Author:Jo Wheeler
Celebrating the lives of the magnificent women, the ATA girls, who courageously flew Spitfires, Tiger Moths, Lancaster Bombers and many other aircraft during World War Two
Since the invention of aeroplanes, women have taken to the skies.
They have broken records, performed daredevil stunts and faced such sexism and prejudice that they were effectively barred from working as pilots.
That changed in the Second World War. Led by firebrand Pauline Gower, an elite group of British women were selected as ferry pilots to fly for the Air Transport Auxiliary. They risked their lives flying munitions and equipment for the boys on the front line.
Flying day and night without radio; dodging storms, barrage balloons and anti-aircraft fire; and with only a map, compass and their eyesight to guide them, they navigated the treacherous wartime skies.
The Hurricane Girls is the thrilling, moving and inspirational story of the female air force who once ruled our skies.
Meet the women who kept the RAF flying during World War ll . . . Nearly 80 years after the war started, the battle over equal work continues and prejudice still hold many girls back from taking up jobs considered to be men's work. But opinions are changing and the women of the ATA remain an inspiration
—— The Big IssueShines a light on some of the darkest and most dramatic moments of the six-year conflict.
—— Daily MailThe artwork is gloriously retro, echoing the original Ladybird house style but containing completely up to date information.
—— Shiny New BooksOutstanding heroism...compelling. Kershaw's writing gives you a sense of "being there"
—— Daily ExpressFascinating, remarkable, riveting, terrifying. Kershaw does justice to the veterans and makes accessible their amazing story
—— Big IssueUtterly extraordinary - I have had few reading experiences like it - it's as if one is unravelling a terrible yet irresistible secret, the secret of death
—— Claire-Louise Bennett, author of 'Pond'The greatest contemporary Catalan novelist and possibly the best Mediterranean woman author since Sappho
—— David H RosenthalA heartbreaking, unforgettable read. One of the most important literary works from the second half of the 20th century
—— El CulturalIt is a total mystery to me why [Rodoreda] isn't widely worshipped. . . . She's on my list of authors whose works I intend to have read all of before I die. Tremendous, tremendous writer
—— John Darnielle, author of 'Wolf in White Van'One of the most radical works from the past century
—— El PaisThe novel is suspenseful, pushing the reader through the images, memories, and voices that flow within the protagonist's often confused mind as he develops into manhood. Just as the unnamed protagonist must navigate a world of contradictions, the novel reflects Rodoreda's own political, social, and literary exile while speaking of a tyranny that feels almost uncanny in its incantation
—— Bomb MagazineMercè Rodoreda is not just one of the most accomplished post-war Catalan authors; she is also widely considered, notably by Gabriel García Márquez, to be the greatest Spanish writer of the 20th century
—— Culture TripWe must be grateful to the Penguin European Writers series, a precious venture in these dark times
—— John BanvilleThe Czech nation will surely feel that he has done [Lata Brandisova] justice.
—— Robin Oakley , Literary ReviewFew historians could be better placed to investigate this subject than Keith Lowe . . . riveting
—— Evening StandardMagisterial. The biography of Maclean we have all been waiting for
—— Charles Cumming, author of the Thomas Kell seriesAdmirable… [a] compassionate, absorbing book
—— Miranda Carter , The Oldie[A] persuasive and polished biography
—— Sunday TimesRoland Philipps illuminates, in both broad and subtle strokes
—— John Lloyd , Financial TimesPhilipps does an admirable job of piecing together the spy’s tale
—— Mary Jo Murphy , Washington Post SundayPhilipps’s telling of the tale is masterly. He weaves a complex web of professional, psychological and marital themes into a wonderful fluent, coherent and compelling narrative
—— Xan Smiley , StandpointElegant, thorough and surprisingly exciting
—— Marcus Berkman , Daily Mail[A] superbly told tale
—— Daily Mail , Daily Mail, **Books of the Year**In A Spy Named Orphan Roland Philipps’s description of Donald Maclean’s psychological make-up chimes with what I have always felt about the Cambridge spies (Philby excepted) – namely, that their romance with the Soviet Union partook of patriotism as much as it did of espionage… Philipps makes the story and the slow uncovering of his treachery a gripping narrative and an overwhelmingly sad one
—— Alan Bennett , London Review of Books