Pen & Sword Books

A look at the leading figure in the Haitian Revolution, Toussaint Louverture, challenging myths and exploring the vivid, often horrifying events of colonial history.The French Revolution was a period of radical political and societal change in the eighteenth century. Everyone knows about the guillotine and the grisly processions of tumbrils, but less is generally appreciated about the much greater violence in provincial France. This book examines the beliefs and assumptions about the French Revolution which have become popularised in films and novels but also accepted in standard accounts to see if they stand up to scrutiny. There is no attempt to deny the intense drama of the whole revolutionary period but rather to separate myth and reality. There are chapters on the development of the constitutional monarchy and its failure and also on the tragic period of the Terror which for many is the most characteristic period.The role of women in this period is one of huge turmoil as well as the impact of the Revolution on the French colonies and in particular Saint-Domingue in the West Indies. This book looks at the leading figure in the Haitian Revolution, Toussaint Louverture, with some myths being challenged and attempts to reach a realistic judgement as well as exploring some of the vivid, if at times horrifying, events of this key part of the history of colonialism.It includes a critical look at commonly held beliefs about the Revolution and its aftermath. It is also an account of many of the highly colorful and dramatic events and personalities for those who want to get beneath the surface of one of the most absorbing periods of history. The range of extraordinary people in the Revolution has led to many fictional accounts and we look at many of their lives, but also at the way that a period of intense belief impacted ordinary people with often tragic results. It really was ‘the best of times and the worst of times’.

Explore global beer diversity, from ancient origins to modern innovations across 40+ countries, appealing to both novices and aficionados.Come with us on a beer-fuelled journey crisscrossing the globe, taking in every continent and more than 40 different countries, as we discover the huge range of different brews available today around the world, explore their backstories, take a deep dive into the history of beer, going back 13,000 years to the dawn of civilisation, and come right up to the 21st century to discover beer styles invented only a few years ago.No matter if you are a beginner in beer, just starting to discover the amazing variety of beverages made from grain and yeast that can be found from pole to pole, or an experienced beer drinker who knows their porter from their pilsner and their bock from their bitter, there will be stories within these pages that will educate, amaze, amuse and inspire you. Around the World in 80 Beers travels from the pine forest of Finland to the jungles of Brazil, and the moors of Scotland to the rocky coasts of New Zealand. It covers all the great brewing cities of the world — Munich, Pilsen, London, Dublin, Milwaukee and so on — and also looks at beer brewing in places as diverse as Trappist monasteries in Belgium and villages in the hills of Myanmar in South East Asia.The range of different beers covered is astonishing: not just the well-known, such as IPA, pilsner, and Imperial stout, but the rare and little-heard-of, such as Norwegian kveik ale, or Jopejskie, the thick, black, amazingly strong beer recently revived in Poland. It uncovers some strange stories, such as the surprising popularity of milk stout among the urban working class in South Africa, and knocks some myths on the head, such as the allegedly ancient history of Irish Red Ale. In all, this is a trip like no other you have ever been on. Strap yourself in, and grab your glass.

Chronicles the turbulent Hollywood love story of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, navigating fame, adversity, and enduring passion against all odds.It was the Hollywood romance that warmed hearts and thrilled audiences, but the path to true love was littered with alcoholism, abandonment and bitter disappointments.Humphrey Bogart had crawled up the hard way, leaving behind a childhood without affection for a life as the idol of millions. Bogie’s road to stardom had been long and tough, forging a superstar who hated being in the spotlight as much as he loved being in the bar. With three marriages to his name and a reputation as one of the hardest drinkers in Hollywood, happiness was always fleeting.Lauren Bacall grew up in New York as the apple of her hard-working mother’s eye, dreaming of a life in the limelight. Modelling by day and tearing tickets at night, when she was summoned to Hollywood to make a screentest, young Betty Bacall grabbed it with both hands. There she was reborn as the vampish Lauren Bacall, a teenage nobody who would make her debut in To Have and Have Not opposite the quintessential Hollywood tough guy, Humphrey Bogart.Nobody expected what came next, but the love affair between Bogie and Bacall took the world by storm. The Real Bogie & Bacall tells the story of two people whose romance shouldn’t have worked… but did.

