 Squadron and pioneer low level marking and precision bombing. For this, together with four years of fighting against the bitterest opposition during which he maintained a record of outstanding personal achievement, he was awarded the Victoria Cross. In 1945 he was an official observer of the dropping of the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Post-war his humanitarian work on behalf of the…
This a rare autobiography about flying in RAF Bomber Command from the perspective of a navigator rather than a pilot.
Also unusual among books of this nature, the author flew in the Halifax rather than the Lancaster. The book opens as the author prepares to report for induction into the RAF and follows him through initial, advanced, and operational training, then into the war and the early post-war period as well.
Although written long after the events depicted, the author relied on his diaries, letters, and logbooks when putting it together, so it does not feel distant from events or didactic.
The author does not focus on the darkness but instead tells his story in an easy, anecdotal fashion. His voice and personality shine through, engaging you easily.
The WAAF played a crucial role in the RAF generally and in Bomber Command particularly, yet far too little has been written about or by them. This is the rare exception.
As Ms. Beck says in her introduction, the book captures not the exceptional, unusual, or heroic, but rather the everyday life of WAAF serving at the operational stations of RAF Bomber Command.
What I liked best about this book was the complete absence of melodrama. It is a straightforward, honest account full of ‘trivia’ that makes it a treasure trove of detailed information — something invaluable to the novelist!
A sensitively written true story by an RAF Bomber Command wartime R/T operator who talked down the crews on their return from operations, met them off duty, and often mourned their loss within days.
Bishop’s Bomber Boys is a good, solid history full of facts, stats, and the bird’s eye view.
Bishop provides cogent summaries of the policy and command decisions, analyzes the social structure of the RAF, aircrew, and Bomber Command, and tackles a range of important issues topically.
For example, he has a chapter on crewing up, on “the chop,” the “crack up,” and “love in uniform,” among others. It also offers aircraft diagrams and maps, which can be very useful.
It is an excellent starting point for learning about the subject, providing useful context and framework to a researcher, although it cannot serve as a substitute for reading first-hand accounts.
Following on from his best-selling 'Fighter Boys', in this very different book, Patrick Bishop looks back at the lives, human realities and the extraordinary risks that the painfully young pilots took during the strategic air-offensive against Germany from 1940-1945.
In 'Fighter Boys' Patrick Bishop brought to life the pilots who flew Spitfires and Hurricanes in the summer of 1940. Their skill and bravery decided the Battle of Britain, which saved the nation from invasion and created the conditions for Hitler's defeat.
In 'Bomber Boys' he tells a different but equally fascinating story. The 125,000 men from all over the world…
Moral Fibre tells the story of a Lancaster skipper, his crew, and the woman he loved. It is the story of a man once branded a coward who returns to continue the fight against fascism.
Given a second chance, Flying Officer Kit Moran forms a new crew. Together, they join the other men of RAF Bomber Command, riding the icy, moonlit sky to take the war to Hitler. Their chances of survival are less than 50%. Their average age is 21. Moral Fibre is a moving tribute to those who fought for freedom. It shows the many faces of courage and grief and the price of survival.
I’m an OB/GYN, passionate about adventuring beyond what’s expected. This has led me to pivot multiple times in my career, now focusing on writing. I’ve written a play, The Post-Roe Monologues, to elevate women’s stories. I cherish the curiosity that drives outer and inner exploration, and I love memoirs that skillfully weave the two. The books on this list feature extraordinary women who took risks, left comfort and safety, and battled vulnerability to step into the unknown. These authors moved beyond the stories they’d believed about themselves–or that others told about them. They invite you to think about living fuller and bigger lives.
Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctor—and only woman—on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.
The team attempts a new route up the East Face without the use of supplemental oxygen, Sherpa support, or chance for rescue. When three climbers disappear during their summit attempt, Zieman reaches the knife edge of her limits and digs deeply to fight for the climbers’ lives and to find her voice.
Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor's Unlikely Adventure
The plan was outrageous: A small team of four climbers would attempt a new route on the East Face of Mt. Everest, considered the most remote and dangerous side of the mountain, which had only been successfully climbed once before. Unlike the first large team, Mimi Zieman and her team would climb without using supplemental oxygen or porter support. While the unpredictable weather and high altitude of 29,035 feet make climbing Everest perilous in any condition, attempting a new route, with no idea of what obstacles lay ahead, was especially audacious. Team members were expected to push themselves to their…
