First Light

Reviews

Vivid, wholly convincing, compelling. One of the best memoirs for years about the experience of flying in war It took him 35 years to turn his notebooks into a narrative, and the result is a highly personal account of what it is like to face mortal combat, day and night, and what it does to a man who is barely more than a boy An intimate account . . . rich in detail An extraordinarily deeply moving and astonishingly evocative story. Reading it, you feel you are in the Spitfire with him, at 20,000ft, chased by a German Heinkel, with your ammunition gone A brilliantly fresh, achingly written memoir. Thrilling and frightening on virtually every page . . . Wellum takes you into battle with him. A book for all ages and generations, a treasure Amazingly fresh and immediate . . . absolutely honest, it is an extraordinarily gripping and powerful story There have been countless books about the Battle of Britain. But the combination of immediacy - Geoffrey Wellum had jotted down notes in an exercise book at the time - and distance - another 35 years would pass before he expanded his notes into a narrative - gives this account extraordinary depth and resonance . . . First Light will rank among the finest of Second World War memoirs One of the most gripping personal accounts of aerial warfare ever written Wellum's story is astonishing . . . moving yet startlingly clear-eyed No other account of flying in the Battle of Britain has been articulated as well as Geoffrey's in First Light A brilliantly fresh, achingly written memoir. Thrilling and frightening on virtually page . . . Wellum takes you into battle with him. A book for all ages and generations, a treasure Amazing fresh and immediate . . . absolutely honest, it is an extraordinarily gripping and powerful story Expand reviews