At thirty-four, H.E. Bates was deemed too old for active service in WWII. But as a successful author, was commissioned by the nascent RAP Public Relations unit to publicise the bravery of the fighter pilots. Bates was posted to Oakington and Tangmere air bases where, over drinks with the pilots, he gathered their stories and wrote them as Flying Officer X. The stories convey the pilots' personal qualities and the forces that motivated them. They blend the action and suspense of aerial battles, the tragedy of friendships cut off too soon, and life enduring against all odds. Collected into one volume for the first time, along with five previously unpublished stories from the era, this is a remarkable collection. Includes an introduction by Patrick Bishop, bestselling author of Bomber Boys: Fighting Back 1940-1945

About the Author
H. E. Bates was born in 1905 in the shoe-making town of Rushden, Northamptonshire, and educated at Kettering Grammar School. After leaving school, he worked as a reporter and as a clerk in a leather warehouse. His most popular creation was the Larkin family which featured in five novels beginning with The Darling Buds of May in 1958. The later television adaptation was a huge success. He was awarded a CBE in 1973, shortly before his death in 1974.

Reviews
A picture of the bomber pilot as near to the truth as we on the outside are likely to get * New Statesman *
No other book on the British flier-or any other flier for that matter-has the sharp, authentic note Flying Officer Bates has written into his work ... If there were decorations for this sort of thing, H. E. Bates would have the highest * New York Times *
His material is, of course, magnificent, and he makes very moving use of it * Spectator *



Book Information
ISBN 9781448217366
Author H.E. Bates
Format Paperback
Page Count 246
Imprint Bloomsbury Reader
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 392g