What do you think?
Rate this book
'Young Man, You'll Never Die': A World War II Fighter Pilot In North Africa, Burma & Malaya
A British Royal Air Force pilot recounts fighting over African deserts and Asian jungles during World War II in this military memoir. Merton Naydler joined the RAF at the age of nineteen and served for the next six years until May 1946. He flew Spitfires and Hurricanes during a tour of duty that took him to North Africa, Burma, and Malaya. This well written and extremely entertaining memoir portrays wartime life in the desert environment where sand, flies, life under canvas made living and flying a daunting experience. When Naydler was posted to Burma he was filled with “a deep and genuine dread.” After a long uncomfortable trip, he joined 11 Squadron and was then faced with Japanese Zeroes in combat over dense tropical jungle rather than Bf 109s over a barren desert terrain. “Daytime flying was hot as hell, the humidity intense”—the author’s description of his new posting that goes on to describe life in “Death Valley,” named because of the likeliness of falling victim to tropical disease rather than enemy aircraft . . . This is the story of a sergeant pilot who learned his trade the hard way in action over Africa and then honed his combat skills in the skies over Japanese-held tropical forests where he was eventually commissioned.
249 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2006
81 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 17, 2020
In this book the author takes you along on a trip halfway around the world onto many different airfields, bars and clubs to show what the life of a travelling fighter pilot was like during World War 2. There is not a lot of flying in this book and at times one forgets that there was a war on. There are many better personal flying memoirs out there.
May 31, 2019
An unusually literary memoir of a WWII RAF fighter pilot
Here we have a unusual memoir of the wartime experiences of a RAF pilot in WWII. Not the run of the mill action packed tales of a Hun in the sun and the usual coterie of characters in the squadron. Instead a more languid tale of a long war spent in considerable discomfort. The reader is taken on a long journey along many airfields, bases, headquarters and bars and clubs and bordellos around some of the lesser known regions where the world war blazed. We get to breathe the hot desert wind, to freeze in the bone chilling desert nights, we smell the rot and sweat of the jungle. We drink too much, or too little, we see our comrades die needless and pointless deaths, we while away the boredom, we try and make sense of it all, and grow old before our time
A unique and splendid read.
Here we have a unusual memoir of the wartime experiences of a RAF pilot in WWII. Not the run of the mill action packed tales of a Hun in the sun and the usual coterie of characters in the squadron. Instead a more languid tale of a long war spent in considerable discomfort. The reader is taken on a long journey along many airfields, bases, headquarters and bars and clubs and bordellos around some of the lesser known regions where the world war blazed. We get to breathe the hot desert wind, to freeze in the bone chilling desert nights, we smell the rot and sweat of the jungle. We drink too much, or too little, we see our comrades die needless and pointless deaths, we while away the boredom, we try and make sense of it all, and grow old before our time
A unique and splendid read.
April 9, 2018
Outstanding
Any ex service man with feet either in the air or on the ground will immediately recognized the authenticity of this story. In such flowing English with beautiful description. I feel privileged to have read his story and remind myself just how much we owe such men of that generation.
Any ex service man with feet either in the air or on the ground will immediately recognized the authenticity of this story. In such flowing English with beautiful description. I feel privileged to have read his story and remind myself just how much we owe such men of that generation.
September 28, 2017
Incredible story!!
If you want to live the life of a RAF WW2 pilot, this is the book to read. What a 5 year adventure. I could hardly put it down and when I did, I couldn't wait to get back to it. Bravo.
If you want to live the life of a RAF WW2 pilot, this is the book to read. What a 5 year adventure. I could hardly put it down and when I did, I couldn't wait to get back to it. Bravo.
November 28, 2017
Incredibly Unique! Naydlers' brilliant use of prose recalls his struggle as an airmen in the most inhospitable theaters of WW II. His hardships, loss of friends, and the horrors of war are expressed in a unique emotional story.
November 5, 2018
The folly and useless waste of men, money and time in war a it
A thriller from WW2, follows British pilot through several theatres and narrow escapes. The last one, being the one most important. He did not escape.
A thriller from WW2, follows British pilot through several theatres and narrow escapes. The last one, being the one most important. He did not escape.
January 10, 2019
Memories
It was a good book of someone was looking for memories. It was not what I was expecting. The action was only toward the end. There was too much descriptive writing for my taste. I would not buy this book of I had it to do over again.
It was a good book of someone was looking for memories. It was not what I was expecting. The action was only toward the end. There was too much descriptive writing for my taste. I would not buy this book of I had it to do over again.
September 29, 2024
Hurribomber Ace
Great memoir of a combat pilot who never encountered an enemy in the air, but did the dirty work necessary to end the war. So many died so unglamorously, forgotten, unseen. An Everyman of the air.
Great memoir of a combat pilot who never encountered an enemy in the air, but did the dirty work necessary to end the war. So many died so unglamorously, forgotten, unseen. An Everyman of the air.
September 15, 2017
A true story mightier than fiction.
It always achieved to enthrall me in ever way imaginable. Even going in to the soul's of all involved. Read it and learn.
It always achieved to enthrall me in ever way imaginable. Even going in to the soul's of all involved. Read it and learn.
November 6, 2017
Very good book
Very good easy reading factual book....
I enjoyed the reading style and simple unassuming nature of the author...
Well worth a read.
Very good easy reading factual book....
I enjoyed the reading style and simple unassuming nature of the author...
Well worth a read.
May 11, 2018
Excellent story of war time flying
Enjoyable reading with true to life stories . A very good history of one mans experiences a very good read.
Enjoyable reading with true to life stories . A very good history of one mans experiences a very good read.
May 31, 2015
A Great Yarn
Told with humor and nostalgia, this is a fascinating story of a young man who survived almost the entire span of WWII in the air. He served honorably in the Middle East and Asia and spins his story well. Highly recommended!
Told with humor and nostalgia, this is a fascinating story of a young man who survived almost the entire span of WWII in the air. He served honorably in the Middle East and Asia and spins his story well. Highly recommended!
September 12, 2018
Great, lyrical read
Loved every page of this book! I have read many, many books about this war and found this one to be quite different but still excellent. It gives an interesting perspective to A little known part of the war in burma. Highly recommended!
Loved every page of this book! I have read many, many books about this war and found this one to be quite different but still excellent. It gives an interesting perspective to A little known part of the war in burma. Highly recommended!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews