617: Going To War With Todays Dambusters

by Tim Bouquet

In May 1943, 617 Squadron RAF executed one of the most daring operations in military history as bombers mounted a raid against hydroelectric dams in Germany. 617 Squadron became a World War II legend. Nearly 70 years later, in April 2011, a new generation of elite flyers, now flying supersonic Tornado GR4 bombers, were deployed to Afghanistan—their to provide close air support to troops on the ground. Tim Bouquet was given unprecedented access to 617's pre-deployment training and blistering tour in Afghanistan. From dramatic air strikes to the life-and-death search for IEDs and low-flying shows of force designed to drive insurgents from civilian cover, he tracked every mission—and the skill, resilience, banter, and exceptional airmanship that saw 617 through.

Genres: Aviation, Military Fiction

338 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2012

Reviews

[Terri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was like a big climb on a hot day up a steep mountain to get a drink of water only to discover that there is a desert at the top.
In other words...it was a lot of hard work with very little reward.
Written in a monotonous and confusing way and filled with details that did the book no favours, 617 is the book that could have been, but wasn't.

Plenty of time has been spent plumping the pages with meaningless and uninteresting detail. The sentences, paragraphs, they never quite came together with each other and it gave it a disorienting feel. I had quite a few 'huh?' moments, trying to piece together the whys and wherefores. Although mostly just the whys.
Sometimes the author would mention a point, event, issue, in passing, as if he had already filled the reader in on it earlier. I would get confused and flick back looking for the part that I assumed I'd missed. I would never find them. They were never there.

I read on the book cover that the author of the book is a journalist. Usually (and I commented on this recently on another book review) when journalists write military non fiction, they over work it. They use the sensationalism that is the trademark of print or tv news, and try and pump the reader up. Giving them calculated emotional highs.
This book was the exact opposite.
For goodness sake, this is the Dambuster Squadron. I should have been filled with nostalgia and emotion. But I felt nothing. The author may as well be reading me the county cricket scores for the entire 2013 English Domestic Season.

[Geoff Wooldridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

A detailed look at the operation of the Tornado 'fast jet' 617 Squadron RAF, which has the proud heritage and honour of being the original Dambuster Squadron of WWII fame.

Tim Bouquet was given unique access to the squadron's training program in England as well as ground and air operations in Afghanistan supporting NATO troops in the war against the Taliban and other insurgents.

It was an amazing insight into the technological and detailed planning structures of modern warfare, particularly those aspects of air support and combat activity.

It did become a little repetitious and the constant use of military acronyms, although unavoidable, was wearing thin by the end.

Definitely one for those fascinated by the world of fast military attack jets and the people who fly and maintain them.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, well written and easy to read. Gives an in depth commentary of the squadrons deployment to Afghanistan but also covers some of the squadron history, culture, and work up to deployment. Would be suitable for the casual reader or military enthusiast as it explains the jargon and technical 'speak' but not to the detriment of the overall narrative. I would highly recommend this to anyone thinking of giving it a go!

[Andrew Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, interesting insight into the modern lives of people flying in the RAF.

[Bart Gauvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great real life adventure and account of a modern fighter squadron on operations