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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A superb snapshot of the average fighter pilot's life in WWI,
This review is from: No Parachute: A Fighter Pilot in World War I; Letters Written in 1917 by A. S. G. Lee. (Hardcover)
Arthur Lee's letters to his young wife from the western front in 1917 were more than just the lovelorn ramblings of a British officer. His goal of becoming an author prompted him to write long, detailed letters almost daily. His wife, Gwyneth Ann, carefully compiled the letters and saved them as a documentary of his military career. Over 50 years later, Lee dug them out, edited them as little as possible and published them as "No Parachute." The compilation represents the best and most accurate account of a pilot's daily routine on the western front that I've read in nearly 25 years of study. You won't put this book down until you've finished it; and when you do, you'll feel as if you knew each member of Lee's flight as well as he did. Lee's penchant for detail is so complete that I was actually able to travel to France and pinpoint within ten yards where he was shot down during the Battle of Messines Ridge, the route he walked on his way back to the lines and! ! the infantry battalion's position where he finally collapsed. You can go yet today to Izel le Hameau and see the grave of a fellow flier, killed in an accident, that Lee helped bury in the town cemetary. This is not the self-congratulatory chronicle of a famous fighter pilot written after the fact; it's the first hand contemporary account of a relatively unknown Sopwith Camel pilot who's only goal was to get home alive to his bride. The description of his first air to air kill leaves you breathless as he describes how his hands shook uncontrollably while aiming his machine gun. Lee reacts with horror when he witnesses a German pilot leap from a burning Albatros just yards away from the wings of his fighter. His accounts of an aviator's night life, romantic interludes and personal relationships within the squadron are equally captivating, all written with the viewpoint of a personal letter with no intent of publication.If you only read one book on aviation in the First Worl! ! d War, make it "No Parachute." Lee's collective l! etters form a masterpiece and make you wonder why anyone bothers writing fiction. The images of combat that you get from this book will last a lifetime.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thrilling!,
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This review is from: No Parachute: a Fighter Pilot in World War I; Letters Written in 1917 By a. S. G. Lee (Paperback)
Another exciting first hand account of the Great War in the air, from the cockpits of Sopwith's noted fighters, the Pup and Camel. Arthur G. Lee spins a clear and exciting account of his experiences in France flying these wonderful machines.
A must for any WW-1 aviation buff!
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