Defector

by David Gledhill

Defector (Historical Cold War fiction) Do you want to understand what it was like in the cockpit of the Phantom fighter during the Cold War in West Germany? Read on. Colonel Yuri Andrenev, a respected test pilot is trusted to evaluate the latest Soviet fighter, the Sukhoi Su27 “Flanker”, from a secret test facility near Moscow. Surely he is above suspicion? With thoughts of defection in his mind, and flying close to the Inner German Border, could he be tempted to make a daring escape across the most heavily defended airspace in the world? A flight test against a Mig fighter begins a sequence of events that forces his hand and after an unexpected air-to-air encounter he crosses the border with the help of British Phantom crews. How will Western Intelligence use this unexpected windfall? Are Soviet efforts to recover the advanced fighter as devious as they seem or could more sinister motives be in play? Defector is a pacy thriller which reflects the intrigue of The Cold War. It takes you into the cockpit of the Phantom fighter jet with the realism that can only come from an author who has flown operationally in the NATO Central Region. Scroll up now and Add to your cart.

Genres: Fiction

345 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 28, 2013

About the author

Dave joined the Royal Air Force as a Navigator in 1973. After training, he flew the F4 Phantom on squadrons in the UK and West Germany. He was one of the first aircrew to fly the F2 and F3 Air Defence Variant of the Tornado on its acceptance into service and served for many years as an instructor on the Operational Conversion Units of both the Phantom and the Tornado. He commanded the Tornado Fighter Squadron in the Falkland Islands and has worked extensively with the Armed Forces of most NATO nations. He published his first book "Phantom In Focus" through Fonthill Media in 2012 and has since published 2 more factual books and 3 novels, all aviation related stories.

Reviews

[Michael Burnam-Fink · Rating 2 out of 5]

How much do you care about early 80s RAF radio procedure? Defector is an homage to the British Phantom in West Germany, and the men who flew them. It was a joyful time, with the knowledge of looming nuclear war leavened by the fact that you had a high performance fighter jet and a mandate to tear around the sky practicing your tactics. "Flash" and "Razor" are the best in Battle Flight, a quick scramble Phantom squadron that has their routine of exercises, drinking, and sex interrupted by the defection of a Soviet pilot with a prototype Su-27. The Spetznas intervenes to get the Su-27 back, Flash and Razor have to fly into battle, and Soviet and British spymasters engage in a duel of wits over the fate of the plane.

On the plus side, Gledhill definitely knows what he's talking about when he talks Phantoms, and has a scenario that's tense without starting WW3. The minus is uneven pacing, hefty infodumps, and an authorial voice that renders the multiple points of view confusingly flat.

[D. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A DG. Aviation Adventure Mystery Thriller (PACB - 1)/West Germany/East Germany Penetration into the West/SU-27/Air Carrier

DG. has. penned an aviation thriller of the not to far past. The Cold War at it's peak. The Russian Air Force constantly testing the reaction times of NATO aircraft flying towards the border at high speed with only the pilot knowing when he would turn. The Cold War was numerous American aircraft in the theater. The first was the F-100 followed by the F-102, F-104, an occasional F-106, F-4, and the F-15. DG. Has picked the era of the F-4 Phantom, made famous in Viet Man for the number of air kills. DG. Leads you through the same time era when both sides were in pens and needles. The Russians introduced three new fighters during the same time period. To say, "We are living in exciting times" was a step into the netherlands. It was a dangerous time. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS

[Michael Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read, fully engaging!

[Mark Curless · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for aviation junkies

Very good book hard to put down excellent writer. Can't wait to start his next book. I know it will be great.

[Snakeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phantoms, Cold War, Espionage, what's not to like !
Oh yes and Phantoms !!!!

[Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Defector(Phantom Air Combat #2)

Drawn back in time to the "cold war" period, a great novel takes on life on both sides of the Soviet border. Daily look at RAF pilots protecting their NATO assets and the stress on aviation crew members is well detailed. Combine that with a look inside the mind of a skilled Russian test pilot who's decided to defect to the west with the latest fighter airframe in Russia and you've got action to keep you glued to the pages. Only by reading to the end will you determine the outcome. Thanks for another great read.

[Andrew Niemann · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pretty good story concept, and excellent descriptions of the equipment, tactics, etc, but I think things got bogged down in the details and I kept finding my mind wander and could not develop any interest in the characters. Also, the timeline seems a bit out of sorts - while the brits are experiencing a single evolution, it seems the Soviet pilot is experiencing an entire day (from saying goodbye to his wife, to dealing with bureaucracy, to flying a sortie, to meeting with others, etc). Again, I enjoyed the story, but...

[Al Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read two of David Gledhill's non fiction books, I thought I'd give his fiction a try. In my experience, a non fiction author does not necessarily make a good novelist. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this book - had me turning the pages (or rather clicking the Kindle buttons!) at quite a pace and snatching moments to read whenever possible. The cold war setting felt very real, as did the action, the author's experiences in the air force clearly helped with this.

All in all, a very good, easy, read and I have bought the next one in the series to read.