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Splendid Little War
The war to end all wars, people said in 1918. Not for long. By 1919, White Russians were fighting the Bolsheviks (Reds) for control of their country, and Winston Churchill (then Minister for War) wanted to see Communism 'strangled in its cradle'. So a volunteer R.A.F. squadron, flying Sopwith Camels and DH9 bombers, went there to duff up the Reds. 'There's a splendid little war going on,' a British staff officer told them. 'You'll like it.' Looked like fun. But the war was neither splendid nor little. It was big and it was brutal, a grim conflict of attrition, marked by cruelty, betrayal and corruption. Before it ended, the squadron wished that both sides would lose. If that was a joke, nobody was laughing.
"A Splendid Little War" tests the pilots' gallows humour in a world of armoured trains and elegant barons, gruesome religious sects and anarchist guerrillas, unreliable allies and pitiless enemies. The comedy of this war, if it exists, is very bleak. Derek Robinson is at once our finest living comic novelist and a master of military fiction. Biggles was never like this.
"A Splendid Little War" tests the pilots' gallows humour in a world of armoured trains and elegant barons, gruesome religious sects and anarchist guerrillas, unreliable allies and pitiless enemies. The comedy of this war, if it exists, is very bleak. Derek Robinson is at once our finest living comic novelist and a master of military fiction. Biggles was never like this.
320 pages, Paperback
First published December 20, 2012
17 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Derek Robinson
71 books80 followersDerek Robinson is a British author best known for his military aviation novels full of black humour. He has also written several books on some of the more sordid events in the history of Bristol, his home town, as well as guides to rugby. He was nominated for the Booker Prize in 1971 for his first novel, 'Goshawk Squadron.'
After attending Cotham Grammar School, Robinson served in the Royal Air Force as a fighter plotter, during his National Service. He has a History degree from Cambridge University, where he attended Downing College, has worked in advertising in the UK and the US and as a broadcaster on radio and television. He was a qualified rugby referee for over thirty years and is a life member of Bristol Society of Rugby Referees. He was married in 1964
After attending Cotham Grammar School, Robinson served in the Royal Air Force as a fighter plotter, during his National Service. He has a History degree from Cambridge University, where he attended Downing College, has worked in advertising in the UK and the US and as a broadcaster on radio and television. He was a qualified rugby referee for over thirty years and is a life member of Bristol Society of Rugby Referees. He was married in 1964
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 30, 2014
Derek Robinson is one of those writers with an unerring knack for creating in his novels compelling and complex characters, whose black humor attests to the absurdities of war. Love or hate them, the characters of "A Splendid Little War" serve as a colorful backdrop to an incredible historical event that is little known today. The event of which I speak is the Allied Intervention in Russia, which began in the summer of 1918 --- when Britain, Canada, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, and America sent troops and other material support to force Lenin's Bolsheviks (i.e. the "Reds") out of power and assist the Russian counter-revolutionary forces (the "Whites") in re-establishing in Russia a government sympathetic to (and supportive of) Allied interests --- and ended in 1920.
This novel is centered around a Royal Air Force (RAF) squadron made up of volunteers who left Britain in the Spring of 1919 in anticipation of an exciting and colorful time in Russia. Their commanding officer (C.O.), Wing Commander Griffin, is a rather no-nonsense type, not lacking in bravery, but set on doing things his way, even if this sometimes means offending his Russian compatriots. There is also a merry array of characters consisting of the adjutant, Brazier (often referred to affectionately as "Uncle" by his squadron mates), who helps keep the squadron running smoothly on a daily basis as it is moved by rail to various parts of Southern Russia, wherever the fighting is heaviest; Lacey, who is responsible for maintaining the squadron's radio contacts with the British Military Mission and keeping it fully supplied (through fair and 'slick' means); a young doctor, Susan Perry; James Hackett, a wise-ass Australian fighter pilot; Tiger Wragge, a fellow fighter pilot who is like a sidekick to Hackett; and Tusker Oliphant, the senior bomber pilot in the squadron.
