In 1931, at the age of 21, Douglas Bader was the golden boy of the RAF. Excelling in everything he did he represented the Royal Air Force in aerobatics displays, played rugby for Harlequins, and was tipped to be the next England fly half. But one afternoon in December all his ambitions came to an abrupt end when he crashed his plane doing a particularly difficult and illegal aerobatic trick. His injuries were so bad that surgeons were forced to amputate both his legs to save his life.
Douglas Bader did not fly again until the outbreak of the Second World War, when his undoubted skill in the air was enough to convince a desperate air force to give him his own squadron. The rest of his story is the stuff of legend. Flying Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain he led his squadron to kill after kill, keeping them all going with his unstoppable banter. Shot down in occupied France, his German captors had to confiscate his tin legs in order to stop him trying to escape.
Bader faced it all, disability, leadership and capture, with the same charm, charisma and determination that was an inspiration to all around him.
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"Another great book I read during the 1950s. Yes, Douglas Bader was certainly an extraordinary and extremely brave man! An air ace with no legs. My uncle Bob that had lost his entire right leg at Paschendale in WW1 and met Douglas Bader during the 1950s at a War Amps function." — Alan (5 out of 5 stars)
"Another great book I read during the 1950s. Yes, Douglas Bader was certainly an extraordinary and extremely brave man! An air ace with no legs. My uncle Bob that had lost his entire right leg at Paschendale in WW1 and met Douglas Bader during the 1950s at a War Amps function."
" This is an amazing and true story of a man in the RAAF during WW2, who lost his legs but didn't let it stop him fighting the enemy. Eventually captured and ending up in POW camps, he never stopped trying to escape. Well worth the read. "
" An impressive book, it simply changed my life.. "
" Douglas Bader is my hero. "
" Probably the most unbelieveable, craziest, inspiring true story I've ever heard. "
" This is the story of Douglas Bader, WWII RAF ace wing commander POW. Oh, did I mention he achieved all this without the benefit of legs? Inspirational, to say the least. "
" True story of Doglas Bader an ace flyer in WW11 who lost both legs when his plane was shot down. His exploits are exceptional and it is a story of endeavour and courage. "
" In my early teens, this book made me wish I could be a pilot, and moved me with its portrayal of a man who overcame great challenges. "
" A very good account of Douglas Bader pre-to-post war, warts and all. What an incredible person. "
" This is the story of Douglas Bader, pilot in the RAF who lost his legs, and his continued work as a pilot. It is a pretty amazing account. "
" Probably my first real biography. Read when I was still in school. "
" The inspirational story of Douglas Bader, DSO, DFC. "
" The amazing story of Gr Capt Douglas Bader of the RAF. I first read this when I was about 14 years old. It made a huge impression on me. Much of my love for the military came from Brickhill's books. The story of Douglas Bader is truly inspirational. "
Paul Brickhill (1916–1991) was an Australian journalist and writer whose World War II books were turned into popular movies. He was directly involved with the escape from Stalag Luft III, although he was one of the prisoners left behind. After the war, he wrote the first major account of the escape in The Great Escape (1950), bringing the incident to a wide public attention. He went on to write two other bestselling war books, The Dam Busters and Reach for the Sky. All three books were made into feature films.
Robert Hardy, CBE, played Siegfried Farnon in seven series of All Creatures Great and Small, while his other television appearances include The Far Pavilions, Lucky Jim, The Lost World, and Foyle’s War. He has appeared in many West End productions and also played Cornelius Fudge in the Harry Potter films.
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