Hurricane: The Last Witnesses

by Brian Milton

"Very readable and evocative" (The Spectator)"

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2011

Reviews

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting selection of first-hand accounts of operations in Hurricanes by some of the few surviving pilots at the time of publication, set against some some historical background detail. Some of the statistics provided are a little questionable, as are some aspects of the pilots recollections, but by and large it works rather well. The recollections are, at times, quite gritty, giving a lot of good and bad experiences of Hurricane operations. I found it a brilliant read, supporting my view that wartime fact is always more interesting than wartime fiction.

[Nigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm fascinated by aircraft and the Battle of Britain is remarkable point in their development and (let's call it) testing. This book attempts to rebalance the view that the Spitfire won the battle and does a good job of it. It's not a biased or rabid pro-Hurricane, anti-Spitfire telling, but a calm review of events with lots of quotes from 'the last witnesses.' It's well written, easy to read, and enjoyable. I hear the sound of a Merlin engine flat out every time I open the cover!