Celebrating Sir Brian Baker's illustrious RAF career, from World War I flying ace to post-war Air Marshal, highlighting key roles like the Berlin Airlift and Operation CORK.From Rifleman to Air Marshal, Sir Brian Baker excelled in every role. Having transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and learning to fly in record time on a Maurice Farman Longhorn, he progressed to a Bristol Fighter on the Western Front. A natural pilot, he became a ‘Flying Ace’, chasing the Red Baron down and accounting for twelve Fokkers and Gothas in quick succession, earning several gallantry medals. Brian’s close shaves were legendary.Between the wars he was Commander of the famous ‘Cock Squadron’ at Biggin Hill followed by being attached to the Royal Navy, pioneering the training and use of aircraft carriers. His many key appointments during the Second World War included commanding the RAF’s North Atlantic defenses and Coastal Command. His role in the planning of Operation CORK ensured that not a single U-Boat reached the Channel throughout the D-Day landings.Post-war Sir Brian, now an Air Marshal and CinC Transport Command, master-minded the Berlin Airlift with singular success. His career achievements were recognized by decorations from allied nations.A keen sportsman, Brian captained the RAF Cricket team at The Oval and organised a farewell tour of ten countries.Celebrating the achievements of one of the RAF’s most illustrious characters, this overdue biography will be welcomed by aviation enthusiasts worldwide.

A collection of poems reflecting Thomas Hardy's tumultuous marriage to Emma Gifford.In many of his poems, the great Dorset poet and novelist Thomas Hardy referred to a certain romantic courtship, a marriage which became progressively more problematical, and finally to a bereavement in which a man loses his wife. So, who was Hardy writing about? The clue is to be found in his early poems, where the names of several locations in North Cornwall are mentioned, this being the very same place which featured in Hardy’s courtship of Emma Gifford, who was to become his first wife.The poems raise certain questions. Given that Hardy and Emma gradually drifted apart so that in the end they lived mainly separate lives, albeit under the same roof, why was he so grief-stricken when she died, bearing in mind that their marriage was so unsatisfactory?How did Hardy cope as he passed through the various stages of grief, which he articulated so poignantly and expressively in his poems? These stages are recognized today, thanks to the work of Swiss-US psychiatrist, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, and US expert on grieving and loss, David Kessler.Finally, how did Hardy survive and come out the other side, and can his experience be a guide to others who find themselves alone and bereft after losing their partner?

Covers the final year of World War II in Europe.On the evening of Monday, 5th June 1944, the people of Britain went to bed with a sense of great events impending. They knew that any day now would come news of the battle that would forever alter the course of their lives, and the lives of their children and their grandchildren.The following day’s morning newspapers and early radio news bulletins were full of the fall of Rome to the Allies, which had been announced the day before. But then, at 9.33 am on that Tuesday, came the brief announcement: Allied naval forces, supported by strong air forces, had begun landing Allied armies on the coast of France.’ D-Day had finally dawned.D-Day to VE Day tells the story of the last year of the Second World War in Europe, from the Normandy landings and on through the hard slog to that long-awaited day — 8th May 1945 — when Britain broke out the bunting, rolled out the barrel, and celebrated victory over Hitler. The air-raid sirens were silenced, the lights could be switched on again, and the boys would be coming home.In many homes, festivities were muted because the war in the Far East was still to be won, but for a few short hours at least, the nation could afford to let its hair down and dance in the streets.Using contemporary accounts — interviews, newspaper reports and official documents — of those final months, D-Day to VE Day looks at life in Britain during those vital months, at the events that brought an end to war in Europe, and at the redrawing of national borders that would shape a new world order.

Examines Queen Elizabeth I's complex courtships, revealing how her romantic and political decisions shaped her reign as England's Virgin QueenThe many courtships of the woman who became Elizabeth I began when she was an infant, displayed before foreign ambassadors who considered her as a possible clause of a contract between England and France. From such an unromantic beginning, Elizabeth grew to see her father marry multiple times and experienced frequent changes in stepmothers and status in the family. Eventually, she became the most eligible woman in Europe. From start to finish, her marriage prospects were as much political as they were personal.When she came to the throne in 1558, the primary question facing everyone from foreign monarchs to English nobles and ministers was which of her many suitors would finally win her hand. Through the longest Tudor reign, Elizabeth used courtship as a tool to consider foreign alliances, hold ambitious English courtiers in check, and navigate her role as a woman ruler in a world that considered her unnatural without a man at her side.Elizabeth was, in fact, always the ‘Virgin Queen’, from the early days as a twenty-five-year-old presenting herself as a potential royal bride to her final years as an ageing and unmarried woman who was destined to end the Tudor dynasty. Ultimately, she became the only monarch in England to rule as an adult and never marry. Through it all, as friends and potential lovers faded away, she clung to the one true love of her life: England.

