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Goodbye Mickey Mouse
In Goodbye Mickey Mouse Len Deighton has written his best novel yet: a brilliant, multi-dimensional picture of what it is to be at war, and what it was to be in love in the England of 1944. Goodbye Mickey Mouse is Deighton's fourteenth novel and a vivid evocation of wartime England, the story of a group of American fighter pilots flying escort missions over Germany in the winter of 1943-4. At the centre of the novel are two young men: the deeply reserved Captain Jamie Farebrother, estranged son of a deskbound colonel, and the cocky Lieutenant Mickey Morse, well on his way to becoming America's Number One Flying Ace. Alike only in their courage, they forge a bond of friendship in battle with far-reaching consequences for themselves, and for the future of those they love.
372 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 12, 1982
94 people are currently reading
640 people want to read
About the author
Len Deighton
242 books914 followersDeighton was born in Marylebone, London, in 1929. His father was a chauffeur and mechanic, and his mother was a part-time cook. After leaving school, Deighton worked as a railway clerk before performing his National Service, which he spent as a photographer for the Royal Air Force's Special Investigation Branch. After discharge from the RAF, he studied at St Martin's School of Art in London in 1949, and in 1952 won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art, graduating in 1955.
Deighton worked as an airline steward with BOAC. Before he began his writing career he worked as an illustrator in New York and, in 1960, as an art director in a London advertising agency. He is credited with creating the first British cover for Jack Kerouac's On the Road. He has since used his drawing skills to illustrate a number of his own military history books.
Following the success of his first novels, Deighton became The Observer's cookery writer and produced illustrated cookbooks. In September 1967 he wrote an article in the Sunday Times Magazine about Operation Snowdrop - an SAS attack on Benghazi during World War II. The following year David Stirling would be awarded substantial damages in libel from the article.
He also wrote travel guides and became travel editor of Playboy, before becoming a film producer. After producing a film adaption of his 1968 novel Only When I Larf, Deighton and photographer Brian Duffy bought the film rights to Joan Littlewood and Theatre Workshop's stage musical Oh, What a Lovely War! He had his name removed from the credits of the film, however, which was a move that he later described as "stupid and infantile." That was his last involvement with the cinema.
Deighton left England in 1969. He briefly resided in Blackrock, County Louth in Ireland. He has not returned to England apart from some personal visits and very few media appearances, his last one since 1985 being a 2006 interview which formed part of a "Len Deighton Night" on BBC Four. He and his wife Ysabele divide their time between homes in Portugal and Guernsey.
Deighton worked as an airline steward with BOAC. Before he began his writing career he worked as an illustrator in New York and, in 1960, as an art director in a London advertising agency. He is credited with creating the first British cover for Jack Kerouac's On the Road. He has since used his drawing skills to illustrate a number of his own military history books.
Following the success of his first novels, Deighton became The Observer's cookery writer and produced illustrated cookbooks. In September 1967 he wrote an article in the Sunday Times Magazine about Operation Snowdrop - an SAS attack on Benghazi during World War II. The following year David Stirling would be awarded substantial damages in libel from the article.
He also wrote travel guides and became travel editor of Playboy, before becoming a film producer. After producing a film adaption of his 1968 novel Only When I Larf, Deighton and photographer Brian Duffy bought the film rights to Joan Littlewood and Theatre Workshop's stage musical Oh, What a Lovely War! He had his name removed from the credits of the film, however, which was a move that he later described as "stupid and infantile." That was his last involvement with the cinema.
Deighton left England in 1969. He briefly resided in Blackrock, County Louth in Ireland. He has not returned to England apart from some personal visits and very few media appearances, his last one since 1985 being a 2006 interview which formed part of a "Len Deighton Night" on BBC Four. He and his wife Ysabele divide their time between homes in Portugal and Guernsey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
May 26, 2020
Goodbye Mickey Mouse was a compelling depiction of the experiences of USAAF airmen in 1944. Len Deighton is a great writer and he is in fine form here as he depicts the tensions between the American servicemen and the British civilians. The real strength of the book lies in his descriptions of the realities of aerial combat ; truly horrifying. I haven't read any Deighton in a long time so this was a welcome return. Excellent.
March 10, 2021
A great love story, beautifully written, against the terrifying backdrop of the WW2 air war.
December 9, 2017
Originally published on my blog here in July 2004.
It seems obvious to compare this novel set in an American fighter unit stationed on a Norfolk airfield in the Second World War with Deighton's earlier Bomber. But although the setting is similar, there are many differences between the novels, at several levels. The tensions between the Americans and the locals - the pilots trying hard to live up to the "overpaid, oversexed and over here" cliché - bring a different atmosphere to the story, as does an unusual interest in public relations, not an aspect of the war effort which gets much attention. (And it resonates - spinning war stories for a media circus is not new to wars fought in the eighties and nineties, by any means.)
Bomber reads as though it's a book based on a documentary, because of its twenty-four hour timespan and the careful research into the background details. While Goodbye Mickey Mouse is obviously as well researched, it doesn't feel like a documentary, because the action is spread over several months, the research is presented less obtrusively, and it has a more complex plot which leads up to a veterans' reunion thirty years later. Deighton has also ditched the German characters which are important in Bomber and drastically reduced the descriptions of flying; Goodbye Mickey Mouse is a far better novel as a result.
