A01=Paul Brickhill
aeorobatics
aerobatics display
amputee
Author_Paul Brickhill
aviator
BAFTA winning film
Battle of Britain
best selling true story
bestselling
books made into films
Britain's most famous flyer
Captain Tom
Category=DNBH
Category=NHD
Category=NHWL
Category=NHWR7
Colditz
Dambusters
Douglas Bader
Enemy Coast Ahead
eq_bestseller
eq_biography-true-stories
eq_history
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
escape attempts
fighter ace
fighter pilot
flying ace
forthcoming
Great Escape
hero
Kenneth More
Military history
overcoming adversity
pilots
Prisoner of War
prisoner of war camp
RAF
REACH FOR THE SKY
second world war
Second World War hero
Sir Douglas Bader
THE DAMBUSTERS RAID
The Great Escape
true story
Wings on my sleeve
world war 2
world war II
Product details
- ISBN 9781399643429
- Dimensions: 129 x 198mm
- Publication Date: 05 Nov 2026
- Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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From the bestselling author of The Great Escape, discover the inspiring story of Britain's most courageous flyer: the Second World War hero Sir Douglas Bader.
Readers say:
'I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'If you're looking for a story that will inspire you long after the last page, this is it' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Get your hands on a copy as soon as you can' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In 1931, at the age of 21, Douglas Bader was the golden boy of the RAF.
Excelling in everything he did, he represented the RAF in aerobatics displays, played rugby for Harlequins and was tipped to be the next England fly half. But one afternoon in December all his ambitions came to an abrupt end when he crashed his plane doing a particularly difficult - and illegal - aerobatic trick. His injuries were so bad that surgeons were forced to amputate both his legs to save his life. He did not fly again until the outbreak of the Second World War, when his undoubted skill in the air was enough to convince a desperate air force to give him his very own squadron.
The rest of his story is the stuff of legend. Flying Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain, Bader led his squadron to victory after victory, keeping them all going with his unstoppable banter. Shot down in occupied France, his German captors had to confiscate his tin legs in order to stop him trying to escape. A true hero of the Second World War, Bader faced every challenge with the same charm, charisma and determination that was an inspiration to all around him.
During the war Paul Brickhill was shot down over German territory and sent to a prisoner of war camp. After the war he wrote about the numerous escape attempts in which he was involved in THE GREAT ESCAPE. REACH FOR THE SKY, and THE DAMBUSTERS RAID are his most famous works.
