Carrier Pilot

Norman Hanson was a twenty-six-year-old civil servant at the outbreak of World War Two. Although working in a reserved occupation, Hanson was allowed to join the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm in 1941. After pilot training with the U.S. Navy, he served in Egypt; later, he was posted to the Far East aboard the HMS Illustrious. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his courage, skill, and determination in leading 1833 Naval Air Squadron. Hanson returned to civilian life in 1946. He died in 1980, shortly after the publication of his critically acclaimed memoir, Carrier Pilot.

Chris MacDonnell is a classically trained actor who graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) in 1973. He has an excellent reputation in the U.K. for playing leading and supporting roles in theater, television, radio drama, and films. His theater credits include London's West End and the Royal National Theatre. He's also featured in British TV shows, BBC radio-drama, commercials, and films. In the U.S. he's voiced many commercials, promos, games, and animations. He's also a featured character in the historical drama set against the backdrop of the American War of Independence, Courage, New Hampshire for PBS, in which he plays Merry Pugwell. He came to narration in 2013, and since then he's recorded over twenty titles in a variety of genres, including epic fantasy, thrillers, historical romance, and biography. Chris now lives and works in Southern California, where his forty-year career continues to flourish.