First published under the pseudonym of Flying Officer X, H. E. Bates's heroic stories of the exploits of British pilots during the Second World War created a sensation when they appeared in 1942, selling over two million copies all over the world. While writing these stories, Bates lived among the often painfully young bomber crews and recorded their lives both in combat and on the ground, with a poignancy that deeply moved the generation that lived through the war. The tales, in this one-volume edition, are immensely readable as an account of the R.A.F. in war time, reflecting Bates's mastery both of the art of description and of storytelling.Ex Lib Mylar protected.