John Nichol Livres

From John Nichol, the author of Spitfire, comes a passionate tribute to the Lancaster bomber and its heroic crews, as well as the men and women who kept it airborne during the nation's greatest hour of need. The Avro Lancaster is an aviation icon, revered and romanticized; without it and the bravery of those who flew it, our current freedoms would not exist. Sir Arthur Harris, the controversial chief of RAF Bomber Command, referred to the Lancaster as his "shining sword" and the "greatest single factor in winning the war." RAF bomber squadrons executed offensive operations from the war's outset until its conclusion, flying nearly 300,000 sorties and dropping around a million tons of explosives and life-saving supplies. Over 10,000 aircraft did not return, and of the 7,377 Lancasters built, more than half were lost to enemy action or accidents. The human cost was staggering: of the 125,000 men in Bomber Command, over 55,000 were killed, and 8,400 were wounded. Approximately 10,000 survived being shot down, only to become prisoners of war. Harris's aircrew faced a mere 40 percent chance of surviving the war unscathed. Nichol now tells the inspiring story of this legendary aircraft that took the fight deep into Nazi Germany.

The astonishing story of the ejection seat and the pilots who have had to rely on it

Spitfire: A remarkable aircraft flown by very brave men. This is their story.

In 1918, the RAF was established as the world's first independent air force. To mark the 100th anniversary of its creation, Penguin are publishing the Centenary Collection, a series of six classic books highlighting the skill, heroism esprit de corps that have characterised the Royal Air Force throughout its first century. RAF Flight Lieutenants John Peters and John Nichol were shot down over enemy territory on their first mission of the Gulf War. Their capture in the desert, half a mile from their blazing Tornado bomber, began a nightmare seven-week ordeal of torture and interrogation which brought both men close to death. In Tornado Down, John Peters and John Nichol tell the incredible story of their part in the war against Saddam Hussien's regime. It is a brave and shocking and totally honest story: a story about war and its effects on the hearts and minds of men. The Centenary Collection: 1. The Last Enemy by Richard Hillary 2. Tumult in the Clouds by James Goodson 3. Going Solo by Roald Dahl 4. First Light by Geoffrey Wellum 5. Tornado Down by John Peters & John Nichol 6. Immediate Response by Mark Hammond

The epic story of the Tornado during Operation Desert Storm, by the bestselling author of Spitfire and Lancaster, who was himself shot down during that conflict

Night after night, they swallowed their fears and flew long distances through packs of enemy fighters to drop the bombs that could destroy Hitler and bring about the end of the war. This title tells the story of the controversial last battles of Bomber Command through the eyes of the heroic men who fought them.