Blue Man Falling

World War Two Fighter Pilot #1

by Frank Barnard

In September 1939, World War Two is declared and Europe holds its breath. When will the Third Reich strike west across France and the Low Countries? For RAF fighter pilots patrolling the Franco-German border it is a bizarre one moment they are chasing an elusive Luftwaffe, the next ordering champagne in Paris. Then, in May 1940, Hitler launches Blitzkrieg and the Hurricane squadrons find themselves engulfed in battle.From the cockpit of a Hurricane fighter plane to the louche salons of Parisian society, Blue Man Falling follows the fortunes of two RAF pilots, an Englishman, Kit Curtis, and an American, Ossie Wolf, during the Battle of France 1939-40. Capturing the startling contradictions of a time when people were at their best and their worst, it brings to life the exhilaration and fear of aerial warfare with astonishing power and narrative skill. Above all, it lays bare the meaning of war, and the selflessness of those prepared to fight until the end.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Aviation

320 pages, Paperback

First published February 6, 2006

About the author

Frank Barnard trained as a journalist before moving into public relations. He worked as managing director for major international consultancies before quitting at 50 to write full time and race cars. He is married with two children and four grandchildren with whom he enjoys sailing and sea-fishing near his home in Rye, Sussex.

Reviews

[JD · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard about Frank Barnard's series of fighter pilot books and got all 3 of them and was very excited about it. The first book turned out to be a difficult read, with the author almost going in to too much detail about some very unimportant things in the beginning of the book, and not enough detail is given about the most important characters in the book for me, and it feels that he sometimes lose track of the story line. The second half of the book went a lot faster for me after a very slow start to the book and the action really starts then. I hope the second book continues from there and goes a bit faster.

But I also have to say, even though some details are a bit too much, the author really knows his stuff and researched this book very good.

I am not overly excited about the next book and it has slipped down the line for my next reads.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

"If we're doing so bloody well why do we keep falling back?"

Blue Man Falling kicks off in May 1940 just as the "phoney war" (the period between the declaration of war and the start of real hostilities) in Europe is coming to an end and Hitler is about to launch his Blitzkreig against the countries bordering the Channel. The plot is based upon a fictional squadron of British Hurricanes based in France striving to thwart the German advance and in particular the Luftwaffe's goal of achieving total aerial supremacy. The novel centres around two pilots, one an Englishman, the other American and focuses on their conflicting attitudes to the conflict. Barnard avoids using factual people and events preferring instead a more general sequence of events and dates to construct an entirely fictional plot.

The book is split into four parts. The second of which takes the time-line back eight months and into the `phoney war' when Allied pilots were able to leave their bases one day to head to the bright lights of Paris to enjoy the comforts of plush hotels, taking in the sights and sipping expensive champagne before returning to patrol the skies in the hope of engaging enemy aircraft the next. This provides the book with sub-plot and adds about 80 pages.

Personally I found this a book of contrasts, it has some strengths but also weaknesses. The author’s depictions the pilots daily lives and the local populace's desperate plight as France fell are particularly engaging, whilst the air-to-air combat sequences were suitably breathless. Each were genuinely well written. However, IMHO the characterisation was poor. I found the the two main characters two-dimensional and worse of all predictable and stereotypical. On one side you had the the standard upper-class British pilot who believed in honour between combatants whilst on the other you had an American who prefers to stay as an NCO and rides rough-shod over authority deriding the British class-system.

Secondly, the sub-plot, with its echoes of The Talented Mr Ripley, adds nothing to the book. It reads and feels more like an after-thought as the author attempted to broaden both the appeal of the book and consequently it's readership.

Overall I enjoyed the book and there are glimpses of real inspiration but it most definitely falls into the category of holiday read rather WWII heavyweight.

[Dario · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captures the feeling of 1940 in Europe from a pilot's perspective. Well researched. Not as complete as a Time for Heroes in capturing the character of those early airmen but an exciting depiction of early air war in France before the battle of Britain.

[09/01 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard read

I found the tale,somewhat drawn out,at times.but well worth the effort so stick with it. Lots of twists and turns and the reader is left wanting more.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of a trilogy by the same author and the principle characters are the same. I have to admit I read these books in the wrong order, mainly because they don't stay on the library shelves for long and its easy to understand why.

Barnard is no pilot, a hack journalist by his own admission but despite that he seems to have a good grip on what makes us aviators tick and despite the secondary character being American at least he hasn't prostituted his art to the extent of writing the book with a view to the American market. He has an easy style and writes convincingly about the RAF of this era. Many of the men who trained me as a young cadet were of that generation and the type is very accurately portrayed.

As the two progress through the story, the English pilot, public-school, stiff-backed and very proper in a 1930s style frequently at odds with the American [think John McEnroe in an RAF uniform!] frequently clash but begin to learn from each other. Though at the end, they are still worlds apart. The flying sequences are good, well written and acutely observed and its as much a social commentary as a war story.

If you like flying stories you will love this and no doubt will want to read the other two books as I soon did. The last of the three books ended as Malta got its Spitfires to replace the clapped out Hurricanes so there is plenty of wartime left and I hope we shall hear a lot more from Mr Ballard about these two very interesting and different men.

[-Curious- · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes place during the rarely written about "Phoney War"...the period of time leading-up to the World War Two French Armistice, when skepticism of an invasion by Germany ran high and the presence of RAF support squadrons was sometimes questioned by both the French and the RAF pilots. It follows the actions of a single squadron as things escalate into a full blown war and stays with them until the Armistice is announced.

An enjoyable read overall, but I was annoyed at the frequent use of French phrases, as it was rarely apparent from the surrounding English text what was said or intended. I guess it was the author striving for authenticity due to the story taking place in France...but as a uni-lingual reader it made a tough read at times. It didn't however, annoy me enough to write-off the book or the series; I've already picked-up the next installment that flashes forward several months.

I would think this book would be enjoyable to people interested in WW2, military history, historical aircraft and military life. There's even a touch of romance for those that feel that sort of thing is necessary for a complete story.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blue Man Falling follows the fortunes of two RAF pilots in an unnamed fighter squadron based in France during the early months of the Second World War. The story covers the period of the Phoney War and the Battle of France, and is followed by two more instalments covering later periods in the war. The author admits in the afterword that he has attempted to get a good blend of adventure story and rivet-counter detail, and whilst he does get some minor details wrong he achieves this rather well, albeit with some heavy stereotyping in the process. I usually find fact more fantastic than fiction when it comes to books about warfare, but enjoyed this nevertheless.

[Rob Godfrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one that I liked this a lot. The author has an easy reading style but still gives his characters depth. Not a million miles from Derek Robinson but without the quirky/screwball players.
Not read these in order but they stand alone anyway. I'll be reading all four I can see.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good in parts but the characters seem flat and 1 dimensional and too much time was spent around background information of little importance to the story. Not a book I would read again as I found it hard going in places and was glad when I finished it!

[Tharina · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very slow read... and the ending is enough to make you so frustrated you want to throw something...

[John Polson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Difficult to walk past a flying novel - especially if it's about the Battle of Britain...