To So Few: A Novel of the Battle of Britain (Harry Rose Book 1)
£1.90
It is the Summer of 1940, and France has fallen to the invincible steamroller that is the might of Nazi Germany; Britain now stands alone, and the future looks bleak.
Pilot Officer Harry Rose, fresh from training and eager to prove himself, is posted to Excalibur Squadron, a Hawker Hurricane fighter unit based in southern England.
In the coming weeks and months of that fateful summer, as the outnumbered RAF battle grimly with the Luftwaffe in the skies above Britain, Rose will come to know what it is to love, and will experience both the glorious euphoria of success and the desperate bitterness of loss. As his friends dwindle in number, Rose knows that it can be only a matter of time before it is his turn…
**’I have donated 100% of my profits to The Royal British Legion’ – Russell Sullman**
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Additional information
| Publisher | Lume Books (12 Sept. 2019) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| File size | 3360 KB |
| Text-to-Speech | Enabled |
| Enhanced typesetting | Enabled |
| X-Ray | Not Enabled |
| Word Wise | Enabled |
| Sticky notes | On Kindle Scribe |
| Print length | 473 pages |
by CFive
Enjoyed this book very much. The aerial scenes are well done, lots of suspense and gives a flavour of what it must have been like for one of the few. It’s set in a Hurricane squadron rather than a Spitfire one which makes a nice change, although both the station and the squadron are fictional. Basically it’s the story of one Harry (Flash) Smith and the people he flies with. Well, it is up to a point, it’s also a love story (which occasionally gets a bit drippy, but then I’m not 20 any more 🙂 and sometimes I think the author can’t make up his mind whether he’s writing a love story with the Battle of Britain as background or a full on war story in which the hero gets diverted occasionally by a popsie. It’s difficult to say more without spoiling the story so I won’t.
Whatever, it’s an excellent read, well formatted on my iPad, I came across on a couple of repeated words nothing else untoward. Recommended.
by Tel
Brilliant read. Almost gave up at 20% but glad I didn’t. A bit slow at times, but worth sticking with it. A good blend of WW2 flying action with the RAF along with an intriguing glimpse into the emotions of all the key players: love, fear, jealousy, dread and bravery. An enjoyable read.
by Kindle Customer
CAPTIVATING couldn’t put it down the sex scenes went on too long but. The battle scenes made up for it
by K. F. Holland
This is a suburb book, one of the best I have read concerning the pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain. While it mainly covers Harry Rose’s time, a new fighter pilot of the age of nineteen, in his first operational squadron, both in the air and on the ground, it also includes a love story. I think the book is superbly written, the author really gives you a feel of what it was like to be a pilot during that intense and dark time. You hear his thoughts, his fears, his frustrations and share in his success when he successfully shoots down an enemy aircraft and his relief when he has avoided being shoot down himself. Harry Rose as a character is very much brought to life and it is a great pity that Russell Sullman does not appear to have written any further books. I imagine Harry Rose as being typical of the men and women that fought to keep our freedom.
I do wonder though, when you think of all the lives wasted through the two world wars, what they would think if they knew that through a number of treacherous politicians we have lost our freedom and independence in being taken into an undemocratic EU lead by Germany!
by Old Kindle.
I bought a second hand kindle off ebay not realising that it was obsolete. Amazon explained a way forward to buy and load kindle books from their store. IT WORKED ????????
by DaveH
A superbly crafted novel, sadly spoiled in two very distinct ways. Some of the more introspective passages could have been cut drastically, I found myself gripped for page after page during the action sequences and then skipping paragraphs and sometimes whole pages during some of the more, frankly, turgid sections.
My second concern was for the editing or, rather, the lack of editing. The book is absolutely littered with repetition, typos and literals. They act like bumps in an otherwise smooth road, spoiling concentration at often crucial moments. At times I felt ‘To So Few’ was up there with my favourite Battle of Britain novel, ‘Squadron Airborne’ by Elleston Trevor. Being a former pilot myself, I felt that the flying sequences were described beautifully. So sad, I would loved to give the book five stars. I will read the next novel but, Russell, you really need a good editor.
by A. R. Jacubs
This book could have been a really fine exciting read but the author has almost ruined it by including page after page (Chapter 24 especially) of Mills & Boon type tear jerking rubbish. I am sorry to use that word but for a front line fighter pilot ace with a DFC it is impossible to imagine such a love sick snivelling wreck of a man in the same breath. What on earth was Mr Sullman thinking of? I am very interested in WW2 history especially Bomber and Fighter Commands in the RAF. I have read a considerable amount of factual accounts and books and one or two fictional ones but never one about a fighter ace who keeps on forever relating his desperate longing and love both by words and thoughts about his girl friend who happens to be a middle ranking WAAF officer. Every time I felt excited by an aerial battle I am waiting for Harry Rose aka Flash to start his tearful concern for his wonderful Molly. I am sorry but this sort of slop should have no place in a serious tale about fighter pilots in the Battle of Britain or anywhere else for that matter.
by super moose
Well written but more of a romantic novel than blood and thunder. A few factual blunders, if you had the 1915 star then your three medals were referred to as pip, speak and wilfred, if you had the war and victory medals without the 1915 star, they were mutt and jeff, there was no mutt, jeff and wilfred. One of my grandfather’s had the three and the other the two, even though he was 16 years old when he went to France in January 1916. The other issue is the mention of an He 103 involved in the Battle of Britain the He103 never existed, it was a propaganda ploy by the Germans. The He 100 did I exist but did not go into front line service. With regard to aircraft replacement I suggest you find the documentary on YouTube “The Real Battle of Britain” . This story seems to be based more on the film. I will try the next in the series but if it is the same mix it will be the last.