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| | | Location: Home » Scotland Maps » World War I » On a Wing and a Prayer: The Untold Story of the Pioneering Aviation Heroes of WW1, in Their Own Words | |
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| On a Wing and a Prayer: The Untold Story of the Pioneering Aviation Heroes of WW1, in Their Own Words | 
 enlarge | Author: Joshua Levine
Publisher: Collins
Category: Book
List Price: £18.99
Buy New: £10.03
You Save: £8.96 (47%)
New (26) from £8.85
Avg. Customer Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 51566
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.6
ISBN: 0007269455
EAN: 9780007269457
ASIN: 0007269455
Publication Date: May 6, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 Great War Aviators brought back to life October 5, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Josh Levine can be relied on to produce books that give us an insight into the lives of men caught up in terrible events swirling far beyond their control. His hard graft listening to the thousands of hours of recordings preserved in the Imperial War Museum Sound Archive has once again paid fruit in this excellent book. Sit side by side with pilots as they take to the air for the first time, share the thrills of flight in barely understood 'primitive' aircraft and the awful nerve-shredding excitement of aerial combat. I loved it and can recommend this book without reservations and can only pity those whose bleak embittered souls are not uplifted by these fantastic first-hand accounts.
Brilliant October 5, 2008
On a Wing and a Prayer: The Untold Story of the Pioneering Aviation Heroes of WW1, in Their Own Words
This is a particularly good read for anyone with an interest or involvement in aerial warfare. As a retired RAF fighter pilot I found myself continually engaged with the recollections which Mr Levine has brought together in such an accessible way. The range and diversity of the contributions offer many surprises and considerable interest. This book is no substitute for a plodding reference tome on the birth of the RFC and RAF if that is what the reader seeks. It offers insight into the ingenuity, resourcefulness and bravery which men and women may rise to under pressure.
You will not be disappointed by this inspirational book.
 GSCE text? September 10, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
If British schools ever decide to study the First World War in the air, this would make an ideal textbook. It is printed in a nice large typeface, it doesn't use big words, no knowledge of history is required, and there are few facts or dates. It's not 'judgemental' and it's full of 'empathy'.
I appreciate that an 'oral history' of this type is not aimed at a very demanding audience. Even so to write a good one demands some intellectual rigour rather than just the ability to use a word processor. Martin Middlebrook was the first successful author to use oral testimony as the basis for his books but he combined it with detailed historical research and sound historical judgement. This book has neither. The internet is not a substitute. Levine thus manages to make Peter Hart look like Gibbon.
Having said that there are one or two bits of decent material that I had not seen before but only Grade E for this I'm afraid.
Brilliant book, a must for anyone interested on any level. May 30, 2008
14 out of 15 found this review helpful
If you are newcomer to Britain's flying services during the First World War, this book is a must. If you know your way around the subject already, then it will still surprise, inform and entertain you nonetheless.
Mr Levine does to the flying services in the Great War what Patrick Bishop did to Fighter and Bomber Commands in the Second World War. Superbly structured, very well written, and obviously intricately researched, the book guides you around the subject of air fighting over the Western Front and the Home Front with ease. The history of the flying services is intertwined with the history of the men who flew and serviced the aircraft. I have never seen training covered in anywhere near such detail before (an entire chapter), and the same treatment is given to the often overlooked work of reconnaissance.
Wherever possible Mr Levine lets those who were there tell the story in their own words. This is a major asset of the book, as these (sometimes lengthy) quotes let you into the minds and the world of these men. Most are from obscure or little used sources, and provide fresh and unusual insights into the war. You will find no great revelations, no 'now it can be told' hype or claims to change how we think about Great War air fighting, but you will find countless nudges away from preconceptions, opening new ways of looking at things or angles that are usually ignored. Between these quotes, Mr Levine's easy style draws you along some thought-provoking avenues.
Only two criticisms come to mind. Firstly, there is little information on the role of observation balloons, a large and very important part of the aviation work carried out on the Western Front. Secondly, the quotes are not referenced, making it hard to track down the source if you want to know more.
Overall, though, my advice is: buy this book.
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