This book is a collection of flying stories and not about paratroops, as some may infer from the title. The author has an impressive resume, to say the least! He has served as a test pilot, RAF pilot, movie and demonstration pilot, air show pilot and won the British Aerobatic Championship 13 times, so he knows what he is talking about.

All of the stories are his personal experiences flying various aircraft from a 1912 Monoplane, various WWII aircraft and on into the jet age. I particularly enjoyed his recounting of flying a Spanish built He-111 from Spain to the UK for noted warbird collector, Doug Arnold. The various trials and tribulations, not the least of which was poorly translated operations manual and pilot notes, made for a very interesting flight. I found all of the stories to be a very interesting read. From the thrill of the first flight in a Spitfire to the much less enjoyable crashing a plane in front of 80,000 air show attendees, all are captivating. I also like how the author admits his mistakes and how he learned from them.

There is not a lot in the way of photos, color scheme information or aircraft details for the modeler in this book. But, there is plenty for anyone who loves airplanes and flying. If you are one of the aforementioned, then you will definitely find this book a good read and I recommend it to those who have similar interests.

The book is available from Specialty Press through their website above. Our thanks to Specialty Press for the review copy and to IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review it.