Wings on My Sleeve

The World's Greatest Test Pilot Tells His Story

By: Eric 'Winkle' Brown

Narrated by: Cameron Stewart

Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

The autobiography of one of the greatest pilots in history.

In 1939 Eric Brown was on a University of Edinburgh exchange course in Germany, and the first he knew of the war was when the Gestapo came to arrest him. They released him, not realising he was a pilot in the RAF volunteer reserve - and the rest is history.

Eric Brown joined the Fleet Air Arm and went on to be the greatest test pilot in history, flying more different aircraft types than anyone else. During his lifetime he made a record-breaking 2,407 aircraft carrier landings and survived 11 plane crashes.

One of Britain's few German-speaking airmen, he went to Germany in 1945 to test the Nazi jets, interviewing (among others) Hermann Goering and Hanna Reitsch. He flew the suicidally dangerous Me 163 rocket plane and tested the first British jets.

Wings on My Sleeve is 'Winkle' Brown's incredible story.

©2006 Eric Brown (P)2016 Orion Publishing Group

Best of the Best

Winkle Brown is simply the very best test pilot E V E R. This book chronicles his long career in the Royal Navy and is truly exceptional. The details about specific flights in props, jets, multiengine, helicopters and gliders (including over 50 German WWII planes) is mind boggling. That he didn't get killed is amazing in and of itself but, then, he was Winkle Brown. What this single individual brought to RN aviation cannot be overstated—test flying myriad aircraft, developing landing techniques including the first jet aboard a carrier, exchange programs with the US and Germany, etc. Moreover, Brown was a liaison to Germany and helped bring the German Navy into NATO. Extraordinary. Not only is his story ever-so good but he's written it in a really engaging tone and voice. If you're interested in cutting edge flying, a terrifically talented and courageous aviator and history that can never be replicated, read or listen to "Wings On My Sleeve."

a delight to listen

I'm sure my love and passion for Aviation influences my opinion on this book however one cannot deny the fact that this man LED an incredible Life by any measure. he's like a real life Forrest Gump in who he has met and what he has influenced. I like this book so much that I bought the paper version as well.

I found if anything this book could have gone even deeper into detail on many topics and it would have been enjoy the same.

like nearly every book I listen to I did find I was comfortable listening at 1.2 speed. at those slightly increase speeds nearly all the books I've listened to sound more like conversation versus a lecture.

Every bit as good as I hoped.

I have watched a lot of Brown's YouTube videos and hoped that the book would be as good. I listened to this on a long road trip and it kept me awake. Admittedly, I like learning about the technical details of aviation, which some people may not like.

Fascinating memoir

Captain Eric Brown died 21 February 2016 at the age of 97 in Surry, England. Brown was born in Leth, Scotland in 1919. This renewed the interest in his memoir and various biographies about Brown. This memoir was originally published in 1961. It has recently been reprinted but also is now an e-book and audiobook.

The book starts in 1939 when Brown was on an exchange course in German from the University of Edinburgh. The Gestapo escorted him from Germany stating the two counties were now at war. Brown briefly covers his early life but most of the book is about his flying career. Brown was the most decorated flyer of WWII in RN history. He is the only man to have flown every type of plane flown or experimented with during WWII not only British but planes from the United States, Italy, Japan and Germany. Brown had more carrier take offs and landings than any other RN pilot. Early in the War he was stationed aboard the carrier HMS Audacity. During the war he was moved from flying combat missions to that of a test pilot. He tested the early British jets and even flew the Nazi jets. After the War he interviewed many Nazi leaders including Hermann Goering and Hanna Reitsch.

I particularly enjoyed the section where he crashed his plane in front of Winston S. Churchill. Earlier Churchill learned to fly planes and survived a crash after which Clementine suggested he stop flying planes. Brown also tells about uncovering a neo-Nazi ring in the 1950’s. During the Korean War Brown flew Panther’s off the carrier HMS Peruses. Brown served in the Royal Navy from 1939 to 1970.

The book is well written and understated in the true English fashion. The book also had a quite understated humor to it. I found the memoir absolutely fascinating and I learned so much more about the air war during WWII but also the various types of planes. If you are interested in airplanes and WWII you will find this a must read book. Cameron Stewart did a good job narrating the book. Stewart is an American film and Television actor who also narrates audiobooks.

,,,,A great listen ,

,,,,Hi,,,, Winkle , flew one day in an aircraft, and honestly never looked back, you will hear how he flew everything with wings or a rotor,,and the story’s that went with them , matched by nobody I have ever read or listen too , darlings, just buy it , my top audible listen, of all time ,, ,, Richard Anthony Jones,