"This is an interesting portrayal of an officer's career in the RAF."

The Hurricane, The Newsletter of the North Weald Airfield Museum Association - Summer 2021

There are many books that outline the great work that was done by the pilots of this country but not many that offer such an honest and realistic insight in to what life was like in and out of the plane, including the training, the 'practice runs' and scouting flights but also the post-war work that was then carried out. Not only does this read give you the opportunity to educationally understand what happened over those years but also about what life was like from a personal perspective, with the use of personal information and photographs, this part of Ted 'Shippy' Shipman's life is fantastically written about by the author, John Shipman. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to gain information of this period in time but also for those wishing to gain a more personal reflective perspective, it offers a gripping and truly unique and fascinating insight into the work that was carried out.

Amazon Reviewer

The story of Ted Shipman, One of 'The Few', provides a most interesting insight into the life of an airman during that most critical period of our island's history - The Battle of Britain. There are many books that tell of the daring deeds of those that took part in the battle, however, this work gives a much more softer and balanced account of that time, an ordinary view of extraordinary events. This book serves as a useful source to scholars of the war of 1939-45, but it is also both a fascintaing read and account of the activities of a Spitfire pilot. The book contains many unique photographs, many from Mr. Shipman's personal collection. The author, John Shipman, is to be commended on bringing this work to a wider audience - a good read.

Customer Review