The situation the squadron is thrown into upon arrival in Russia is fraught with many dangers. The "Whites" for a time have the Reds on the run. But they are hardly a unified force in a country that is teetering on the edge. Corruption is everywhere. Yet through it all, the RAF squadron bravely carries out the missions it has been been given, from Tsaritsyn (later known as Stalingrad) to Kursk and Orel. There are the occasional dogfights with scattered elements of the Red Air Force, which Robinson describes with word-pictures that make combat so tellingly real to the reader. Indeed, Robinson knows how to convey the moves pilots make in managing and controlling aircraft as they are put through their paces. The squadron itself is hard-pressed as the tide of war changes and the "Reds" gain the upper hand.
In rounding out this review, I'd like to cite the following comments Robinson put into the mouth of the British Prime Minister, Lloyd George, in London whilst chatting with an aide who had been closely monitoring the British contribution to the Allied Intervention (which was the largest and most extensive of all the Allied powers in Russia, for the Army, Royal Navy, and RAF all played a part): "History teaches us that war does not travel in a straight line. Obstacles spring up that never before existed, and so armies ricochet,and leaders must duck and dodge or they suffer. Last year we nearly joined forces with the Bolsheviks. Even Winston was for it. He wanted to offer them a formula that would protect their revolution and consolidate their power, if only they would re-start their war against Germany. We desperately needed someone to fight for the Allies in the east, and the Bolsheviks seemed the most warlike. But, alas, not for long. Then the Huns collapsed, a very large surprise indeed, since most of us expected the war to go on for another five or ten years. Now we no longer needed an eastern front. But - a little ricochet - Bolshevik revolutions began breaking out in Europe like chicken pox, so we put our money on the anti-Red forces in Russia. Worth a gamble. Nearly paid off..."
Thrills, chills, and spills, this novel has it all and comes highly recommended.
This novel is centered around a Royal Air Force (RAF) squadron made up of volunteers who left Britain in the Spring of 1919 in anticipation of an exciting and colorful time in Russia. Their commanding officer (C.O.), Wing Commander Griffin, is a rather no-nonsense type, not lacking in bravery, but set on doing things his way, even if this sometimes means offending his Russian compatriots. There is also a merry array of characters consisting of the adjutant, Brazier (often referred to affectionately as "Uncle" by his squadron mates), who helps keep the squadron running smoothly on a daily basis as it is moved by rail to various parts of Southern Russia, wherever the fighting is heaviest; Lacey, who is responsible for maintaining the squadron's radio contacts with the British Military Mission and keeping it fully supplied (through fair and 'slick' means); a young doctor, Susan Perry; James Hackett, a wise-ass Australian fighter pilot; Tiger Wragge, a fellow fighter pilot who is like a sidekick to Hackett; and Tusker Oliphant, the senior bomber pilot in the squadron.
The situation the squadron is thrown into upon arrival in Russia is fraught with many dangers. The "Whites" for a time have the Reds on the run. But they are hardly a unified force in a country that is teetering on the edge. Corruption is everywhere. Yet through it all, the RAF squadron bravely carries out the missions it has been been given, from Tsaritsyn (later known as Stalingrad) to Kursk and Orel. There are the occasional dogfights with scattered elements of the Red Air Force, which Robinson describes with word-pictures that make combat so tellingly real to the reader. Indeed, Robinson knows how to convey the moves pilots make in managing and controlling aircraft as they are put through their paces. The squadron itself is hard-pressed as the tide of war changes and the "Reds" gain the upper hand.
In rounding out this review, I'd like to cite the following comments Robinson put into the mouth of the British Prime Minister, Lloyd George, in London whilst chatting with an aide who had been closely monitoring the British contribution to the Allied Intervention (which was the largest and most extensive of all the Allied powers in Russia, for the Army, Royal Navy, and RAF all played a part): "History teaches us that war does not travel in a straight line. Obstacles spring up that never before existed, and so armies ricochet,and leaders must duck and dodge or they suffer. Last year we nearly joined forces with the Bolsheviks. Even Winston was for it. He wanted to offer them a formula that would protect their revolution and consolidate their power, if only they would re-start their war against Germany. We desperately needed someone to fight for the Allies in the east, and the Bolsheviks seemed the most warlike. But, alas, not for long. Then the Huns collapsed, a very large surprise indeed, since most of us expected the war to go on for another five or ten years. Now we no longer needed an eastern front. But - a little ricochet - Bolshevik revolutions began breaking out in Europe like chicken pox, so we put our money on the anti-Red forces in Russia. Worth a gamble. Nearly paid off..."
Thrills, chills, and spills, this novel has it all and comes highly recommended.
December 7, 2020
Revisiting my boyhood obsession with all things biplane, and my adult interest piqued by a bit of history I knew little about--the 1919 British intervention in the Russian civil war--I had high hopes for this novel. Robinson is brilliant at writing about flying and aerial combat, throwing in lots of detail about the dangers and quirks of the iconic Sopwith Camel. There are enough flying and dogfight scenes in the last part of the book to provide a satisfying ending. But to get there we plod through a rambling series of episodes about a fictional fighter squadron wandering around southern Russia, mostly by train. Maybe the book reflects how it really was for an RAF squadron on a vague mission across such wide terrain, a life of tedium, frustration, and surprising luxury. The details of that life were really interesting. But without an actual story line, and characters rarely delving deeper than their English stiff upper lips allowed, the biplane-loving 10-year-old me simply couldn't convince the grown-up me to give this novel more than 3 stars.
October 27, 2020
This is so heavy on the nineteen twenties BBC dialect that it could easily be sold as "Five go on a military intervention"
We follow the pilots of Merlin Squadron as they take their jaunt across Pre-Soviet Russia, sampling the local food, meeting the natives, taking in the sights, blowing stuff up.
There is a real contrast between the pilots who are there to "do a terrific job" and the burning cities and mass graves that pass by the windows of their armoured train.
This is very well written, very easy to read and (despite the dark under tone) a light and breezy book.
There is no overriding plot to this and as you rapidly run out of pages you will note that the recounting of the "military action" is quite asymmetric in its telling.
The dry, piffy banter of the 1920's British airmen: complaining about the shortage of mustard or how inconsiderate the enemy was for not turning up to be shot down that day, was both funny and infuriating - which I think was by design.
There is a section at the back that details what the author made-up and what was based in fact, that I found both invaluable and fascinating.
A great book on a pretty unknown topic that you can happily blast through.
We follow the pilots of Merlin Squadron as they take their jaunt across Pre-Soviet Russia, sampling the local food, meeting the natives, taking in the sights, blowing stuff up.
There is a real contrast between the pilots who are there to "do a terrific job" and the burning cities and mass graves that pass by the windows of their armoured train.
This is very well written, very easy to read and (despite the dark under tone) a light and breezy book.
There is no overriding plot to this and as you rapidly run out of pages you will note that the recounting of the "military action" is quite asymmetric in its telling.
The dry, piffy banter of the 1920's British airmen: complaining about the shortage of mustard or how inconsiderate the enemy was for not turning up to be shot down that day, was both funny and infuriating - which I think was by design.
There is a section at the back that details what the author made-up and what was based in fact, that I found both invaluable and fascinating.
A great book on a pretty unknown topic that you can happily blast through.
December 30, 2016
I don't usually like novels with dozens of characters which are not carried through the book from page one to the very end, but this little piece of art it's one of the most compelling war novels I've ever read.
The story of the Merlin squadron is brilliantly written, with accurate but never boring description of the civil war's Russia, pages dense with human introspection and humor in a 50-50 ratio. Highly recommended.
The story of the Merlin squadron is brilliantly written, with accurate but never boring description of the civil war's Russia, pages dense with human introspection and humor in a 50-50 ratio. Highly recommended.
November 30, 2017
I don’t mind absorbing myself in a war book, a history book or an action book, to name but a few, but this was hardly an action book, a very disjointed history book and, to my mind, poorly written. Extensive non-relevant dialogue in parts with little descriptive prose enabling one to visualise the location or the action. Sorry, but not for me.
