Discover the daring life story and astonishing adventures of Captain Eric 'Winkle' Brown -
Britain's greatest-ever pilot Small in stature but immense in reputation and talent there was
more to Eric 'Winkle' Brown than met the eye.From shooting down Luftwaffe bombers from the deck
of a carrier in the Battle of the Atlantic and narrowly escaping death when his ship was
torpedoed to accumulating a never-to-be repeated litany of world records and firsts as a test
pilot his unparalleled flying career saw him take the controls of over four hundred different
kinds of aircraft - more than any other pilot in history.A rival to Chuck Yeager and hero to
Neil Armstrong by the time of his appearance on Desert Island Discs' 1000th episode Winkle had
become a legend in his own lifetime and by his death a national treasure.But despite his
enormous fame there have always been mysteries at the heart of Winkle's story.Now drawing on
previously unseen documents and unfettered access to Winkle's own personal archive Paul Beaver
uncovers the complex and enigmatic man behind the legend - the real story of Britain's greatest
pilot.A story Winkle insisted could only be told after his death . . .----------'Compelling
fascinating and frequently jaw-dropping. A brilliant and revelatory biography' JAMES
HOLLAND'Beaver recounts the story of a man he regarded as a mentor in unshowy but fascinating
detail and restores a British hero to his rightful place' OBSERVER'[A] thumping great
biography by Britain's leading aviation historian' DAILY MAIL 'BOOK OF THE WEEK''Winkle
Brown's astonishing adventures make for fascinating reading' SUNDAY TIMES'An excellent
biography' PATRICK BISHOP DAILY TELEGRAPH'The extraordinary story [of] a fearless pilot and
decorated war hero. Epic' THE HERALD'A thrilling new biography' DAILY EXPRESS'A thumping great
biography of the flying ace who made Top Gun look tame ... enthralling' DAILY MAIL'Riveting ...
one of those must-read books compelling and full of incidents that leave you gasping with
surprise ... an incredible story' FLYER'An incredible life ... Brown took a secret to the grave
that makes his story all the more remarkable' THE SUN
