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Going Solo [Paperback]

Roald Dahl , Quentin Blake
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)

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Book Description

January 22, 2009
Superb stories, daring deeds, fantastic adventures!

Going Solo is the action-packed tale of Roald Dahl's exploits as a World War II pilot. Learn all about his encounters with the enemy, his worldwide travels, the life-threatening injuries he sustained in a plane accident, and the rest of his sometimes bizarre, often unnerving, and always colorful adventures. Told with the same irresistible appeal that has made Roald Dahl one of the world's best-loved writers, Going Solo brings you directly into the action and into the mind of this fascinating man.

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Going Solo + Boy + The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The esteemed novelist, short-story writer, author of children's classics and screenplays presents a sequel to Boy, his first book of memoirs, published as a children's book. Now 70, Dahl chronicles events of his youth, when he worked in Africa and garnered material for his chilling tales about lethal snakes and other perils. The autobiography dwells mainly, though, on Dahl's experiences in the British Royal Air Force and on his comrades during World War II. Appealingly illustrated, this second volume contains copies of the author's letters to his mother and ends with their joyful reunion. The book is exciting, touching and graced by Dahl's incomparable sense of humor: a standout. 20,000 first printing.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-12-Roald Dahl was Going Solo (Puffin, 1999) when he left England to work for the Shell Oil Company in East Africa. In this sequel to his earlier autobiography, Boy (Dec. 2002, p. 71), the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory details his adventures in Africa and later as an RAF pilot during World War II. Dahl is occasionally tongue-in-cheek as he recalls a few highly dangerous snakes and an inordinately gentle lion during his travels around the African countryside. When war was declared, Dahl helped to round up German ex-patriots, and then he went off to a desert outpost to learn how to fly fighter planes. His wartime experiences in North Africa, Greece, and the Middle East included suffering a serious head injury in a plane crash and shooting down enemy planes. His descriptions of war are occasionally horrific, but there are also frequent injections of ironic humor. Though the thoroughly British pronunciation of some words may be unfamiliar to American listeners, Derek Jacobi's narration is well paced and splendidly balances the comic and serious elements of this memoir. The sound quality is good and, despite the fact that the cardboard case will not circulate well, both it and the cassettes provide useful information. This recording's straightforward recounting of war will appeal to Roald Dahl fans and World War II air buffs, and is most suitable for upper middle school and high school audiences.
Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library. Rocky Hill, CT
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Age Range: 12 and up
  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Puffin (January 22, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0142413836
  • ISBN-13: 978-0142413838
  • Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,581 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was born in Llandaff, South Wales, and went to Repton School in England. His parents were Norwegian, so holidays were spent in Norway. As he explains in Boy, he turned down the idea of university in favor of a job that would take him to"a wonderful faraway place. In 1933 he joined the Shell Company, which sent him to Mombasa in East Africa. When World War II began in 1939 he became a fighter pilot and in 1942 was made assistant air attaché in Washington, where he started to write short stories. His first major success as a writer for children was in 1964. Thereafter his children's books brought him increasing popularity, and when he died children mourned the world over, particularly in Britain where he had lived for many years.The BFG is dedicated to the memory of Roald Dahls eldest daughter, Olivia, who died from measles when she was seven - the same age at which his sister had died (fron appendicitis) over forty years before. Quentin Blake, the first Children's Laureate of the United Kingdom, has illustrated most of Roald Dahl's children's books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars It's a pity there isn't a sequel to this one. May 23, 2002
Format:Paperback
In this sequel to Boy, Roald Dahl writes about his life as a young adult. After leaving Repton, his boarding school, he signed on with the Shell Oil Company and was sent to East Africa, which is now called Tanzania. While Dahl was serving in Tanzania, World War II happened and he signed up with the Royal Air Force. He chronicles in detail his work for Shell, and his experiences as an RAF pilot.

In East Africa, Roald Dahl had a near-fatal encounter with a deadly black mamba, whose poison can kill you in about two seconds. Right after the war broke out Roald's servant, a descendant of warrior tribesman, decided to become a warrior himself and killed a civillian. Roald had to spirit him away before the murder was discovered. And just to show how dangerous flying with the RAF was, one day when Roald returned from a mission his tent-mate told him, "I boiled enough tea for two, just in case you happened to come back." He was eventually shot down, but survived. While recuperating in the hospital, he fell in love with his nurse.

Going Solo was, like all of Dahl's books, wonderful. I only wish he'd have written a third about his later adulthood. Pity he died before he could do that.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting book about roald dahls book May 22, 2000
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
As a 17 year old boy who spent my childhood in Norway, with roalds books, I was really surprised when I found at that he wrote books for adults as well. This is the kind of book which it is hard to put down when youre reading, but unfortunately after sitting for hours in my stressless I was out of pages. This book continues the story begun in boy, where dahl tells us about his highlights in life, from the point where he worked for Shell until he has finished his service in the RAF, and he returns back to a war raged Brittain . I would just wish that roald had written more about his life because I found it very entertaining
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Autobiography January 16, 1999
By A Customer
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
It's a pity that amazon.com descibes this book as "Reading level: Young adult," because it really should be classified among Dahl's adult literature, along with "Boy," "Switch Bitch." and my personal favorite, "My Uncle Oswald."

This is a beautifully written, exciting and fascinating story that will rivet the attention of readers of any age. I sent a copy to my uncle, a former Marine pilot during World War II now in his eighties, and he couldn't put it down.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Master story teller
Roald Dahl's tales from his life are every bit as entertaining as any of his works of fiction. Recommended for anyone who likes tales from other lives and places.
Published 4 hours ago by R. Maurer
5.0 out of 5 stars What An Amazing Series of Life Events!
If I was at a magical dinner party with lots of famous authors from all time, I would totally want to be sitting right next to Roald Dahl. Why? His life experiences are AMAZING. Read more
Published 12 days ago by Melissa
5.0 out of 5 stars An absolutely wonderful read
This was one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. The stories and adventures of a previous generation told by Dahl are truly mesmerising. Read more
Published 18 days ago by GregC
5.0 out of 5 stars Roald Dahl is simply fantastic
His life in Africa and as a fighter pilot is really an eye opener for us all. His clean, matter-of-fact way of telling a story makes for wonderful reading. Read more
Published 19 days ago by Chandu
4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing
I read this in one sitting, so you can see it is pretty interesting. I get the feeling Dahl was a really honest person. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Hortensia
4.0 out of 5 stars Good job
Como siempre desde hace años Amazon sigue enviando los libros y los discos con rapidez y eficacia. Me parece increíble que los envíos sean tan veloces.
Published 17 months ago by Vidal
5.0 out of 5 stars More serious and more interesting sequel to 'Boy'
'Going Solo' is the second part of Roald Dahl's sort-of-autobiography, covering Dahl's experiences in Africa and the Mediterranean, initially as part of his work for Shell, and... Read more
Published 18 months ago by H. Jin
5.0 out of 5 stars great book for daydream boys
My 10 years old Boy is reading this book and it kept his attencion!
he enjoy Dahl sotries but this one seems to be one of the bests for him! Read more
Published 20 months ago by Beatriz P. Madureira
4.0 out of 5 stars "A fantastic, adventurous book about Roald's experiences as WWII...
Going Solo by Roald Dahl is a fantastic adventurous book about Roald's experience as a WW2 fighter pilot. He talks about his other stories from Hatia and Marigua. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Michael C R Verbesey
5.0 out of 5 stars A TESTAMENT TO ONE MAN'S LOVE OF FLYING
Many years ago, I read this book, which thoroughly captivated me. Before earning a worldwide reputation as a writer of exciting and wildly imaginative children's books, Dahl had... Read more
Published 21 months ago by MONTGOMERY
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