January 14, 2018
I didn't know about this bit of interference previously and enjoyed the book immensely - not least for it's similarities to Catch 22 and the utterly black humour
September 6, 2018
A Splendid Little War A Terrible little book, I Was
Left with an overwhelming feeling of who cares?
And that is a travesty.
Left with an overwhelming feeling of who cares?
And that is a travesty.
November 23, 2023
Another of Robinson's tongue in cheek descriptions of the exploits of British heroes. This one has a substantial side order of the Russian war between the Reds and the Whites.
I particularly appreciate the author's endnotes delineating fact from fiction. It is a very good summary of British involvement in Russia for which he has ploughed through several histories that would be far to dry for me.
I particularly appreciate the author's endnotes delineating fact from fiction. It is a very good summary of British involvement in Russia for which he has ploughed through several histories that would be far to dry for me.
August 3, 2019
Gave up, very dull!
October 22, 2020
Like one of Lacey's poems this feels somewhat recycled after reading the other three in the quartet. Still fun enough, and an interesting milieu. Would recommend Goshawk Squadron first though.
November 17, 2024
A look at a forgotten aspect of the end of WWI when the British went into Russia to fight against the Bolsheviks.
November 19, 2025
A splendid little book. Very entertaining, a lot of funny and witty characters run over by the tragic events of history and accidents of war. strongly recommend
April 18, 2013
This is the latest of Derek Robinson's acerbic novels about aerial combat. His "R.A.F. Quartet" books feature World War 2; "Splendid Little War" is the fourth of his books in the "R.F.C. Quartet" (WW1). Robinson's style and range of characters tend not to vary much from book to book, but the irreverent and sardonic tone of that style is thoroughly enjoyable, although his humour can be very black. This one is more of the same but what makes it interesting reading is its setting: civil war Russia. There are also occasional chapters featuring high-ranking politicians and administrators that are surprisingly witty. As Robinson is at pains to point out, hardly anyone now knows that Britain sent a volunteer squadron to fight on the side of the Whites as part of the ill-judged intervention by the UK, France, USA (and others) in the vicious civil war that followed the 1917 Bolshevik revolution. Robinson does a great job describing the role played by the British aviators (and the importance of train transport, too) during that conflict. As I read I kept noting points that I resolved to check on for historical accuracy when I'd finished. But Robinson has provided an Afterword in which he provides proof that these events, decisions, conflicts etc, however unlikely, did indeed happen.
Recommended.
Recommended.
April 4, 2015
I read this book exclusively on the kindle app on my phone. And so it was a few pages here and there, mainly whilst waiting outside of places whilst family did other stuff.
That was not the best way to appreciate this book.
I greatly admire Derek Robinson and his way with a tale about war and people. He has written some fantastic books. This was a little less wonderful than some of his other more popular works. I should go back to a Piece of Cake really.
That was not the best way to appreciate this book.
I greatly admire Derek Robinson and his way with a tale about war and people. He has written some fantastic books. This was a little less wonderful than some of his other more popular works. I should go back to a Piece of Cake really.
September 21, 2014
Set in Ukraine during the civil war between White Russians and Bolsheviks, Robinson describes the exploits of a volunteer RAF squadron sent there to assist the efforts of the White Russians. I found the book an eye-opener to what was going on there and then. And the upper class Biggles-like patter of the pilots was at times side-splitting. An excellent read.
June 6, 2025
Didn't like this one. Probably because it's Britains very lame attempt to help the Imperialist Russians win against the Communists, because they worried it might be catching.
Also the reason King George refused his cousins as refugees and left them to be slaughtered.
Sad mad pilots and assistants who can't let go of the war too.
Ugh.
Also the reason King George refused his cousins as refugees and left them to be slaughtered.
Sad mad pilots and assistants who can't let go of the war too.
Ugh.
July 25, 2014
One of the best books written by the author of Piece of cake. There are very few authors of Robinson's caliber writing today. Bleak and funny at the same time, he captures the reality of RAF life. Highly recommended.
January 9, 2015
Very good novel, but not his best. one for the Robinson fan, but start elsewhere
December 9, 2017
A good read. Feels authentic, but weird in places. Self sterilisation? Bit unlikely, but who knows?
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews