**Update 22nd October 2022** - In response to some reviews, the text has been checked and a number of errors corrected. A production error resulted in the duplicated text, This has been eliminated. I also took the opportunity to make some amendments to the narrative and chapter structure of the novel. **
From September 1939 to the Blitzkrieg of May 1940, 'Run The Gauntlet' follows the adventures of an RAF light bomber squadron at the beginning of World War Two. Having traded in their Fairey Batttles for new Bristol Blenheims, Falcon Squadron are off to war. The CO, Wing Commander Winwright must overcome the lethargy of peacetime and mould his unit into an effective fighting force.
Pilot Officer Chandler is the new arrival and the welcome has not been exactly friendly. The old hands view him with suspicion and he must survive friendly fire as well as enemy action to show them what he is capable of. On a routine training flight, Flying Officer Hagen catches a glimpse of the hell that is waiting for all of them if they let their guard down for a moment. Facing the battle hardened Luftwaffe, Falcon Squadron are about to discover that war is far from a game.
Engrossing story about a difficult time for the country and the combatants. One found oneself rooting for some of the more engaging characters and there was a good blend of flying and off-station activity. The hopelessness, waste of life, especially inflicted by "friendly fire", and incompetence of some of the most senior commanders was conveyed well. However, the number of errors in spelling, punctuation and layout, including repetition of whole passages, was the worst I have seen in an e-book. It would appear nobody took the trouble to proof-read it which is a shame as it spoils what would have otherwise have been an excellent book, hence it only gets three stars.
Ignoring the grammatical errors which could be printers mistakes I found it to be excellent in many ways, The personal relationships added to the story as these things happen, I would have liked to have known they arrived home and if the squadron carried on,should have been as sequel
An excellent story about a Blenheim light bomber squadron in France in 1939-40 in the Battle of France. It is a well paced read with good characters and is an authentic depiction of the phoney war and the Battle of France. Well worth reading. Can't wait for the follow-up.
Interesting read about the courage of the crew and the hard work of the ground crews . Interesting and informative story , only gave it four stars because of rather a lot of spelling mistakes but will look forward to the next novel .