Comparisons with Bomber proving something of a red herring, it is actually quite hard to find novels which are much like Goodbye Mickey Mouse. It is mainly the theme of the relationships between the Americans and the local British civilians - not quite conquerors and vanquished, but it must have sometimes felt like it - that is so unusual. A British writer almost exclusively using American points of view is also not common.
Goodbye Mickey Mouse - the title relates to the name given to one of the planes and a discussion about whether a phrase like "goodbye" in a name is unlucky - is not really a thriller, centring as it does on relationships not action. That is, of course, Deighton's intention, but it would not make the novel appeal to fans of, say, his early novels. For the general reader, Goodbye Mickey Mouse is also not perhaps Deighton's most immediately appealing writing, though it would repay the effort required to read it.
It seems obvious to compare this novel set in an American fighter unit stationed on a Norfolk airfield in the Second World War with Deighton's earlier Bomber. But although the setting is similar, there are many differences between the novels, at several levels. The tensions between the Americans and the locals - the pilots trying hard to live up to the "overpaid, oversexed and over here" cliché - bring a different atmosphere to the story, as does an unusual interest in public relations, not an aspect of the war effort which gets much attention. (And it resonates - spinning war stories for a media circus is not new to wars fought in the eighties and nineties, by any means.)
Bomber reads as though it's a book based on a documentary, because of its twenty-four hour timespan and the careful research into the background details. While Goodbye Mickey Mouse is obviously as well researched, it doesn't feel like a documentary, because the action is spread over several months, the research is presented less obtrusively, and it has a more complex plot which leads up to a veterans' reunion thirty years later. Deighton has also ditched the German characters which are important in Bomber and drastically reduced the descriptions of flying; Goodbye Mickey Mouse is a far better novel as a result.
Comparisons with Bomber proving something of a red herring, it is actually quite hard to find novels which are much like Goodbye Mickey Mouse. It is mainly the theme of the relationships between the Americans and the local British civilians - not quite conquerors and vanquished, but it must have sometimes felt like it - that is so unusual. A British writer almost exclusively using American points of view is also not common.
Goodbye Mickey Mouse - the title relates to the name given to one of the planes and a discussion about whether a phrase like "goodbye" in a name is unlucky - is not really a thriller, centring as it does on relationships not action. That is, of course, Deighton's intention, but it would not make the novel appeal to fans of, say, his early novels. For the general reader, Goodbye Mickey Mouse is also not perhaps Deighton's most immediately appealing writing, though it would repay the effort required to read it.
June 12, 2014
Maybe it was the visit to Arnhem and the D-Day remembrances but it was finally time to reread a book that has haunted me for years. When I was 16 this book broke my heart. Twenty pages from the end, with tears streaming down my face, I threw it into the sprinklers to ruin it and never finished it. The characters are subtly drawn, revealed but never fully known, just as they would be if they were real acquaintances. The plot development is well paced, building a picture and story and then ripping it to threads. I may no longer believe in happy endings but this book still broke my heart.
February 15, 2020
I've read some of Len Deighton's spy novels - pretty good stuff. So far this story is suggestive of "Twelve O'Clock High," and "Yanks" and maybe a smidge of "M.A.S.H." and "The Americanization of Emily." Even "Gravity's Rainbow" is related in some ways. From James Salter there's "Cassada" and "The Hunters"????(haven't read it or seen the movie). The biggest role so far is for the P-51 Mustang, which the author lovingly describes whenever he gets the opportunity.
Moving into the middle of the story and the combat action is picking up and is very well described. No doubt the author did a lot of research. The home front melodrama is less absorbing but useful as a counterweight to the air action and in giving a look at what sort of "stuff" happened off-base.
Didn't make it to the end last night, but I will tonight. The book gets better as we get to know characters better. Yes ... some of them don't make it and it is sad. Jamie doesn't exult in the killing he has to do - a nice touch. All the writing about the planes and pilots and combat, death and destruction going both ways, is excellent. The connection to "Catch-22" comes out forcefully. This book is the more sober-sided look at things. The accounts of airborne destruction of B-17's and their crews is gut-wrenching.
- Last night's reading had a bit of "The Dirty Dozen" in it!
- I've upped my rating to 3.75, which rounds up to 4*.
- Another G'reads reviewer mentions an introduction by Deighton. Not in the book I've got.
Finished last night with a bumpy/twisty ride to the end. I had already figured out the "big" one, thanks to various hints dropped on the dust cover and in the prologue. The other big one was a shocker and perhaps unnecessary. Oh well, author's prerogative I suppose. This book contains a LOT of death, and the dying happens in a number of ways. Under pressure, things(and people) tend to fall apart. War is all hell ...
Moving into the middle of the story and the combat action is picking up and is very well described. No doubt the author did a lot of research. The home front melodrama is less absorbing but useful as a counterweight to the air action and in giving a look at what sort of "stuff" happened off-base.
Didn't make it to the end last night, but I will tonight. The book gets better as we get to know characters better. Yes ... some of them don't make it and it is sad. Jamie doesn't exult in the killing he has to do - a nice touch. All the writing about the planes and pilots and combat, death and destruction going both ways, is excellent. The connection to "Catch-22" comes out forcefully. This book is the more sober-sided look at things. The accounts of airborne destruction of B-17's and their crews is gut-wrenching.
- Last night's reading had a bit of "The Dirty Dozen" in it!
- I've upped my rating to 3.75, which rounds up to 4*.
- Another G'reads reviewer mentions an introduction by Deighton. Not in the book I've got.
Finished last night with a bumpy/twisty ride to the end. I had already figured out the "big" one, thanks to various hints dropped on the dust cover and in the prologue. The other big one was a shocker and perhaps unnecessary. Oh well, author's prerogative I suppose. This book contains a LOT of death, and the dying happens in a number of ways. Under pressure, things(and people) tend to fall apart. War is all hell ...
April 4, 2017
Another great novel by Len Deighton, this time about an American P-51 Mustang fighter squadron based in England during WWII. Enjoyed the adventures of a cast of well-defined but crazy fighter pilots who have varying ways of dealing with the stress and fear of never knowing if they'll be shot down or have to parachute over enemy territory to captivity as a POW. It's a bit slow in the beginning and some of the subplots are a bit predictable but as the main story develops, the tale gets more and more difficult to put down :) I think I preferred Derek Robinson's "Piece of Cake" about British fighter pilots leading up to the Battle of Britain a bit more but "Goodbye Mickey Mouse" is a VERY CLOSE second. Leighton has done a lot of research to make sure this is a true historical novel that's accurate to the way it would have been within an actual American fighter unit in Britain during the war down to details of the P-51s, aerial combat, etc. It all builds up to a powerful final act. I highly recommend this title. Deighton is one of my favorite authors.
Want to read
May 22, 201722.05.2017: ordered.
November 16, 2025
A book I remember reading more than ten years ago, whose devastating ending has stayed with me all this time. I first picked it up expecting a more simple war story with plenty of dogfights - in reality the actual combat is briefly described (though in such a way that you feel like you're in the cockpit along with each pilot). Goodbye Mickey Mouse is actually a love story and soap opera, portraying the clashes and combinations of American fighter pilots and English society, as everyone tries to navigate the desperate months of early 1944.
Even though I knew what was coming, the 'Bad Monday' still brought me to tears on a crowded train. I'm glad to say that on a re-read, I had a better appreciation of the writing, narrative and foreshadowing that Deighton weaves.
5/5 probably my book of the year.
Even though I knew what was coming, the 'Bad Monday' still brought me to tears on a crowded train. I'm glad to say that on a re-read, I had a better appreciation of the writing, narrative and foreshadowing that Deighton weaves.
5/5 probably my book of the year.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2020
Re-read for possibly the 4th time during Covid 19 lockdown when seeking an easy read that didn’t require a great deal of grey matter.
This is not one of the author’s best, but it’s a entertaining enough read that I’ll forget within a week.
This is not one of the author’s best, but it’s a entertaining enough read that I’ll forget within a week.
February 29, 2016
This was another delightful discovery on the bookshelves in the apartment we're renting here in Italy. I was not familiar with the author's work but after reading this novel, I'll definitely be looking for more of it. The novel is set in England, 1944, on a U.S. Army Air Force Base. The author cleverly tells the story in short chapters, each about a different character. That probably sounds confusing, but it isn't, and serves to move the story along nicely. In the book's Introduction, Deighton explains, "I decided to allot one character to each chapter so the story was told through the eyes of technical specialists, clerks and tradesmen as well as through the eyes of the flyers . . . but I would look over the shoulders of each participant rather than relate the episode in their voice." I thought it worked very well.
The main characters are the brave young flyers who go "up there" in single seat P-51 Mustang fighters on missions to escort and provide cover for the heavy bombers on bombing runs over Germany. I got nervous reading each scene about these missions because I just knew they all wouldn't make it back to go home at war's end. The vivid aerial battle scenes are not for the squeamish. In addition to the flyers, the author introduces their commanding officers and the hard working ground crews who keep the planes in the air. Locals (many of whom were not happy about this "friendly invasion") also play a part in what I found to be a gripping, heartbreaking, inspiring tale. The ending had a twist I never saw coming.
The main characters are the brave young flyers who go "up there" in single seat P-51 Mustang fighters on missions to escort and provide cover for the heavy bombers on bombing runs over Germany. I got nervous reading each scene about these missions because I just knew they all wouldn't make it back to go home at war's end. The vivid aerial battle scenes are not for the squeamish. In addition to the flyers, the author introduces their commanding officers and the hard working ground crews who keep the planes in the air. Locals (many of whom were not happy about this "friendly invasion") also play a part in what I found to be a gripping, heartbreaking, inspiring tale. The ending had a twist I never saw coming.
January 14, 2020
Good, old fashioned war story
Well written, amusing, strong characters. Well worth the effort. Typical Len Deighton,
Even worth a second visit, You won't put it down
Well written, amusing, strong characters. Well worth the effort. Typical Len Deighton,
Even worth a second visit, You won't put it down
April 21, 2025
Well, it had to happen. Another one-star review, and for a book by a new favorite author of mine, no less. I'm conflicted about it, because there are things about this book that I did like, but not enough to change my rating. If there was a "star and a half" option, this would be it. But I can't in good conscience do a higher rating than that. Sorry, Len.
