Fly
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Fly
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Narrated by:
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Michael Veitch
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By:
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Michael Veitch
About this listen
Michael Veitch's life-long obsession with the aircraft of the Second World War led him to conclude that every single person who flew, or flew in them, has at least one extraordinary story to tell. With most of these veterans in their 80's, he knew that it was a matter of urgency to find them now, before their personal stories disappear forever. So, over the course of a year, Veitch interviewed over 50 former aircrew across Australia, many of whom had never spoken about their experiences before, even to their families. The result was Flak - a collection of vivid, unforgettable stories from RAAF veterans about their experiences of combat in World War II - and Fly is the second instalment of stories.
From bomber pilots to fighter aces, from rear gunners to bomb aimers, from stories of death and fear to tales of humour and comradeship, Michael has helped unearth the extraordinary stories of ordinary men living and fighting in extraordinary times.
©2008 Michael Veitch. By arrangement with Penguin Group (Australia). (P)2008 Bolinda PublishingListeners also enjoyed...
Editor reviews
A unique collection of stories from World War II airmen, ably narrated by Australian actor and broadcaster Michael Veitch, who collected them. Most of the octogenarian airmen here - pilots, bombers, and runners alike - are Australian or British, but their experiences run the gamut of emotions experienced during war, from terror to comedy, mourning to joy. Military history aficionados will greatly appreciate this collection of rare material, and marvel anew at the sacrifices made during these unforgettable battles.
What listeners say about Fly
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jamie Sleeman
- 15-02-15
Goggles on and chocks away!
I loved this book. Humour shone through all, despite some of the tales being rather grim. Especially loved the tale of the guy shot down over England, who was nearly impaled on a pitchfork after being mistaken for a German. "Will you piss orf and get me an ambulance!" will live with me forever.
Couldn't reccomend it highly enough.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- rats404
- 08-04-14
Great stories, very well narrated.
Would you consider the audio edition of Fly to be better than the print version?
Without reading the book, I can't compare. But the fact that the author is a professional actor allowed him to apply accents and characterisations that for me, really brought the anecdotes to life.
What other book might you compare Fly to, and why?
In my opinion, the definitive book of aviation stories is Death is the Hunter by Ernest K. Gann. This is in a different genre, but it is still very good indeed, but not quite at the standard of that title.
Which scene did you most enjoy?
No really relevant. This contains a series of reminiscences from many WW2 aircrew, all of whom had some common experiences, yet every story is unique in some way. I can say that not one story could be considered sub-par compared to the others.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Many of the tales recounted had moving elements. Overall though, what moved me the most is that since the interviews with the aircrew took place in 2008, many of them will no longer be with us now. It is great that we have a record of their memories.
Any additional comments?
The quality of narration was significantly better than any other Audible book I have purchased so far. If you are an aviation enthusiast, particularly if you have an interest in military aviation, I strongly recommend it. I almost came upon it by chance, as it does not appear in Audible search results under "Aviation". Audible search needs an overhaul, perhaps a review of the tagging.
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