Maralinga Man: Tales of the Squadron Leader

by Arthur Lawrence

This collection of humorous anecdotes is set in the nuclear missile testing range at Maralinga, South Australia during the 1958 to 1960 test series and later in London and Scotland.
The central character is Squadron Leader Folly, a five foot, 30 stone ex Second World War hero. The Squadron Leader’s only friend is Johnny Walker Black Label whisky, of which he consumes quantities each day.
The stories are told by the Squadron Leader’s long suffering young second in command Flight Lieutenant Gooner, who hates the Squadron Leader but is destined to become his best friend.
Some very strange Royal Air Force personnel appear and disappear. Farce and chaos reign. Through it all the Squadron Leader, with his strict discipline and wicked humour, looms very large indeed.

125 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2017

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Ash Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maralinga Man is a fantastic short novel that is highly entertaining and comical from start to finish. It tells the story of Flight Lieutenant Gooner's experiences of getting to know his Squadron Leader, and the drama and hilarious situations that unfold through this. The stories that are told in the book never cease to make readers laugh out loud, and as they are based on true stories and experiences, this makes the book even more comical to read. The story keeps the reader hooked throughout, and it is entertaining to read what awkward situations the Squadron Leader will get himself into next.

Readers do not need to know a lot about the history of the nuclear missile testing range at Maralinga, South Australia, nor do readers need a significant interest in British history to enjoy this book as it is based around the people that served there, rather than the tests that were carried out. I would certainly recommend Maralinga Man to anyone that wants to read a well written, highly entertaining book. It leaves you wanting to hear more about what unexpected path the Squadron Leader will take next and how poor Lieutenant Gooner will become caught up in it.

The book is executed and written to an excellent standard, and its tone compliments the overall story excellently. It is refreshing to see a book include illustrations. They compliment the story well and provide the reader with a comical picture of the events that unfold in the novel. It was a great decision to choose to include illustrations and they definitely enhance the overall story.

I have nothing negative to say about the story, other than I wish that it was longer! It is a book that could quite easily be double the length, but still captivate the reader, leaving them wanting to hear more anecdotes about the Squadron Leader. The author describes the situations included in the novel spectacularly and his character portrayal is fantastic. I have not laughed this much whilst reading a book for a long time, and I feel that other readers will find it equally as entertaining and hilarious as I did.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before I started this book I read the other two reviews. Both mentioned British humor. Well, I suppose I just don't get British humor. I didn't find this book amusing at all. I found it rather dull. The book describes events of the author's Squadron Leader both from when he was posted in Australia and when he back in England. I didn't find the stories amusing and instead thought the leader was rude and an ass. I am sure that when told over a few beers or maybe some Johnie Walker Black label, the stories are amusing, but they fell short for me.

I won this book in a Goodreads' giveaway but the opinion is all my own

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than I was expecting! I admit, some of the humor went right over my head, and there were a couple little stories that I didn't find very interesting, but overall, I liked it. In the end, I would say that all of the stories did fit together, though I had a hard time seeing why some of them were included before the last one. Having read all of it, though, I'd say the premise of the book was cute.
Note: I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

British humour at it's best! A very enjoyable read and one that had me smiling all the way through. It made a welcome change from the usual books that I normally read.

[Maree Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to win this book from Goodreads.

What a thoroughly enjoyable read this book was.
I grew up watching British comedies on TV so could really relate to the anecdotes and jokes throughout this account.

I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates British humour.

[Mairi Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious and charming read with a truly unique narrative and characters you won’t forget, easily devoured, would recommend to one and all.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maralinga Man was a humorous read. The book revolves around the Squadron Leader, a larger-than-life character who draws the reader in just as he draws in Flight Lieutenant Gooner, the narrator of these tales. The reader follows the Squadron Leader on escapades from Australia to Scotland and back again in this entertaining collection of memoirs.

[Emma Findlay-Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is genuinely hilarious - read it if you're a fan of classic British humour!

[Monica]

A book that’s follows two RAF workers and their singular sense of humour. Filled with old school lad culture, toilet humour and the cheesy jokes, this short novel will be hard to put down.