They worked in what to us is a bizarre environment, facing, at very young ages, often in their early 20s, death every time they flew into the air, with a mixture of bravery, fear, recklessness and fatalism. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. This book written by the man who lead the Lancaster bombers on the famous raid on the German dams describes in detail how Barnes Wallis (known in the book as Jeff because of wartime secrecy) came up with the proposal to attack the dams which made an important contribution to the German war effort.

Gibson and the other young fliers were well aware of the need to be sharp if they wanted to stay alive. The book is very uneven, and the reader unfamiliar with the Dams raid will likely fall into erroneous beliefs about the operation if he or she takes this as gospel. Gibson was part of the only force, which for a period of several dark years, seemed to be the only means of taking the war to the enemy. from some of the most experienced crews in Bomber command and the difficulties that arose, how they were solved and finally to the raid itself which was a great success but at the cost of the lives of 54 air crew. Given the constraints of censorship this is in some ways a flawed book, but because it was written during the war it has an immediacy and an unrivalled view into the mood and attitudes of the time.Add to this that Enemy Coast Ahead was written whilst the war was still raging and you have a riveting read.

I genuinely enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone but feel it would be of specific interest to any Second World War enthusiasts looking to learn more about this famous story.

Having 'lent' out my original copy of this terrific book, I was delighted to have this well-produced edition once more in my collection. I also have memories of drunken RAF airmen pretending to fly arms extended around the Naafi whilst humming the theme tune to the Dam busters. The most famous pilot in our modern era, his account of WW2 and its famous raid on the Ruhr Valley dams. This uncut edition provides not only previously unpublished details of Gibson's career, but also reveals his true view of the course of the war, of the wartime population, of his pilots and crews and of Bomber Command tactics.

In it Gibson takes us through a typical bombing raid - from getting out of bed in the morning right through to falling back into it at night/next morning. The talk of drinking when back at base became more explained as Guy slowly became one of the only from his starting group that stayed alive. read it carefully, and particularly this original draft, and the fears, the stress and strain, and the tragedy of his short life are there, plain to see. Due to the secrecy surrounding the weapon, Gibson uses a lot of pseudonyms to thinly disguise names and code words. It’s an honest and detailed record of his time in the RAF and for anyone interested in WWII or RAF history, it’s a must read.

They all attended an investiture at Buckingham Palace ( June 22nd ), performed by the Queen Elizabeth ( the futur Queen Mother, 1900 - 2002 ). Guy Gibson was the leader of the famous Dambusters raid and Enemy Coast Ahead is a vivid, honest account, widely regarded as one of the best books on World War II. While Gibson was undoubtedly a flawed character, this still provides some fascinating accounts of the war, precisely as it was going on. We carry a wide selection of titles in The Arts, Theology, History, Politics, Social and Physical Sciences.