Chronicles the extraordinary era with daily snapshots of historical events, from the Great Exhibition to quirky anecdotes.Victorian Britain Day by Day sheds new light on the most remarkable era in British history. Here is a tapestry of time, unpacked and uncovered from January 1st to December 31st, a rich mosaic of facts, events and tales, exploring the most extraordinary moments of the most extraordinary age.Each day offers a different, vivid and accessible snapshot into our past, intermingling famous or renowned events, with rare, quirky and fun facts. What was the mysterious Sheep panic of 1888? Who was the notorious Spring heeled Jack? Why was William Gladstone run over by a cow? The Victorians transformed British society forever. From the Great Exhibition, to the Industrial Revolution, Dickens and Darwin, Entertainment and Empire, the 19th century was an epoch of momentous political, cultural and social change, charted day by day in this book.With meticulous research and a compelling, gripping narrative, Victorian Britain Day by Day is essential reading for anyone looking for great stories and absorbing events on every day of the year between 1837–1901. Written in an accessible, easy flowing format, this can be dipped in and out effortlessly, time and time again. A handy reference guide at your fingertip, this books offers a unique, crafted window into our not-so-distant past, a period which still continues to enrapture, influence and shape British life even today.

A collection of digitally enhanced photos of Erwin Rommel's “Ghost Division”.June 1940. In just weeks, General Erwin Rommel’s 7th Panzer Division — dubbed the ‘Ghost Division’ — had driven headlong through Allied forces in Belgium and France to reach the English Channel. Pushing south along the Channel coast past Le Harve, Rommel’s spectacular victory at Saint-Valéry-en-Caux was crowned by the capture of Cherbourg. Following the Franco-German Armistice and a victory parade in Bordeaux, cameras rolled as Rommel re-enacted crossing the Somme for the Nazi propaganda documentary Sieg im Westen (Victory in the West).

The recovery and renovation of a Second World War Spitfire to museum standards is always a special event. To then restore it to flying status is an even greater accomplishment. If that was the whole story of The Sliver Spitfire this would still be a worthy subject for a book — but this Spitfire, MJ271, or G-IRTY as she is also known, built more than 70 years ago as a short-range interceptor fighter — then went on to fly round the world.MJ271 was sent to its first frontline unit, 118 Squadron, which was then based at RAF Detling in Kent as part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, on 18 February 1944. While at Detling, MJ271 took part in a total of sixteen operations. More sorties followed with other squadrons and with pilots from many Allied nationalities at the controls. Though undertaking many offensive sorties in a reconfigured dive-bomber role over occupied territory, and suffering Category ‘B’ damage, MJ271 survived the war.She was handed over to the Royal Netherlands Air Force, eventually being sold to the War Museum at Delfzijl and then on to other organizations. It was during this period that MJ271 acquired her silver finish. Her last move was to Boutlbee Flight Academy, now Spitfires.com, in 2016. It was there that the idea grew of attempting something which had never been achieved before — to fly a Spitfire around the world!On 5 August 2019, MJ271 set off from Goodwood aerodrome, the former Battle of Britain fighter station then known as RAF Westhampnett, on its record-breaking flight. This unique event saw the Silver Spitfire cover a staggering 43,000 kilometers in a total of 74-legs through twenty-four countries, flying across Greenland and the Atlantic to the United States via New York, Las Vegas and California. The Spitfire then flew north before heading westward into Russia and to Japan, before making its way across the rest of Asia. After a set of brief stopovers in the Middle East, it flew across Europe to return to the UK.Told through a panoply of astounding photographs, each stage of the Silver Spitfire’s remarkable history and unrivaled world tour is displayed in this beautiful tribute to this great icon of British engineering and pioneering spirit.

