Fly

By: Michael Veitch

Narrated by: Michael Veitch

Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

Simultaneous release of the thrilling new volume of true stories from airmen of the Second World War, from the author of Flak.

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 (P)2008 Bolinda Audio

Excellent book from RAF and RAAF point of view

Any additional comments?

I am very much a WWII aviation enthusiast and read a lot on the subject. This book contains tales from RAF and RAAF pilots and crew who flew in Lancasters, Sterlings, Blenheims, Beauforts, Sunderlands, Fireflies, etc. This material is rare to find elsewhere. In addition, Mr. Veitch is a marvelous writer and narrator. I highly value both the subject matter and the masterful style in which it is presented.

If you are a WWII aviation enthusiast, this is definitely a book for you.

Reviewers often focus on there being comments negative toward Americans. As an American myself, I wish the impression were different. But I keep in mind that WWII was fought by young servicemen, many full of bravado, and it was not uncommon for those of one nation to have some rivalry toward or frictions with those of another -- such was even sometimes the case between one branch and another or even between one squadron and another of the same nation's forces.

2 people found this helpful

Great flying Narratives.

Would you consider the audio edition of Fly to be better than the print version?

This is read by the author, in his Australian accent, about RAAF and RAF flyers.

Any additional comments?

Great story's of incredible men of WWII.

1 person found this helpful

Invaluable Stories of Brave Men

Criticism of this book is unwarranted. The author searched from one introduction to the next to find the airmen of WWII willing to tell their story. Sure, most of those he spoke to were from the RAAF or the RAF. That is more a result of a geography than anything else - they live in Australia.
It is important to note that he did include the stories of German pilots he was able to interview. Based on his wise handling of that material, I see no reason why he would not have included the stories of Russian, Canadian or South African air crew if that had been possible. For reviewers to discount this book for lack of American content, when it is an Australian book, is perplexing.
Michael Veitch has done a great job in preserving memories that future generations should know. I highly recommend this book.

1 person found this helpful

Changed my feelings about the Australian Solider

I found this to be a very interesting collection of interviews of members of the RAAF. Enjoyed the style and delivery, I was surprised however to discover that Americans were held is such low esteem by many if not most of those interviewed. As an American knowing the amount of American blood that was shed to save the Pacific from total Japanese domination it kind of left me with a view of Aussies akin to that of the way the French said thank you. I walked away with a feeling our Allied relationship was similar to that we had with the Russians.

Fairly Good, but biased

I found the stories interesting, but the author clearly is biased against USA. None of his stories included US fliers. Any mention of the US in the book was negative. You get the feeling the US was incompetent and killed more allied fliers than the Germans.

1 person found this helpful

Fairly Good, but biased

I found the stories interesting, but the author clearly is biased against USA. None of his stories included US fliers. Any mention of the US in the book was negative. You get the feeling the US was incompetent and killed more allied fliers than the Germans.

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.

1 person found this helpful

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.

1 person found this helpful