was something like ten years old, visiting the Wright Patterson AFB museum. In the gift shop were a number of aviation novels (remember those quaint old days when people actually read?). Plucked this one off the shelf and loved it.

So Frank Thompson is an infantry officer in World War One. While in the shitty, muddy trenches, he watches his childhood friend get shot down into no mans’ land, and the hun that does it comes back around and kills him. Thompson watches the German buzz away, noting his distinctive aircraft paint scheme.

And then he joins the Royal Flying Corps.

He’s posted to “M” squadron (nicknamed “Misfit Squadron”) – it is where all those who don’t meet RFC standards go. And everyone in the group is a prick, except for an American (who is in “M” because he IS an American). Flying creaking DH2s (far inferior to the German Albatrosses), Frank just tries to survive. He is aided by his servant (a literal poacher) who manages to secure Sopwith Pups for Frank and his Yank, which evens things up for the “Terrible Twins”. Of course, evil Max Nebel also flies this sector, and so it is inevitable they will meet. And when they do in a massive squadron battle, it ended with a massive climax, some seat-of-the-pants reading.

I really enjoyed this and am happy to have discovered it in my stacks. Of course, reading a book sixty years old is a very careful endeavor, with the cover cracking and dust coming out of the bindings. But I got through it.

Anyway, cracking good read.

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