By Angela Youngman Jun 13, 2009, 17:09 GMT
A fascinating study of one of the most iconic aircraft ever to take to the skies. The Lancaster bomber was a mainstay of the Second World War taking part in many of the most famous missions including the Dambusters and the sinking of the Tirpitz.
This is the story of the Lancaster, written by a former Lancaster pilot who served in the 617 squadron. Tony Iveson was among those Lancaster pilots whose aircraft crossed the North Sea to sink the battleship Tirpitz - and actually attacked it two different occasions, once via Russia getting lost en route!
Now in his 90th year, Iveson has again flown a Lancaster, renewing his knowledge of the plane. The book features first hand accounts from aircrews, ground crews and even the German fighter pilots who tried to shoot them down amazed initially by the sheer size of these massive bombers.
It chronicles all the major operations in which it fought, including training and the eventual dropping of the bouncing bombs on the Ruhr Valley dams. Very readable, it contains lots of well chosen illustrations.
This will appeal to anyone interested in the history of the Second World War. Well written, and very thoroughly researched it is a book which will stand the test of time as a leading authority on a memorable aircraft.
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