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Death Defying
The Flanders front line in World War One.
A treacherous war zone where lives are easily lost.
The British Royal Flying Corps are finally receiving upgraded aircraft to support their fight against the German Military Aviation Service.
The trouble is, the Germans are also investing in more lethal equipment.
Three people are about to engage with the enemy.
Jack Allen, a pilot for the R.F.C. must deal with the emotions faced when his brother, Piers, enlists and is shot down by a distinctive German fighter plane.
Out for revenge, he must maintain his focus, and refine his battle strategies to prevent himself suffering the same fate.
Sepp Hartmann, a pilot for the G.M.A.S. encounters an enemy pilot who manages to escape his squadron using exceptional flying techniques and skill.
Unyielding in his plan to locate this pilot again, he will use any dirty tactics he can.
Madame Berthelot and her household are living on the wrong side of the border.
Determined to help the French and British pilots shot down behind enemy lines, she must maintain a cordial relationship with the regularly visiting German squadron.
Can Allen achieve the revenge he desperately seeks?
Can Hartmann draw out the enemy to prove his superiority?
And can the Berthelots safely support their troops?
‘Death Defying’ is an exceptional WW1 novel, with highly detailed flight scenes and a truly captivating line. It was previously published as ‘The Sky Aflame’.
‘A valuable history of the air war that began it all … by an ex-flyer of the Second World War who has a genuine feeling for the feats of his predecessors’ - THE BIRMINGHAM POST
‘His sympathy with the fighting man (and woman) shines out of every page’ - LIVERPOOL DAILY POST
Richard Townshend Bickers volunteered for the RAF on the outbreak of the Second World War and served, with a Permanent Commission, for eighteen years. He wrote a range of military fiction and non-fiction books, including ‘Torpedo Attack’, ‘My Enemy Came Nigh’, ‘Bombing Run’, ‘Fighters Up’ and ‘Summer of No Surrender’.
A treacherous war zone where lives are easily lost.
The British Royal Flying Corps are finally receiving upgraded aircraft to support their fight against the German Military Aviation Service.
The trouble is, the Germans are also investing in more lethal equipment.
Three people are about to engage with the enemy.
Jack Allen, a pilot for the R.F.C. must deal with the emotions faced when his brother, Piers, enlists and is shot down by a distinctive German fighter plane.
Out for revenge, he must maintain his focus, and refine his battle strategies to prevent himself suffering the same fate.
Sepp Hartmann, a pilot for the G.M.A.S. encounters an enemy pilot who manages to escape his squadron using exceptional flying techniques and skill.
Unyielding in his plan to locate this pilot again, he will use any dirty tactics he can.
Madame Berthelot and her household are living on the wrong side of the border.
Determined to help the French and British pilots shot down behind enemy lines, she must maintain a cordial relationship with the regularly visiting German squadron.
Can Allen achieve the revenge he desperately seeks?
Can Hartmann draw out the enemy to prove his superiority?
And can the Berthelots safely support their troops?
‘Death Defying’ is an exceptional WW1 novel, with highly detailed flight scenes and a truly captivating line. It was previously published as ‘The Sky Aflame’.
‘A valuable history of the air war that began it all … by an ex-flyer of the Second World War who has a genuine feeling for the feats of his predecessors’ - THE BIRMINGHAM POST
‘His sympathy with the fighting man (and woman) shines out of every page’ - LIVERPOOL DAILY POST
Richard Townshend Bickers volunteered for the RAF on the outbreak of the Second World War and served, with a Permanent Commission, for eighteen years. He wrote a range of military fiction and non-fiction books, including ‘Torpedo Attack’, ‘My Enemy Came Nigh’, ‘Bombing Run’, ‘Fighters Up’ and ‘Summer of No Surrender’.
175 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 8, 2015
37 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Richard Townshend Bickers
85 books14 followersRichard Leslie Townshend Bickers has written more books about the RAF and its predecessor, the RFC, than any other author past or present - some under a pseudonym. Being multilingual, he does his own research in foreign archives and by interviews and correspondence. His short stories and newspaper articles were first published and broadcast while he was a serving RAF officer. By the time he left the RAF his first four novels had appeared. His biography of his friend "Ginger" Lacey, the top-scoring pilot in the Battle of Britain, was published to acclaim in 1962.Bickers volunteered for the RAF on the outbreak of war and served, with a Permanent Commission, for eighteen years. In England he operated with Fighter and Coastal Commands; in North Africa and Italy with Desert Air Force and Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force. After the war he did a tour in Hong Kong and Malaya.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 16, 2025
easy reading reading , good ending
A neat little story of WW1 with some aviation historical details and with the “good Guys” coming out on top - kind of!
A neat little story of WW1 with some aviation historical details and with the “good Guys” coming out on top - kind of!
June 27, 2024
Great aerial WW1 combat.
Set in the middle of the battlefields of WW1 in Europe, this is a gripping tale of the aviators and their machines that they flew and fought in. There is a lot of technical and historical detail which does not clutter the plot but rather adds to the realism and the reading enjoyment. I truly enjoy this author's novel, and this one is no exception!
Set in the middle of the battlefields of WW1 in Europe, this is a gripping tale of the aviators and their machines that they flew and fought in. There is a lot of technical and historical detail which does not clutter the plot but rather adds to the realism and the reading enjoyment. I truly enjoy this author's novel, and this one is no exception!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews