Reach for the Sky: The Story of Douglas Bader, Legless Ace of The Battle of Britain
New York: Ballantine Books, 1967. 1st Ballantine Printing. Mass market paperback. Pocket paperbk, 336, wraps, illus., text slightly darkened, covers somewhat soiled and some edge wear. The story of Douglas Bader is one of the most extraordinry personal sagas of World War II or indeed of any war. This is the true story of a world-famous fighter pilot, who lost both legs in an air crash. After his accident, Douglas Bader vowed to come back, to fly again. He did. The fighter tactics he evolved helped to win the Battle of Britain. Downed over France, trapped in his burning Spitfire, he escaped only because one of his artificial legs was sheared off. Twice captured, he twice escaped before being captured again for the duration. He shot down 22 enemy planes. Paul Chester Jerome Brickhill (20 December 1916 – 23 April 1991) was an Australian fighter pilot, prisoner of war, and author who wrote The Great Escape, The Dam Busters, and Reach for the Sky. Brickhill had been approached by John Pudney with a proposal to write a book on the Stalag Luft 3 mass escape. This was eventually to be published as The Great Escape. Once in England Brickhill asked the RAF about the status of a proposed history of 617 squadron, offering his services. As the RAF had made no progress in finding an author, his offer was accepted. The Great Escape was published in 1950 and brought the incident to wide public attention. The history of 617 Squadron and in particular its involvement in Operation Chastise and the destruction of dams in the Ruhr valley was published in 1951 as The Dam Busters, which sold over one million copies. Douglas Bader was a British fighter pilot who lost both legs in an air crash. After his accident he became a top ace in the Battle of Britain. Condition: good.
Keywords: WWII, Aviation, Battle of Britain, Amputees, Leigh-Makkory, Douglas Bader, POW's, Stalag, Escapes
[Book #51766]
Price: $25.00