Handley Page Halifax: From Hell to Victory and Beyond

Tonight only three remain where once there were thousands.

Of these, two were surprisingly discovered in Norway. The third was found surrounded by chickens on the Isle of Lewis.

No Simon... I'm not gushing about the finalists on 'Britain's Got Talent', but the last remaining Handley-Page Halifax bombers -- under appreciated stars of Churchill's air show.

Ken Merrick has done more than anyone to alter the present view of the Handley-Page Halifax's legacy. Now, in a short, fact-packed book, exceptionally well provided with illustrations and photographs, he has brought to light this four-engined bomber's valuable contribution.

Mr. Merrick's book is a minutely detailed chronicle of how this flawed but able aircraft served well. It is an insider's account, largely confined to the cockpits and crowded bomber streams where Bomber Command's fate was decided, and based on the photos, research and recollections of old Halifax men, photo collectors, enthusiasts, and amateur historians. Each chapter is devoted to a role the versatile Halifax served, giving a sense of a gradually unfolding accomplishment.

The book spans thirteen years: the Halifax's first flight in 1940; its varied operations in the Second World War; and brief civil stint after the war. Each role is anchored by chapters outlining the period in broad strokes. Copious photo captions help round out the details.

Ken Merrick's "Halifax" is a compendious history of the pioneering four engine bomber, taking in everything from the frustrations of day and night bombing to its vulnerable days as a glider tug.

Since Mr. Merrick's mission is to describe the Halifax's war not only from headquarters, and factory floors but in the cockpits; he takes us from night bombing raids to towed glider missions, secret SOE missions, anti-shipping strikes, then through the lonely maritime patrols far out over the stormy Atlantic.

Mr. Merrick has steeped himself in after action reports, photo collections and in the tales of the fliers to produce his narrative of the Halifax.

Mr. Merrick's command of aeronautical engineering enables him to chart with considerable skill every modification, upgrade and refinement with clear precision. He knows the aircraft in detail and the resulting performance of each improvement: this is not a book that will be read with ease by the general reader.

Mr. Merrick's book captures the story in a series of snapshots -- dense, terse chapters on the events and decisions that fed into the growing air campaigns of Second World War. Some are familiar: the night bombings orchestrated by Bomber Harris. Other missions barely remembered today -- the dropping of secret agents, weapons, and special deliveries for the underground, deep in Axis territories-- will fascinate the intrepid reader.

The major themes are familiar: ice and fog; flak and night fighters; run-away props and failed hydraulics; empty fuel tanks and broken tow ropes; Oboe and Wilde Sau and finally, the achievements of Bomber Command-- or more accurately-- the builders, ground crews and fliers, are the mission of Mr. Merrick.

This compelling and impressively well-researched book provides newly revealed information about the development of the Halifax as well as its deployment and war record. It is by far the best and most detailed story of the RAF's first four engined bomber's complete historical record.

"Handley Page Halifax: From Hell to Victory and Beyond" features an excellent combination of narrative and engineering information. It's concise and accessible, yet Mr. Merrick has somehow sifted through all the hype that still surrounds the air campaign in the Second World War to tell this overlooked story in a condensed and unassuming style.

The book is meticulously researched and it is beautifully illustrated -- with color drawings and rare photos from many collections. The description of white-knuckle flying is vivid, in many a pilot's own words, and the engineering coverage of the very versatile aircraft is exceptionally thorough. The book deserves a place on the shelves with the great RAF aircraft histories of the Lancaster and Spitfire.