First Light: By Geoffrey Wellum: Memoirs of an RAF fighter pilot

[bn1966]

Have just found this book and am glued to it. As well as being one of the "Few" this Gentleman can write.

 

[B-24J]

Glad you found "First Light"!

Be sure to check over the BATTLE OF BRITAIN (1940) - Respecting THE FEW thread. Spitfire and Smithy have great reading lists - which include "First Light".

After you have read the book, go to Amazon UK and purchase the BBC production on DVD.

John

 

[Spitfire]

A truly great book by a truly great personality!

 

[Smithy]

Magnificent read and one of the very, very best BoB memoirs. I've read it a few times now and still enjoy it. It was adapted into a film which although having a smallish budget and cutting out the training segment of the book is well worth seeing.

Pleased you found this gem as it's a future classic.

 

[bn1966]

Thanks guys

 

[bn1966]

Have just placed a bid on the DVD on E-Bay, thanks for the tip

 

[Stand By]

It's an enjoyable read - as you've found out ! I'm sure you didn't get much reading in on your honeymoon tho' ...! ;-)

For me, the best book on the Battle of Britain ever goes to Peter Townsend's "Duel of Eagles" - hands down.
It's beautifully written and, to set the ultimate scene, he provides a lot of background from the end of WW1 and regales the rapid and determined rise of the Luftwaffe and the much slower, stumbling rise of the RAF in the inter-war years - done in parallel in a unique and interesting way - and his battle experiences are fine reading. Like I said, for me, it's the winner.

 

[OldGreyBird]

Lucky you. I stumbled onto FIRST LIGHT after seeing Geoffrey Wellum's interview segments in the series 'Spitfire Ace'---and was glad to see such an articulate voice-of-experience preserved for the future. For those who haven't read it yet, his book is every bit as fine as his on-camera commentary---and vividly explores his experiences beyond the Battle Of Britain.