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Goshawk Squadron Paperback – October 13, 2005

by Derek Robinson (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 631 ratings
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Set during the height of World War I in January 1918, Goshawk Squadron follows the misfortunes of a British flight squadron on the Western Front. For Stanley Woolley, commanding officer of Goshawk Squadron, the romance of chivalry in the clouds is just a myth. The code he drums into his men is simple and savage: shoot the enemy in the back before he knows you're there. Even so, he believes the whole squadron will be dead within three months. A monumental work at the time of its original release, Booker-shortlisted Goshawk Squadron is now viewed as a classic in the mode of Catch 22. Wry, brutal, cynical and hilarious, the men of Robinson's squadron are themselves an embodiment of the maddening contradictions of war: as much a refined troop of British gentleman as they are a viscous band of brothers hell-bent on staying alive and winning the war.
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  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    October 13, 2005
  4. Dimensions
    5.06 x 0.55 x 7.81 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    9780786715954
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0786715954
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Derek Robinson is a policeman's son from a council estate who crossed the class barrier by going to Cambridge, where he got a degree in history and learned to write badly. A stint in advertising in London and New York changed that, and in 1971 he finally got it right when Goshawk Squadron was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. His equally acclaimed trilogy of World War Two novels are Piece of Cake, A Good Clean Fight and Damned Good Show.

His other novels include The Eldorado Network and Artillery of Lies. Derek Robinson has also published nonfiction on a variety of themes, from the laws of rugby to the nuclear tests on Christmas Island in the 1950s. His most recent book is Invasion, 1940, a revisionist history of the Battle of Britain. He lives in Bristol.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0786715952
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Da Capo Press; Reprint edition (October 13, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780786715954
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0786715954
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.06 x 0.55 x 7.81 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 631 ratings

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Derek Robinson

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
631 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Andy McKinney
5.0 out of 5 stars Very realistic
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2020
Verified Purchase
Just about everything described in the WWI fighter squadron comes from actual events, letters, memoirs, and other records of the time. The writing is first class, vivid without becoming florid.
It is a tale of horror, unrelenting horror. In one instance English boys with 8 hours total flying time arrived at the front to contest the skies with the German Air Force.
This might be the most emotionally impactful story of WWI that I have ever read. It is much different to see inside a particular squadron than to read a drier historical version from a history professor.
Valuable. Recommended.
ps- I came across this title in a mention of it in another novel. I am glad I jotted the title down for further examination.
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doc peterson
4.0 out of 5 stars An anti-war book with dry, British humour
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2008
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_Goshawk Squadron_ tells the story of a WWI squadron of pilots in the winter and spring of 1918. Robinson is ruthless in the treatment of his characters, tragic death following tragic death as both replacements and old hands fall from the sky as part of the randomness and unpredictability of war. This, and Robinson's portrayal of daily life within the squadron are its strong points. Each character struggles to cope with the stress and uncertainty of their job, compounded by the hard and heavy-handed leadership of the protagonist, Major Woolley - an anti-hero whose training methods are unconventional but effective.

Perhaps it is because the book is over thirty-years old, but many of the characters have become cliched: Woolley, for example is seen in film again and again (from the Dirty Dozen to the Die-Hard franchise); even some of the pilots are stereotypical (the fire-and-brimstone son of missionaries, the simple country bumpkin, the blue-blooded aristocrat unaccustomed to being treated with disdain and disrespect by the stern, common-man commanding officer ...) I also had difficulty keeping track of characters - partially because so many of them arrived to the squadron before they were killed, but partially because in only a few instances was there any remarkable feature that made them memorable or distinguishable from the others. This, of course, could be intentional, as Woolley himself doesn't expect any of them to live beyond the next three months.

