Mosquito: The RAF’s Legendary Wooden Wonder and its Most Extraordinary Mission
£9.50£19.00 (-50%)
‘No dry history, Mosquito reads like a thriller… this outstanding book is hard to put down… Unreservedly recommended’ Aviation Historian
‘White immerses the reader in the action from the first page. A must read choice for total aviation people everywhere’ Flight International
‘A captivating history… Rowland White uses the history of these operations to weave stories of courage and fortitude into the story of a great machine’ Daily Telegraph
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Built of lightweight wood, powered by two growling Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, impossibly aerodynamic, headspinningly fast and armed to the teeth, the de Havilland Mosquito was the war-winning wonder that should never have existed: the aircraft the RAF didn’t think it wanted then couldn’t do without.
Flying on operations barely eighteen months after a single prototype was ordered off the drawing board, it was the answer to its pilots’ prayers: a stunningly versatile warplane capable of leaving the Luftwaffe in its wake to attack when and where the enemy was least expecting it.
Excelling as a spyplane, night-fighter and pathfinder for Bomber Command’s heavies the Mossie’s reputation was cemented by a series of daredevil bombing raids across occupied Europe, including on Berlin itself, where only surprise, speed and precision could ensure success.
So when Churchill’s top secret Special Operations Executive needed to destroy the Gestapo HQ in the centre of downtown Copenhagen to prevent a devastating Nazi last stand that might prolong the war for many months, there was only one machine for the job – the Mosquito.
This is the story of that legendary aircraft told through that one impossible mission.
Like Rowland White’s previous books, Mosquito is an unputdownable mix of utterly compelling storytelling, incredible human stories and fascinating technological detail, which sheds never-before-told light on a pivotal mission that helped bring the war to its bloody and brutal close.
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Praise for Mosquito
‘Wonderful detail, intricate research and most importantly, powerful & moving human testimony, ensure the reader is gripped from the first page to the last by this incredible story’ John Nichol
‘Stunning… This is history as it should be written: adrenaline-charged, exciting, impeccably and painstakingly researched with a cast of vividly-drawn characters. Riding through it is among the greatest, most extraordinarily brilliant aircraft of them all: the Mosquito. One of the most gripping works of history I’ve ever read’ James Holland
‘Weaving together the story of its evolution with vivid accounts of the crews that flew it and the Special Operations Executive on the ground, Mosquito is both a tribute to the finest aircraft Britain produced during the war and a page-turning thriller about its use as the world’s first precision aerial weapon’ Tom Petch, author of Speed Aggression Surprise: The Secret Origins of the SAS
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Additional information
| Publisher | Bantam (12 Oct. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 560 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1787634531 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1787634534 |
| Dimensions | 16.2 x 4.8 x 24 cm |
by snugglepeeps
Good book we’ll written…format makes for an exciting read..Worth buying
by Amazon Customer
This is a history book that reads like a thriller. Rowland White maintains the high standard established with previous books. A comprehensive history of the Mosquito, 2 Group and the SOE in Denmark. Highly recommended
by Westyman
A story of this underrated aircraft and the person who flew it and survived as well as those unfortunate guys who gave their all.
As ever, for me, lots of names leaves me struggling a bit to remember who they all were, but any book can do this for me.
Recommend read.
by Mr. Stuart J. Lines
An absorbing book but not what I expected. Not much about the Mossie in general. Too much of the book is about the Danish resistance, which has little to do with the plane apart from some very focussed raids later in the war.
by Rob E
Brilliant book. Such detail. Kept me engrossed all the way through. I plan to re-read soon…. A masterpiece, we’ll done!
by Joe D.
An incredible story told superbly. Incredibly well researched and just a great read.
by i t
This book I found very interesting and an easy read. It not only covers the 1945 Copenhagen raid by Mosquitos but also covers the Danish SOE as well as 2nd Tactical Airforce Mosquito operations through the war. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Military History in the second world War.
by Michael Regester
Incredibly well researched and written history of the bomber made from wood. Not normally a fan of aviation history, I found the story of Mosquito an utterly enthralling page turner. Have now read all Rowland White’s books and Mosquito is undoubtedly his masterpiece.