"Goodbye, Mickey Mouse" is Len Deighton's novel of WW2 fighter pilots and the lives they lead as they pursue high scores and English girls. Jamie Farebrother, son of a high-ranking general, and Mickey Morse, a hot-tempered Arizona kid who's on pace to be the leading ace in the European Theater, bond over the course of the book as they both pursue love with English women that they meet while stationed in an airfield close to Cambridge. There are battles, hassles with the local population, and notable casualties amidst their ranks. And it all ends with a very predictable outcome that does land well enough, but also doesn't feel earned.
I'm truly astonished that this book didn't do it for me, as I am a huge fan of Deighton's work, but I can also see how this one doesn't make it for me. For one thing, there's no intrigue or spy craft involved; it's a fairly straightforward narrative that doesn't give Deighton much of a chance to show his skill at highlighting the hidden motivations of his characters. Secondly, about those characters: they're walking archetypes, almost none of them feel like real people. And some of the dialog reminds me of what Harrison Ford once said to George Lucas: "You can type this shit, but you can't say it." That might strike some as unfair, but there are chunks of speech here that feel like an exposition dump, and would be called as such in a film version of the story. I appreciate how much Deighton researched the technical aspects of the hardware his pilots use, and I get that they'd likely talk about their planes a lot. But it's just not compelling to me as a reader.
I'm not someone who wants an artist to "stick to what you know"; artists should expand out of the narrow confines of what they're known for, and take on stories that don't seem to be in their wheelhouse. But I just didn't care for this book, and I only finished it because some reviews promised a "big twist" that would make it worth it (which I actually called when I read the prologue), and I also finished it because it's Len Deighton. But yeah, this is the least-appealing of his books for me so far. On a re-read, going in knowing what it is and isn't, I might feel kinder towards it (and before anyone gives me crap about "trashing" him in this review, Deighton followed this up with "Berlin Game" the next year, the first of the Bernard Samson trilogy "Game, Set, Match," which is frigging brilliant. So I'm not saying that Deighton "sucks," but that, much like "SS-GB," this won't be in my favorites list. Plus, he's 96 and retired from writing. I'm sure this review won't change his standing for me as a favorite author). But my initial read is: "Goodbye, Mickey Mouse" does nothing inventive with the war-novel format and, if not for the author's name, I doubt I would've picked it up in the first place. Much like my other one-star review thus far ("The Old Man and Me" by Elaine Dundy), it's less that the book is bad so much as just disappointing, because I know each author is capable of better. Just not this time around.
"Goodbye, Mickey Mouse" is Len Deighton's novel of WW2 fighter pilots and the lives they lead as they pursue high scores and English girls. Jamie Farebrother, son of a high-ranking general, and Mickey Morse, a hot-tempered Arizona kid who's on pace to be the leading ace in the European Theater, bond over the course of the book as they both pursue love with English women that they meet while stationed in an airfield close to Cambridge. There are battles, hassles with the local population, and notable casualties amidst their ranks. And it all ends with a very predictable outcome that does land well enough, but also doesn't feel earned.
I'm truly astonished that this book didn't do it for me, as I am a huge fan of Deighton's work, but I can also see how this one doesn't make it for me. For one thing, there's no intrigue or spy craft involved; it's a fairly straightforward narrative that doesn't give Deighton much of a chance to show his skill at highlighting the hidden motivations of his characters. Secondly, about those characters: they're walking archetypes, almost none of them feel like real people. And some of the dialog reminds me of what Harrison Ford once said to George Lucas: "You can type this shit, but you can't say it." That might strike some as unfair, but there are chunks of speech here that feel like an exposition dump, and would be called as such in a film version of the story. I appreciate how much Deighton researched the technical aspects of the hardware his pilots use, and I get that they'd likely talk about their planes a lot. But it's just not compelling to me as a reader.
I'm not someone who wants an artist to "stick to what you know"; artists should expand out of the narrow confines of what they're known for, and take on stories that don't seem to be in their wheelhouse. But I just didn't care for this book, and I only finished it because some reviews promised a "big twist" that would make it worth it (which I actually called when I read the prologue), and I also finished it because it's Len Deighton. But yeah, this is the least-appealing of his books for me so far. On a re-read, going in knowing what it is and isn't, I might feel kinder towards it (and before anyone gives me crap about "trashing" him in this review, Deighton followed this up with "Berlin Game" the next year, the first of the Bernard Samson trilogy "Game, Set, Match," which is frigging brilliant. So I'm not saying that Deighton "sucks," but that, much like "SS-GB," this won't be in my favorites list. Plus, he's 96 and retired from writing. I'm sure this review won't change his standing for me as a favorite author). But my initial read is: "Goodbye, Mickey Mouse" does nothing inventive with the war-novel format and, if not for the author's name, I doubt I would've picked it up in the first place. Much like my other one-star review thus far ("The Old Man and Me" by Elaine Dundy), it's less that the book is bad so much as just disappointing, because I know each author is capable of better. Just not this time around.
July 18, 2025
I love reading Deighton for his unique ability to combine technical nerdery and subject matter expertise with evocative stories of humanity and emotion. This book is a classic example. Goodbye, Mickey Mouse is just such a human story; it's a story of a father and son, a story of friendship, a story of love, a story of hate. Having already read Bomber, I expected that the book was going to end with a series of relentless, unforgiving, and emotional gut punches: but I still wasn't fully prepared for the last couple chapters. I can see why multiple reviews describe wanting to throw this book against a wall or rip it up after finishing.
March 13, 2019
I thought the first two thirds of this was a well written, but ordinary and unexceptional, World War 2 story about fighter pilots, a solid three stars, but no more. Then it started to accelerate and twist. It turned out that Deighton had just been setting the stage. It is worth sticking with this one.
February 22, 2021
I was entranced by it as a younger reader but now see it was not his best. *Sad* Haha.
October 5, 2020
This was a great story about pilots in the air force from wwII. There is a little background on the planes flown, not much technical. This is more about the stories of the pilots flying them. One might get a small glimpse of life in England during the war, and what it was like for the young boys who became men overnight flying these missions. It is classic Deighton, and if you have read him before, you will like this one also. For people new to this author, he knows much about this time period and the cold war later, and has written many spy books and military themed books.
March 28, 2019
I bought this book in the mid 80's I have read it at least five times since then. I did not like the ending the first time. Only book I have ever thrown against the wall after finishing the last page. That said, however it is masterfully written the story has great characters and runs deep with emotions. Mr. Deighton manages to get you in the cock pits and in the pubs and in the air and feel for all the characters. The fact that he is also a academic historian shines through in the accuracy of the time and war comes through.
September 26, 2017
I thought this was superb. A really well told story, which clearly shows the 6 years of research that went into it. Each chapter follows a different character which portrays the story from multiple view points, keeping things interesting and moving along. There's plenty of action and descriptions of the actual flying along with a love story and Deighton's usual cynicism (this time about the press office and their need to spin a story). Highly recommended.
August 5, 2019
Excellent storytelling.
I was surprised right until the end. And beyond, in fact.
This book makes all kinds of cogent points without browbeating, which seems to be the mission of pretty much every institution these days. Not all desserts are just.
Should Vince, Vera, or Reg have died, or were they all better off for it? Did any of them actually earn that? Perhaps it was the best solution for all of them, and also a comment on where the danger in life really lies. It might not be the battlefield, it might in reaping what you have sown, however indirectly.
Did Mickey Mouse really deserve Victoria? Was the name chosen on purpose as Lt. Morse, the UK, the allies, and Victoria herself scored the highest victories of all?
I had had to return to the beginning to figure out who Victoria was with several times on the tour and was shocked when Jamie Farebrother died. For 400 pages I'd been somewhat sure that he had married Victoria. He didn't get a just dessert either. Did he (and others) have to die to even the scores for Mickey Mouse? Victoria was so charming that I also wondered if General Bohnen had eventually married her.
Did Jamie the bus passenger (as opposed to the pilot) not go outside to see where his father flew from a comment on fathers and sons always being troubled? Did he know? Had Jamie the passenger resolved the tortured story of his birth faster than his mother and adoptive father did?
Sometimes it takes a bit, as in the case of Major Tucker, for people to be comfortable with their lot and their footing. If they can resolve it, they can become leaders for all, Major Tucker style. If not, they can prevent people from ever knowing the truth, and dying without knowing they have a child on the way, as in the case of Victoria's mother's machinations.
Everyone does the best they can, and sometimes advantages do not turn out that way. The tour and meetup at the beginning and end of the book is a genius vehicle to show how life ended up for all the characters without beating it to death and without hiding it for hundreds of pages such as in Great Expectations.
This is not just a story about American flyers in the UK in WWII: overfed, overpaid, oversexed, and over here. That's just an artful cover for a book about status earned and unearned, being caught in things larger than yourself, doing the right thing sometimes by accident, the nature of leadership, how rule-following is often the last refuge of a scoundrel, how the outside appearance really isn't so, how children can be manipulated as part of divorce, and how effort can make things at least get somewhat just in the end. It would take fiction to do that, and Len Deighton was the guy to make it happen.
I was surprised right until the end. And beyond, in fact.
This book makes all kinds of cogent points without browbeating, which seems to be the mission of pretty much every institution these days. Not all desserts are just.
Should Vince, Vera, or Reg have died, or were they all better off for it? Did any of them actually earn that? Perhaps it was the best solution for all of them, and also a comment on where the danger in life really lies. It might not be the battlefield, it might in reaping what you have sown, however indirectly.
Did Mickey Mouse really deserve Victoria? Was the name chosen on purpose as Lt. Morse, the UK, the allies, and Victoria herself scored the highest victories of all?
I had had to return to the beginning to figure out who Victoria was with several times on the tour and was shocked when Jamie Farebrother died. For 400 pages I'd been somewhat sure that he had married Victoria. He didn't get a just dessert either. Did he (and others) have to die to even the scores for Mickey Mouse? Victoria was so charming that I also wondered if General Bohnen had eventually married her.
Did Jamie the bus passenger (as opposed to the pilot) not go outside to see where his father flew from a comment on fathers and sons always being troubled? Did he know? Had Jamie the passenger resolved the tortured story of his birth faster than his mother and adoptive father did?
Sometimes it takes a bit, as in the case of Major Tucker, for people to be comfortable with their lot and their footing. If they can resolve it, they can become leaders for all, Major Tucker style. If not, they can prevent people from ever knowing the truth, and dying without knowing they have a child on the way, as in the case of Victoria's mother's machinations.
Everyone does the best they can, and sometimes advantages do not turn out that way. The tour and meetup at the beginning and end of the book is a genius vehicle to show how life ended up for all the characters without beating it to death and without hiding it for hundreds of pages such as in Great Expectations.
This is not just a story about American flyers in the UK in WWII: overfed, overpaid, oversexed, and over here. That's just an artful cover for a book about status earned and unearned, being caught in things larger than yourself, doing the right thing sometimes by accident, the nature of leadership, how rule-following is often the last refuge of a scoundrel, how the outside appearance really isn't so, how children can be manipulated as part of divorce, and how effort can make things at least get somewhat just in the end. It would take fiction to do that, and Len Deighton was the guy to make it happen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2024
Read as an antidote to AppleTV+'s terrible (IMHO) Masters of the Air drama series, which was so bad that paid reviewers were actively telling others NOT to watch Band of Brothers or The Pacific - the previous Hanks/Spielberg-produced shows - simply because it was unfair to compare Masters of the Air with examples of top-quality writing and production from-the-past. Ho hum.
Goodbye, Mickey Mouse isn't primarily concerned with bombers, but rather with the escort fighters, flying the P-51 (named Mustang by the British, who had commissioned the design and flew the first versions of the plane). The setting is a fictional USAAF 8th Air Force Fighter Command Wing located near Cambridge in the winter of 1943/44.
The air battles, and indeed the aircraft themselves take second-string here. Deighton, now long-retired, was a superb novelist, renowned for his portrayal of utterly believable characters. Goodbye, Mickey Mouse has plenty of them, and each chapter is headed by a characters name and focuses primarily on their story during that section. Consequently some focus in the narrative is lost on occasions, but that easily made up for by the rich characterisation.
This is a human drama, and it emphasises just why the TV adaptation of Masters of the Air failed for me so badly; I gave-up after 2 1/2 episodes, finding myself completely uninterested in the storylines, unconvinced by the rubbish CGI (having grown-up with convincing CGI with Terminator 2 and utterly uninvested in the cardboard-cut-out characters. No-one has made a TV show or movie out of Goodbye, Mickey Mouse, which seems odd, as it would be a worthy subject.
There's a feature of this novel that I particularly liked; some of the individuals character changes markedly due to their experiences, and without revealing the plot, the change to one of them, Tucker, is one of the book's best moments.
The dogfighting is kept to a minimum, whilst the lives of those living during rationing and daily blackouts are well-portrayed, notably that clothes, diets and social boundaries were gradually falling apart as the then four-year-old war took its toll. There are a few twists-and-turns to prevent things from getting predictable, but nothing that is anything but utterly believable.
Goodbye, Mickey Mouse isn't primarily concerned with bombers, but rather with the escort fighters, flying the P-51 (named Mustang by the British, who had commissioned the design and flew the first versions of the plane). The setting is a fictional USAAF 8th Air Force Fighter Command Wing located near Cambridge in the winter of 1943/44.
The air battles, and indeed the aircraft themselves take second-string here. Deighton, now long-retired, was a superb novelist, renowned for his portrayal of utterly believable characters. Goodbye, Mickey Mouse has plenty of them, and each chapter is headed by a characters name and focuses primarily on their story during that section. Consequently some focus in the narrative is lost on occasions, but that easily made up for by the rich characterisation.
This is a human drama, and it emphasises just why the TV adaptation of Masters of the Air failed for me so badly; I gave-up after 2 1/2 episodes, finding myself completely uninterested in the storylines, unconvinced by the rubbish CGI (having grown-up with convincing CGI with Terminator 2 and utterly uninvested in the cardboard-cut-out characters. No-one has made a TV show or movie out of Goodbye, Mickey Mouse, which seems odd, as it would be a worthy subject.
There's a feature of this novel that I particularly liked; some of the individuals character changes markedly due to their experiences, and without revealing the plot, the change to one of them, Tucker, is one of the book's best moments.
The dogfighting is kept to a minimum, whilst the lives of those living during rationing and daily blackouts are well-portrayed, notably that clothes, diets and social boundaries were gradually falling apart as the then four-year-old war took its toll. There are a few twists-and-turns to prevent things from getting predictable, but nothing that is anything but utterly believable.
May 22, 2025
Although written in 1982 about events in WWII, Goodbye Mickey Mouse has a very modern sensibility: at any time, even under seemingly benign circumstances, characters die. Of course this has been raised almost to a gimmick (I'm looking at you George R.R. Martin!) in modern TV and book series, but it is natural and almost inevitable in a book like this. The setting is a USAAF fighter base in England. We see action both in the air - fighting Nazis - and on the ground - "fighting" British civilians (sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively). As other reviewers have pointed out, there is plenty of technical realism to keep the historical fiction reader satisfied, but it never bogs down or focuses on such technical issues.
Instead, the primary focus is on the characters, their dreams-fears-love affairs. Like any real group of disparate people thrown together for a common purpose, some get along better than others. The interpersonal conflicts have almost as much tension and action as the air combat! If I have a criticism, it is that there is too much conflict - surely not this much could happen to one air group in a few months, even when running daily combat sorties. Maybe I'm underestimating the energy level of the average 22-year-old.... it's been a long time since I was that age!
So, even though this is a fictional story, and therefore not particularly "factual", it really feels like a "true" story - you are immersed in the lives of these pilots and surrounding civilians, and at any moment a disaster might strike. Isn't that the very nature of war?
Instead, the primary focus is on the characters, their dreams-fears-love affairs. Like any real group of disparate people thrown together for a common purpose, some get along better than others. The interpersonal conflicts have almost as much tension and action as the air combat! If I have a criticism, it is that there is too much conflict - surely not this much could happen to one air group in a few months, even when running daily combat sorties. Maybe I'm underestimating the energy level of the average 22-year-old.... it's been a long time since I was that age!
So, even though this is a fictional story, and therefore not particularly "factual", it really feels like a "true" story - you are immersed in the lives of these pilots and surrounding civilians, and at any moment a disaster might strike. Isn't that the very nature of war?
October 10, 2019
Another one that’s more than a three but not quite a four for me. Oh for the chance of half marks but there it is I’ll stick with my three.
Enjoyed this latest (for me) offering by Len Deighton and was interested to absorb all the intricacies both militarily and personally of life in an American Squadron in the wilds of Norfolk. Set as winter slowly turns to spring in 1944 with D-Day not far off on the horizon it’s a wonderfully told story of how these brave American pilots, their support staff and top brass interact with the British populace who you feel seem somewhat annoyed to have them there despite their invaluable efforts in trying to secure the victory all the Allies craved for.
The ‘Ladies’ certainly seemed glad to have these cocky, well turned out yanks in their midst but not surprisingly others were not so enamoured and therein lies a take for later in the book.
The shear terror these boys must have felt is really brought home to you albeit this squadron is fighter based protecting the bombers who were the real sitting ducks in all this despite the protection afforded by the fighters. Your heart really goes out to anyone who flew in those bombers as they took a real pummelling and survival chances appeared pretty slim.
There were one or two surprises as the tale neared it’s end but I’ll not spoil your enjoyment just suggest that it’s well worth a read so give it a go.
Enjoyed this latest (for me) offering by Len Deighton and was interested to absorb all the intricacies both militarily and personally of life in an American Squadron in the wilds of Norfolk. Set as winter slowly turns to spring in 1944 with D-Day not far off on the horizon it’s a wonderfully told story of how these brave American pilots, their support staff and top brass interact with the British populace who you feel seem somewhat annoyed to have them there despite their invaluable efforts in trying to secure the victory all the Allies craved for.
The ‘Ladies’ certainly seemed glad to have these cocky, well turned out yanks in their midst but not surprisingly others were not so enamoured and therein lies a take for later in the book.
The shear terror these boys must have felt is really brought home to you albeit this squadron is fighter based protecting the bombers who were the real sitting ducks in all this despite the protection afforded by the fighters. Your heart really goes out to anyone who flew in those bombers as they took a real pummelling and survival chances appeared pretty slim.
There were one or two surprises as the tale neared it’s end but I’ll not spoil your enjoyment just suggest that it’s well worth a read so give it a go.
March 6, 2020
Okay but disappointing.
I really enjoyed Len Deighton's 'Bomber' and was expecting Goodbye Mickey Mouse to be more of the same. Unfortunately, while also set around the European air war in WW2, there isn't that much similar between the two. While Bomber concentrated on the action, destruction and death of a single night's bomber raid, Goodbye Mickey Mouse actually has very little military action and concentrates on the lives of a few members of a US Fighter Group.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, but Deighton's skill lies in detailed descriptions of military action, not romantic drama. Much of the book is devoted to the personal lives, especially love lives, of the US pilots, and it's a pretty dull affair. I never felt engaged with this aspect of the character’s lives.
It’s not all a loss though. What action there is is exciting and you do get a feel for the lives and routine of a US fighter group in WW2. Towards the end the plot becomes very intriguing, making up for the dryness that came before it.
I really enjoyed Len Deighton's 'Bomber' and was expecting Goodbye Mickey Mouse to be more of the same. Unfortunately, while also set around the European air war in WW2, there isn't that much similar between the two. While Bomber concentrated on the action, destruction and death of a single night's bomber raid, Goodbye Mickey Mouse actually has very little military action and concentrates on the lives of a few members of a US Fighter Group.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, but Deighton's skill lies in detailed descriptions of military action, not romantic drama. Much of the book is devoted to the personal lives, especially love lives, of the US pilots, and it's a pretty dull affair. I never felt engaged with this aspect of the character’s lives.