The Victorian era's societal changes and cultural advancements are explored through the lens of daily lifeThe Victorian era is arguably the most exciting and invigorating reign of an English monarch ever, and one of progress on a massive scale. By the time Queen Victoria died in 1901, England was almost unrecognisable. The Victorians neatly avoided revolution, built upon what the Georgians started and turned the country into a political powerhouse which ran the biggest Empire the world had ever seen.Meanwhile, Victorian writers and journalists were observing, questioning, and recording for prosperity the life and times of what would become known as the Victorian era: a steady, relentless building of the modern world. Using quotes from Victorian literature, How the Victorians Lived will help you on your way to understanding how society coped with the upheaval of the industrial revolution during one of the most innovative centuries England has ever seen.This book is a detailed exploration of the daily lives of mainly working— and middle-class Victorians. It recreates the remarkable and wondrous world of the English Victorians: their traditions, their expectations, their hopes and their fears and how these have shaped the society we live in today.

Chronicles Operation TITLE, an Allied mission led by Prime Minister Winston Churchill to sink the formidable German battleship Tirpitz.Prime Minister Winston Churchill referred to Tirpitz as ‘The Beast,’ and on 25th January 1942 he wrote, ‘The destruction or even the crippling of this ship is the greatest event at this present time. No other target is comparable to it.’ With these words the seeds were sown for Operation TITLE, an Allied mission to sink Tirpitz. Harvesting began on 19th October 1942 when the fishing boat, Arthur, sailed from Scalloway with a crew of four Norwegians, a six-man team of Royal Navy divers and two ‘chariots’ in a brave attempt to tame ‘the Beast.’ Arduous training of men, fine tuning of the experimental ‘chariots,’ and the determination of those who undertook this mission all combined in a contest comparable with the biblical tale of David and Goliath. In this case Goliath, in the form of Tirpitz, survived with, sadly, the death of one Able Seaman, Robert Paul Evans RN. This book is a tribute to him and to all those who, undertaking similar dangerous deeds of valor, shared the same fate.

This comprehensive study explores the landscapes and heritage of past conflicts along with defensive and offensive structures.Throughout history, nature — its resources, landscape and terrain — has shaped the tactics of warfare and determined its outcomes. From the medieval English Fens to the 20th century Iraqi Marsh Arabs, landscapes have fostered resistance and dissention. Harnessed by people under threat the landscape has influenced strategies and tactics.Water and wetland halted campaigns in the Florida Everglades and in the Franco-Prussian War of the late 1800s. In the Second World War the Dutch flooded the drained polders to halt the Nazi advance and in 1938 the Chinese nationalist forces breached the flood-dykes of the Yellow River to halt the Japanese advance.Mountain ranges and deserts have long provided landscapes for resistance fighters. From the former Yugoslavia to Afghanistan these gnarly battlescapes traverse time and space. Libyan fighters held off invading Italian forces by operating from the caves and valleys of the Green Mountains and the Welsh defended their mountainous principalities against the Angevin Normans.The landscapes and heritage of past conflicts, defensive and offensive structures, and much more are brough together in this comprehensive study.

Examines Hitler's ambitions, how they were never realistic, and deemed that his failure was inevitable.Hitler’s career remains one of the most extraordinary in world history. No one else has gone from sleeping on park benches to become a world leader. After the First World War he became involved in extremist politics — first on the far left and then the far right.It is often assumed that Hitler’s ambitions were never realistic and his failure was inevitable. This book challenges that view and suggests a number of missed opportunities or misjudgements that might have led to a different result.Michael FitzGerald shows how Hitler’s personal defects contributed considerably to Germany’s defeat. In addition to the military mistakes he made a series of political, economic and foreign policy blunders were major factors in his failure to achieve his goals.

An evolution of snapshot photography from Victorian times to the digital age.The arrival of the first snapshot camera in Victorian times bred a new kind of photographer, one who might never before have thought of owning a camera, but for whom the ability to take pictures without any previous experience offered a new liberation. The way snapshot cameras and the pictures they took evolved through the following years and into today’s digital age is what this book is all about. With more than 200 mono pictures and sixteen pages of color, it examines how different types of snapshot camera opened up opportunities to shoot new kinds of picture; reveals the dubious way in which snapshot photographers were once perceived; shows how to identify where and when certain snapshots were taken; looks at the role of professional snapshot photographers; examines the part snapshots have played in social history; and explains why yesterday’s snapshots are still so important today.

