Richard Hillary: The First Biography of the Second World War Fighter Pilot and Author of the Last Enemy [Hardcover]

David Ross (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2000

Cult hero fighter ace, Richard Hillary finally recieves his first complete biography.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Grub Street; illustrated edition edition (May 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1902304454
• ISBN-13: 978-1902304458
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,649,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Biography I've read, October 25, 2000

By 

Kerry Cathro (Borders, Scotland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Richard Hillary: The First Biography of the Second World War Fighter Pilot and Author of the Last Enemy (Hardcover)

A biography of a fighter pilot and author.

This book expertly captures the emotions of the time in which it is set whilst giving us an in depth look at the life of one of our Battle of Britain heros.

It is extremely well researched and puts right many of the inaccuracies of previous publications. If you have read The Last Enemy, then this is a 'must read'. It will appeal to a broad spectrum; not only those interested in aviation, history or the lives of authors and pilots. This is not your standard military aviation book, it is full of facts, yes, but it is also an exciting, emotive and most of all, enriching read.

I have never read a book on squadron history but will definitely read this authors book to be published next year on No. 603 squadron (Richard Hillarys squadron based in Edinburgh).

Finally, don't be put off by the size of it....it's a great read with plenty of photos (some never seen in the public domain before)!

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superbly researched and written biography, February 3, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Richard Hillary: The First Biography of the Second World War Fighter Pilot and Author of the Last Enemy (Hardcover)

Richard Hillary was a decorated fighter pilot who flew and fought in the Battle of Britain during the some of darkest days of World War II. He became an ace pilot and was shot down in September 1940 by enemy fire, experiencing severe facial burns. During a painful recovery he wrote the wartime classic, The Last Enemy under the pen name David Ross. He returned to flying but was killed in a Blenheim on January 8, 1943, at the age of 23. Richard Hillary is a superbly researched and written biography of a remarkable young man and highly recommended reading, especially for anyone with an interest in World War II, the Battle of Britain, and the young men who stood against a seemingly overwhelming tyranny.