It’s not all a loss though. What action there is is exciting and you do get a feel for the lives and routine of a US fighter group in WW2. Towards the end the plot becomes very intriguing, making up for the dryness that came before it.
December 26, 2023
Positives: The author does know how to pull on your emotions. The ending made me tear up. Despite the fact that, the distant, cold, rich father and the son with a heart of gold has been done so many times, Deighton managed to breathe new life into this trope with Jamie and his father. The friendship between Mickey and Jamie is touching. The relationship between Jamie and his girlfriend is sweet. She was a well-fleshed out character, and I enjoyed her backstory.
Negatives: A certain plot line came out of nowhere and does not mesh with the other plot lines or the tone of the book as a whole. All of the characters except for the two main characters and Jamie's love interest are tired archetypes. The book also suffers from some dated viewpoints. How Jamie's relationship with his love interest was resolved was baffling. The scenes of flying combat missions are bogged down with obscure technical details, so the only emotion it elicits is boredom. The imagery is weak. You get the impression the author has watched more movies than books he has read. Last, the title is atrocious.
Negatives: A certain plot line came out of nowhere and does not mesh with the other plot lines or the tone of the book as a whole. All of the characters except for the two main characters and Jamie's love interest are tired archetypes. The book also suffers from some dated viewpoints. How Jamie's relationship with his love interest was resolved was baffling. The scenes of flying combat missions are bogged down with obscure technical details, so the only emotion it elicits is boredom. The imagery is weak. You get the impression the author has watched more movies than books he has read. Last, the title is atrocious.
October 2, 2024
Dated but excellent
I read the book as a paperback 40+ years ago. It does reflect the anti-war period of the post Virtnam/Oh, What a Lovely War period that caused consternation to some WW2 veterans whom it purports to represent. Deighton tapped into this zeitgeist very effectively with his other books Fighter and Bomber that also dealt with war as viewed at that time. So it is dated but IMO was a refreshing change from those post war 'John Mills' jolly chaps all doing their bit assisted by the loyal, little posh woman at home.
Well researched and worth reading....though with one caveat about a flight taken by a senior officer. Far too easy and far too quick.
I read the book as a paperback 40+ years ago. It does reflect the anti-war period of the post Virtnam/Oh, What a Lovely War period that caused consternation to some WW2 veterans whom it purports to represent. Deighton tapped into this zeitgeist very effectively with his other books Fighter and Bomber that also dealt with war as viewed at that time. So it is dated but IMO was a refreshing change from those post war 'John Mills' jolly chaps all doing their bit assisted by the loyal, little posh woman at home.
Well researched and worth reading....though with one caveat about a flight taken by a senior officer. Far too easy and far too quick.
November 11, 2018
“Goodbye Mickey Mouse” written by the famed war novelist Len Deighton is a novel of the WW2 aerial war just prior to the Normandy invasion. It is the story of an American fighter Squadron 220th flying P-51 Mustang fighters, escorting the massive bomber raids. The writer relates to us how the young pilots interact with their fellow airmen and with the local English while flying difficult missions against Germany. A recommended read for all that have an interest in WW2
May 29, 2020
Ik kende Len Deighton enkel als schrijver van spionageromans. Hij is echter eerst en vooral historicus. In dit boek, waaraan hij zes jaar heeft gewerkt, maakt hij een momentopname van een aantal operaties naar het einde toe van de tweede wereldoorlog. Hij heeft niet alleen zijn huiswerk grondig gemaakt, hij slaagt er bovendien in een verhaal te vertellen dat begint in de toekomst en daar ook eindigt. Ik heb dit boek heel graag gelezen.
May 20, 2021
Very good book about a fighter squadron in WWII. The two main characters are pilots with different personalities. It has a cast of characters including civilians who left executive jobs and were awarded high ranking officer positions, ring knockers from the military academies, men who were pilots, men who were PR officers, men who were MPs and the English women who became involved with them. The story ends with “Bad Monday” and the an epilogue to tie up loose ends.
October 30, 2021
As much as I love World War II history and aviation, when it comes to the perspective of soldiers, or in this case fighter pilots, I prefer non-fiction rather than novels.
All in all, this isn't too bad, and the battle sequences are well done, but there are so many real-life tales that are every bit as harrowing, I'd just as soon read actual accounts of our fighting forces rather than fictionalized ones.
All in all, this isn't too bad, and the battle sequences are well done, but there are so many real-life tales that are every bit as harrowing, I'd just as soon read actual accounts of our fighting forces rather than fictionalized ones.
September 5, 2023
This was a good read. I like stories about WW1 & WW2 and especially about aviation.
The fight scenes, the characters, the love stories, the background were all there, and beautifully described.
The writer telegraphed the ending from the first page, which is fine. And the build-up to it was very good; with little surprises.
However, the ending - the last 5 or so pages - were
dissapointing.
Overall, a very enjoyable read, esp if you are a fan of the genre.
The fight scenes, the characters, the love stories, the background were all there, and beautifully described.
The writer telegraphed the ending from the first page, which is fine. And the build-up to it was very good; with little surprises.
However, the ending - the last 5 or so pages - were
dissapointing.
Overall, a very enjoyable read, esp if you are a fan of the genre.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews