Tumult in the Clouds: The Centenary Collection

by James A. Goodson

In 1918, the RAF was established as the world's first independent air force. To mark the 100th anniversary of its creation, Penguin are publishing the Centenary Collection, a series of six classic books highlighting the skill, heroism esprit de cor ps that have characterised the Royal Air Force throughout its first century. Anglo-American James Goodson's war began on Sept 3rd 1939, when the SS Athenia was torpedoed and sank off the Hebrides. Surviving the sinking and distinguishing himself rescuing survivors, Goodson immediately signed on with the RAF. He was an American, but he wanted to fight. Goodson flew Spitfires with an RAF Eagle Squadron before later joining his countrymen with the Fourth Fighter Group to get behind the controls of Thunderbolts and Mustangs where he became known as 'King of the Strafers'. Chock full of breathtaking descriptions of aerial dogfights as well as the stories of others of the heroic 'few', Tumult in the Clouds is the ultimate story of War in the air, told by the one of the Second World War's outstanding fighter pilots.

Genres: History, Aviation, World War II, Military History, Memoir, Military Fiction, Biography

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Lt. Colonel James Alexander "Goody" Goodson

World War II veteran of the Royal Canadian Air Force and US Army Air Force.

Credited with 15 aerial victories and 15 ground victories. He flew Hurricanes, Spitfires, Thunderbolts, and Mustangs.

Recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with 8 Oak Leaf Clusters (US) Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart, a Presidential Unit Citation, American Defense Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal with "Germany" Clasp, Prisoner of War Medal, Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon, Distinguished Flying Cross (UK), 1939-45 Star (UK), Air Crew Europe Star (UK), War Medal 1939-45 (UK), Volunteer Service Medal (Canada), Order of Leopold with Silver Palm Leaf (Belgium), Croix de Guerre 1939-45 with Palm Leaf (Belgium), Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (France), and the Croix de Guerre with Palm Leaf (France).

He was a Major in the US Army Air Force by the end of the war and retired from the US Air Force Reserve with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Reviews

[Jack Fox-Male · Rating 4 out of 5]

"No one had the right to cause such suffering to innocent people. At first my rage was against the Germans, but later, when I saw the same suffering among their innocents, my fury was against those who used their power with such callous lack of responsibility to heap personal tragedy on the little people who wanted only to live."

Very insightful accounts illustrating the day to day life of an RAF ace during WW2. The depth of personal reflection and emotive storytelling in the first eight chapters makes for an even stronger connection to the character in the gripping and unique final chapter.

This book has sparked a personal interest in WW2 and Nazi Germany. The juxtaposition of the national war machine - both Nazi and The Allied Forces - against personal stories and sentiments of everyday soldiers and pilots has made me appreciate even more the degree of human sacrifice and suffering during this terrible period.

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Goody was a great story teller, even if or maybe particularly since, there is no way he remembers this much detail so many years after it happened.
Loses a star for structure. He gets to write his book however he wants but the disjointed chapters which were stand alone stories didn’t work for me. Single narratives are tough and maybe he didn’t want to blend too much together for fear of losing detail but it was jarring to bounce back and Fourth in time so much.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute must read for anybody interested in Second World War air combat. Up there with Geoffrey Wellum’s first light.

[Jim Coughenour · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple years ago I read Richard Hillary's remarkable memoir The Last Enemy about his short life as a RAF pilot. James "Goody" Goodson's Tumult in the Clouds is the American version, complete with a happy ending. (The title is courtesy of WB Yeats's famous poem, "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death.") Goodson writes with all the gusto and good humor popular culture associates with the "good war," brimming with American insouciance rather than braced by British stoicism. He also tells a terrific story. Goodson was only 17 in September 1939, a passenger on the SS Athenia when it was torpedoed and sunk the night after Britain declared war on Germany. He more or less talked his way into the RAF until the US entered the war, and kept up the air battle until he was shot down over Germany. His account of his imprisonment is almost too cinematic to believe – rapport with a SS guard, a Dostoevskian deliverance from the firing squad, blowing smoke rings with the Kommandant, rescuing a baby from the wreckage in Berlin, etc.

The heart of his book is a series of chapters dedicated to his fellow pilots, some of whom did not survive. Again, the narrative veers close to the standard WW2 rhetoric of unsentimental heroism – but the tales of these brief lives left me close to tears more than once.

There's no denying the charm of this book, which is personal to the core. Goodson doesn't deny the horror or defend the wisdom of the Anglo-American firebombing of German cities; but his book is about impossibly brave young men (on both sides) and the romance of the air.

The years to come seemed waste of breath
A waste of breath the years behind
In balance with this life, this death.

[Danny Whatmough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable,

Goodson had the good fortune of flying some of the best regarded fighter planes of the war (Hurricane, Spitfire, Mustang etc.) as well as witnessing some of the best aces and more unique aircraft (Me.163) that saw service. Then he does a remarkable job of translating all this over to the reader.

Not only this but each chapter looks at a different person, a different story and you get to know so many unique and colourful personalities through the eyes of Goodson, who's experience lets you see the strengths (and flaws) of having those personalities in a wartime scenario.

Finally it's not just dogfights and aircraft, you actually start with a tragedy and end with some interesting journeys through the German country on foot which (without spoiling too much) really show the humanity to some of the Nazi's living there while also highlighting just how far some members of humanity had fallen at the time.

Honestly the book shocked me (Hence me reading it so quick, for me), I'd heavily recommend.

[D. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A JG. World War II British/American Ace Military Aviation Action Adventure (TITC)

JG. has penned a World War II British and American Ace's Military Aviation Action Adventure, which begins with an American fighter pilot on board a British ship that is sunk. The American survives and rises from the ashes to become one of the best fighter pilots Britain has until he joins his own squadron. The story is about his flight activities and the number of plane while flying a British Corsair and then an American P50. He amasses numerous kills and is one of the leading aces of World War II. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS

[Warren Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Excellent reading. Enjoyed the format and the in depth stories of other individuals he encountered. At times you were feeling as though you were in the action with him. His recounting of being shot down and
Later capture and imprisoned were well delivered.

[Mark Grove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aces High

Tremendous. Men like Goodson still exist but are now very far and few. Top Gun with 30 aerial victories against an enemy of consummate skill and bravery. All thumbs up. Bravo!

[Jordan Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sublime. My favourite ever set of encounters about aviation and war. Sensitive, charming and moving.

[Hans · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great, and easy to read, book by one of the many US airmen that fought over the European skies during WWII.

The book starts of with the fateful journey of the Athenia, the author being aboard the ship when it was sunk by a German U-boat. From that point on we follow his journey to becoming a fighter pilot. First he was part of the Eagle Squadron, that helped the RAF to stem the German Luftwaffe and next turn the offensive to the enemy. When the squadron was disbanded, it was reformed into a USAAF fighter squadron.

With a band of young men put together, living a dangerous life during the daytime, and an often relaxed and relatively carefree life at night, characters are bound to pop up. Each unit has its characters and the circumstances sometimes make them larger than life. On the other hand there are the loners, the 'lady-killers', and the guys that are eager to become a fighter pilot but somehow seem to get into trouble all the time. Some came really close to losing their wings, and yet stayed in the fight, often proving to be really good once they had settled down some.

Goodson tells the story in great detail, and I always come away amazed by what they seem to remember from specific dates or events. Taking into account that often large numbers of aircraft were involved, multiple formations at different heights, and all else that makes aerial combat a dynamic struggle, it is almost unbelievable that they are able to recount this.

When the P-51 of the author was downed, he ended up on the wrong side of a USAAF bombardment on Berlin. Being a POW US flier, on the ground in Berlin, during an attack is a really dangerous place. Yet somehow he came through this ordeal, even helping out during rescue operations of German citizens.

The way the book is written, not following a strict sequence of events, makes this a good example of a book written by US fighter pilot that is worth reading.

[Liam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads like a hollywood script in places but in others seems heartfelt.

[Russell Halsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must read

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading some of the other books he recommends in his book