Celebrates a century of sidecar racing at the Isle of Man TT, highlighting technical innovation and the dominance of iconic teams like BMW, BSA, Yamaha, and Honda.The Isle of Man TT is arguably the most historic motorsport event on the planet. Its 37 ¾ mile Mountain Course is the world’s oldest racing circuit that is still in use. Three wheeled machines first appeared in 1923, and were an instant hit with the spectators. Early pioneer Fred Dixon set the standard for technical innovation with his banking sidecar, but lack of manufacturer support meant that the class was soon dropped.When sidecar outfits made a comeback at the TT in the 1950s, it was West German BMW machines which dominated the podium places. The Munich factory supported World Championship contenders such as Max Deubel, Georg Auerbacher and Siegfried Schauzu, and it was not until the late 60s that BSA-mounted British riders began a fight-back.Through the 1970s Yamaha two stoke engines were the weapon of choice at the TT, and powered the likes of World Champions George O’Dell and Jock Taylor; that is until Mick Boddice secured the support of Honda UK. Boddice battled it out with the rising young star Dave Molyneux, who would go on to dominate the sidecar TT over three decades as the most successful driver in the history of the event.In recent years the pace at the TT has been set by the electrifying World Championship duo of Ben and Tom Birchall. Sidecar Century celebrates the technical innovation and sheer determination of all of these competitors, over 100 years of classic racing.

In this second volume detailing the service of the Fw 190, Chris Goss has assembled 190 photographs, many from the archive of the late Dr. Alfred Price, to illustrate the aircraft's use in the final years of the war.As the war began to turn against Germany, the Luftwaffe was forced to defend the Reich against increasingly overwhelming numbers of Allied fighters and bombers. The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, together with the Bf 109G, was the mainstay of the Luftwaffe’s Reichsverteidigung (Defence of the Reich) fighter force, both by day and by night.As the war progressed, the US Eighth Air Force, suffering heavy losses over Germany, changed tactics. The escorting US fighters had been expected to fly alongside the bombers to provide close protection. But this meant that they could not chase after the enemy when in combat, having to return to the bombers. So, from early 1944, the decision was made to free the fighters, allowing them to fly ahead of the bomber stream clearing the skies of German fighters.To counter this, the Luftwaffe developed the Gefechtsverband, or battle formation, composed of two units of Bf 109s and one Sturmgruppe of Fw 190s. In Gefechtsverband operations, the Bf 109s would engage the Allied fighters, particularly the long-range P-51 Mustangs, leaving the more heavily-armed Fw 190s to attack the bombers. Though the large Gefechtsverband formations were unweildy and not always effective, when they did work well, the powerful and well-armored Fw 190s wreaked havoc amongst the US bombers.Meanwhile, on the Eastern Front, the Fw 190 was incresaingly relied upon for fighter and Jabo missions against a dogged Soviet Air Force. With the tide well and truly turned against the Luftwaffe, newer versions of the Fw 190, such as the F and G variants, were intruduced as well as the superlative D-9 which was powered by the Jumo 213 A engine, armed with two MG 131s and two MG 151/20 guns and had a new fuselage and wings.In this second volume detailing the service of the Fw 190, Chris Goss has assembled photographs, many of which have come from the archive of the late Dr Alfred Price, to illustrate the final years of the type’s war.

A collection of thrilling excursions from aviation including paragliding, hang-gliding, paramotoring and micro-lighting.Soaring over forest fires, a moonlight New Year’s Eve flight over the Pennines, bungee-jumping from a paraglider as a birthday celebration, jumping off Mount Everest, or numerous several-hundred-mile flights over open country and on different continents. This book covering many exhilarating and enthralling stories from New Aviation — including paragliding, hang-gliding, paramotoring and micro-lighting — has them all. There is even the story of a pilot using flexwings to teach geese how to migrate — and of a marriage proposal at 500 feet.The challenges explored by the renowned New Aviation expert Brian Milton includes Rich Pfieffer’s legal charges of assault with a deadly weapon for flying a hang-glider over California’s Rose Bowl American College Football competition, or Judy Leden’s balloon drop from 40,000 feet over Jordan, with Israel on one side and Saudi on the other, despite her eyes being frozen shut. Along with this latter story, the author also discusses how women overcame prejudice and scorn to take on the men in the deathly arid wastes of Owens Valley, and the ways in which eagles and vultures — and sometimes crows — reacted violently to humans flying in their air and at their speed.The author describes the return to competitions in which the original British innovators lost their dominant status and how new champions emerged. A chapter is also devoted entirely into the tragedies that have befallen some pilots. This includes a chilling account of the Great Italian Killer Storm of 1989 when six top pilots lost their lives in just one day. As well as relating the dramatic stories about those that died, the author explains why, despite the risks, the New Aviators keep flying. The final story is about the Beau Ideal, the great Swiss pilot Didier Favre, ‘Vagabond of the skies’, who traveled 1,111 kilometres from Monaco to Slovenia.Brian Milton also explains how the ultimate ambitions of the best flyers is to learn how to migrate, using only the power of the wind and the sun. The author concludes this book by exploring what the future might hold for the various forms of New Aviation and those who enjoy the thrills that they create.

