"What Were They Like To Fly?"

[John Dupre]

I picked up a signed copy of this book by Squadron Leader D H Clarke and it is fascinating. He profiles 36 of the 50 aircraft he flew in his career. You gotta like a guy who hates the Hurricane! To be fair he suffered an engine failure in an early example that led to a crash landing in which he flipped over and was trapped upside down until they were able to dig him out. He used to dive Skua's vertically to 300 feet and pull out with 50 feet to spare! He once scored 7 hits on a RN cruiser in 7 attempts with practice bombs. It is really great writing, he is the antithesis of the typical staid, reserved Englishman willingly admitting to "line shooting" and unabashedly giving his appreciation of the aircraft he flew without regard to established reputations. Great stuff and I am only on page 40 and number 8 of 36.