Even with these shortcomings, though, I give the book four stars. Through Wooley, Robinson strips the veneer of "honor", "fairplay" and "sportsmanship" from combat, instead emphasizing what war really is: cold-blooded killing in as quick and efficient a manner as possible. He also shows the helplessness men underfire feel, and his descriptions of aerial combat are among the best I've read.
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College Station customer
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent service.
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2023
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The book itself was accurately described and carefully wrapped, though dust jacket was not quite as good as I thought it would be.
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Joseph P Miller
3.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2013
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I think I would have enjoyed it if it were longer then it was. Otherwise it was a good enough book to read while at lunch
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R. Forczyk
5.0 out of 5 stars The Leadership Style of Major Woolley
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2003
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Derek Robinson wrote Goshawk Squadron in 1971 and began his depiction of squadron life in the Royal Flying Corps (later Royal Air Force). Unlike his later novels that focused on the fictional "Hornet" squadron, this first effort focused on the "Goshawk" squadron, but the method and characters are essentially similar. The main protagonist in Goshawk Squadron is the unit commander, Major Stanley Woolley. This character is clearly defined as an anti-hero, indeed his behavior and methods may appear repugnant or even borderline insane. However, Robinson succeeds in developing an odd pathos behind Woolley and over the course of the novel the reader should gain understanding of the forces that drive this odd character, if not empathy for him. Modern-day military officers might benefit from studying the command methods of Woolley, particularly in preparing units for combat. Overall, Goshawk Squadron is a true classic that delivers vivid characters and action that draws the reader further and further into the realities of air combat in the First World War.
Goshawk Squadron is set in the period January-March 1918, just before the German spring offensives. The squadron is equipped with the SE-5a fighter and begins the novel resting and re-building behind the lines. Woolley has been commander of the squadron for one year and although fanatical in his training methods, he is approaching combat burnout. Indeed, Woolley is so cynical (but realistic, as it turns out) that he believes all his pilots will be dead within three months. In a seemingly futile but rabid effort, Woolley spends the brief period behind the lines to train his squadron to be the most cold-blooded and efficient killers possible. Woolley's combat ethics clearly clash with the English public school morals of his young pilots; Woolley bans words like "sporting," or "fair fight" from his squadron. In these pages, Robinson depicts how four years of harsh, non-stop combat have produced a killer elite in men like Woolley, whose only philosophy is "kill or be killed." To modern eyes, Woolley's training methods will seem callous and cruel, resulting in needless pain and suffering on his pilots. Indeed, Woolley terrorizes his pilots, to include throwing beer bottles and shooting at slow learners. The pilots in Goshawk Squadron hate their commander, but they are also better prepared to survive when they return to operational service. When the great German offensive begins in March 1918, Goshawk Squadron is committed to try and stem the German onslaught as the British front line crumbles. Robinson provides excellent detail both on balloon-busting and close air support attacks, circa 1918.
Woolley does begin to evolve over the course of the novel, as do his pilots. Yet Goshawk Squadron is never a happy unit and modern military readers might question whether the increase in unit efficiency is worth the drop in morale. Woolley makes better killers, but the squadron is visibly falling apart by the end of the novel. Can a combat unit really function for long based merely on fear of the commander? And what is the result when that long-punishing tyrant suddenly decides to ease up on his troops? These questions are never fully addressed by Robinson, but remain lurking in the corners. On the other hand, one of the great scenes in the novel is a confrontation between Woolley and a REMF colonel from headquarters. Unlike other military novels that attempt to portray the clash between the war fighter and rear echelon types, there is no effort toward subterfuge by Woolley. Instead, Woolley starts blasting away at the colonel with his pistol until he wins the argument ("You can't kill me," says the colonel. "I will kill you, take your body up in my plane, and dump it behind German lines," says Woolley. In a war where thousands disappeared without a trace, this is a convincing threat.). Robinson's point here is that it is difficult to threaten a man with theoretical punitive actions when he is facing the very real threat of death in combat on a daily basis. Advice to REMFs: don't go to the front line in a war and threaten combat soldiers with administrative actions, if you do, wear a flak jacket.
41 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars The end bit
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2013
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The final book in the WW1 series by Derek Robinson, once again linking itself to the previous books by carrying over some of the previous characters (by now somewhat war weary). Goshawk Squadron continues with the theme of technical accuracy and like the previous books bases some of the escapades on actual events, with history suitably bent as to time, place and person.So don't rely on any of these books as history, but enjoy them for what they are; excellent historical novels of WW1 aviation.
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Top reviews from other countries

Daniel J I Rich
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book..the read is rapid & devastating. Watch "Aces High" & Luv it more.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
This author is wonderful, fun & enlightening. With the students currently hunting us Jews, it's nice to remember how we used to put mucho psycho chapos behind Browning's babies. Surely we can bring back duelling, if only to destroy the new class system (over the surprised corpses of PPE Oxbridge poshos). Dunno why I find it so cheering.
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PFC
5.0 out of 5 stars Dispels popular WWI aviation lore
Reviewed in Canada on October 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
An excellent book! I can see why it was short-listed for the Booker. It will dispel much of that "chivalrous knights of the air" pap that we grew up with in popular media. This is the first thing I've read that really gave a good look at what it must have been like to fly in WWI, what an eye opener, and what an enthralling read.
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Oosh.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 20, 2021
Verified Purchase
Oosh. Nothing rose tinted about this. With a wit, surrealism and the gallows humour of Catch 22, this was a fascinating fictional glimpse into WW1 away from the trenches. Didn't think it would be my kind of book but I'm interested in reading the other two books in the trilogy.
2 people found this helpful
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Mr Greg Tinsley
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in Canada on November 1, 2015
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Good solid read.
One person found this helpful
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lyndie
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
Reviewed in Canada on May 14, 2017
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This book is a wonderful read my husband is enjoying it. It does come as a series and he does suggest to get the whole series. A wee bit late on the delivery. Great company with very polite staff that know their job very well.
One person found this helpful
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