A jewel of a book, this latest release from one of Pen & Sword’s women historians, contains a treasure trove of medieval dramatis personae, from the more mainstream figures such as Lady Godiva and Joan of Arc to the lesser known Crusader Queens and mystics. For the first time together, we meet two elusive Jewish medieval business women, one of whom was imprisoned in the Tower of London and the other who was likely one of the richest women in the world.Meticulously researched and clearly showing the author’s keen eye for detail, this latest offering from Michelle Rosenberg builds on her reputation for bringing back to life women often forgotten from mainstream history. Relatively new figures include the elusive Virdimura of Sicily, and Julian of Norwich.The medieval period saw life expectancy at around 33 years old, with the vast majority of women unable to read or write.This text weaves together a rich and broad historic tapestry of women’s stories from the fall of the Roman Empire, the invasion of the Vikings, the First Crusade, Hundred Years War and Black Death.It offers an intriguing insight into medieval women whose lives were deemed outstanding enough, (whether through exemplary religious conduct, queenly, consort or intellectual accomplishment or scandal), by their contemporaries, to record.Their ability to endure, thrive and survive during a time when most women were subordinate to the men in their lives, makes them extraordinary; it also makes the loss of so many other missing stories so acute and tantalising for what our collective history has been deprived of.Only imagine what richness of tales we might have had, should more women’s lives have been better recorded for posterity.

Ron Chapman's life changed on 7 September 1940, leading him to join the RAF and serve in various significant squadrons.It was the night of 7 September 1940 which changed Ron Chapman’s life. It was the start of Hitler’s Blitz on London. The death and destruction the German bombers wreaked across Islington and the East End so shocked and appalled Ron, that three days later he presented himself to the RAF recruiting office near Euston station. After basic training, and a few days before his twentieth birthday, he received a posting to 485 (New Zealand) Squadron — Ron was at last with an operational Spitfire squadron.After just three weeks with 485 (NZ) Squadron, he was posted to 341 (Free French) Squadron. Operating as part of the RAF’s 145 Wing in 84 Group, the squadron was led by the renowned Commandant René Mouchotte DFC, while 145 Wing itself was commanded by the Battle of Britain fighter ace Group Captain ‘Sailor’ Malan. There was also 340 Squadron, known as ‘Churchill’s Own’, and Nos. 329 and 345 squadrons.As a member of 341 Squadron’s groundcrew, Ron Chapman’s memoirs provide a unique insight into the functioning of a fighter unit from the perspective of fitters, riggers, and armorers. But, in addition, his service with the Free French fighter squadrons adds greatly to our knowledge of this important part of the RAF’s history.As an element of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, 84 Group was continually moved from airfield to airfield across the South Coast. The idea was to get the squadrons accustomed to nomadic conditions. After the D-Day invasion plans were finally unveiled, the squadron’s groundcrew and support staff were eventually trucked to Gosport where they boarded the landing craft that would transport them across the Channel as part of Operation Overlord. They landed at Arromanches-les-Bains in August.Ron’s story then follows the actions of 145 Wing, as it battled the Luftwaffe across Europe. As the Allied forces moved eastwards, so Ron and the groundcrew moved with them through France, Belgium and finally into Germany. Ron remained with 341 Squadron until the end of the war.This book is far more than a personal memoir, it is the largely neglected story of the French fighter wing throughout the years when the 2nd Tactical Air Force moved on to the offensive against the Luftwaffe. It will undoubtedly become recognized as an important addition to the history of the RAF.