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Park: The Biography of Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park, GCB, KBE, MC, DFC, DCL
'If ever any one man won the Battle of Britain, he did. I don't believe it is realized how much that one man, with his leadership, his calm judgment and his skill, did to save not only this country, but the world.'
So wrote Marshal of the RAF Lord Tedder in 1947. As commander of No. 11 Group, Fighter Command and responsible for the air defense of London and South-East England, Keith Park took charge of the day-to-day direction of the battle. In spotlighting his thoughts and actions during the crisis, Vincent Orange reveals a man whose unfailing energy, courage and cool resourcefulness won not only supreme praise from Churchill but the lasting respect and admiration of all who served under him.
However, few officers in any of the services packed more action into their lives, and this book covers the whole of his career - youth in New Zealand, success as an ace fighter pilot in World War I, postings to South America and Egypt, Battle of Britain, Command of the RAF in Malta 1942/43, and finally Allied Air Commander-in-Chief of SE Asia under Mountbatten in 1945.
His contribution to victory and peace was immense and this biography does much to shed light on the Big Wing controversy of 1940 and give insight into the war in Burma, 1945, and how the huge problems remaining after the war's sudden end were dealt with.
Drawn largely from unpublished sources and interviews with people who knew Park, and illustrated with maps and photographs, this is an authoritative biography of one of the world's greatest unsung heroes.
The author enjoyed the privilege of unrestricted access to Park's papers while writing this book.
So wrote Marshal of the RAF Lord Tedder in 1947. As commander of No. 11 Group, Fighter Command and responsible for the air defense of London and South-East England, Keith Park took charge of the day-to-day direction of the battle. In spotlighting his thoughts and actions during the crisis, Vincent Orange reveals a man whose unfailing energy, courage and cool resourcefulness won not only supreme praise from Churchill but the lasting respect and admiration of all who served under him.
However, few officers in any of the services packed more action into their lives, and this book covers the whole of his career - youth in New Zealand, success as an ace fighter pilot in World War I, postings to South America and Egypt, Battle of Britain, Command of the RAF in Malta 1942/43, and finally Allied Air Commander-in-Chief of SE Asia under Mountbatten in 1945.
His contribution to victory and peace was immense and this biography does much to shed light on the Big Wing controversy of 1940 and give insight into the war in Burma, 1945, and how the huge problems remaining after the war's sudden end were dealt with.
Drawn largely from unpublished sources and interviews with people who knew Park, and illustrated with maps and photographs, this is an authoritative biography of one of the world's greatest unsung heroes.
The author enjoyed the privilege of unrestricted access to Park's papers while writing this book.
301 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
24 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Vincent Orange
14 books1 followerGeorge Vincent Orange was a British-born New Zealand historian of military aviation. A lecturer at the University of Canterbury for many years up until his retirement in 2002, he wrote several biographies of senior Royal Air Force officers, including Hugh Dowding and Keith Park.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 1, 2023
The world never honoured Sir Keith the way he deserved.
This includes his home town, Thames. Our (minute) airfield is named after him, but a statue of him wasn't erected in Thames until 2019 - & then only because Coromandel resident Betty (Yvonne Elizabeth) Hare generously left some money in her will for this purpose.
The airfield is fundraising to erect a second statue of Sir Keith there in more informal garb, which apparently was how this modest man was happiest.
Although born in my town, the Park family moved to Auckland when Park was only six, but he retained very fond memories of my little town where his geologist father ran the School of Mines.
(which is still standing today)
The family then moved to Dunedin. Some time after the move, his parent's marriage broke up & his mother moved to Australia. She died in 1916. He never saw her again & I can't find any record of her keeping in contact with her family.
Sir Keith was educated at two well regarded schools (Kings College, Auckland) & (Otago Boys High School, Dunedin) but was an indifferent scholar, something he remained self-conscious about all his life.
Anyway, I don't want to go into to much detail about his early life, because amazingly;
It bothers me, how little thanks Park often got. Prime Minister Atlee, after the war, was 'too busy' to see him, (although later in the book, the Argentinian Prime Minister had no trouble having a visit from him for 45 minutes) an ailing Park when he finished his service wasn't paid five weeks of sick leave. How can people in authority be so petty, so ungrateful?
At one stage in the book Park talks about going to South Africa to farm, the reason for this plan being abandoned I don't remember, but possibly this war hero didn't have the money. He & his wife ended up back in NZ where at one stage he was a City Councillor. His wife Dol (who sounds delightful!) died a very painful death, Sir Keith Park died in 1975.
Orange doesn't feel that being a Colonial stopped Sir Keith going to the very top in the service in the UK, & thinks it could be that Sir Keith's aloof personality worked against him. Like most Kiwis I'm not convinced.
I don't feel I have done Sir Keith justice, but I do want to do justice to the wonderfully readable writing style of the late Vincent Orange. I have read a lot of dry non fiction in recent years, that can make the most interesting events dull. Not so this book - Orange was a most gifted writer & this book is most highly recommended.
This includes his home town, Thames. Our (minute) airfield is named after him, but a statue of him wasn't erected in Thames until 2019 - & then only because Coromandel resident Betty (Yvonne Elizabeth) Hare generously left some money in her will for this purpose.
Photo taken by me.
The airfield is fundraising to erect a second statue of Sir Keith there in more informal garb, which apparently was how this modest man was happiest.
Although born in my town, the Park family moved to Auckland when Park was only six, but he retained very fond memories of my little town where his geologist father ran the School of Mines.
(which is still standing today)
Photo taken by me.
The family then moved to Dunedin. Some time after the move, his parent's marriage broke up & his mother moved to Australia. She died in 1916. He never saw her again & I can't find any record of her keeping in contact with her family.
Sir Keith was educated at two well regarded schools (Kings College, Auckland) & (Otago Boys High School, Dunedin) but was an indifferent scholar, something he remained self-conscious about all his life.
Anyway, I don't want to go into to much detail about his early life, because amazingly;
'If ever any one man won the Battle of Britain, he did. I don't believe it is realised how much that one man, with his leadership, his calm judgment and his skill, did to save not only this country, but the world.'
Marshall of the RAF, Lord Tedder
It bothers me, how little thanks Park often got. Prime Minister Atlee, after the war, was 'too busy' to see him, (although later in the book, the Argentinian Prime Minister had no trouble having a visit from him for 45 minutes) an ailing Park when he finished his service wasn't paid five weeks of sick leave. How can people in authority be so petty, so ungrateful?
At one stage in the book Park talks about going to South Africa to farm, the reason for this plan being abandoned I don't remember, but possibly this war hero didn't have the money. He & his wife ended up back in NZ where at one stage he was a City Councillor. His wife Dol (who sounds delightful!) died a very painful death, Sir Keith Park died in 1975.
Orange doesn't feel that being a Colonial stopped Sir Keith going to the very top in the service in the UK, & thinks it could be that Sir Keith's aloof personality worked against him. Like most Kiwis I'm not convinced.
I don't feel I have done Sir Keith justice, but I do want to do justice to the wonderfully readable writing style of the late Vincent Orange. I have read a lot of dry non fiction in recent years, that can make the most interesting events dull. Not so this book - Orange was a most gifted writer & this book is most highly recommended.
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August 22, 2025
This was an excellent biography of Keith Park, who together with Dowding was responsible for the air defence of Britain in 1940 The Battle of Britain. Park was a hero already during the First World War when he flew a Bristol fighter in combat with great success. By 1940 he was chief of 11 group defending South-east England, he decided that the best defence was to meet the Germans before they bombed, with one or two squadrons. Thus being able to meet as many German raids as possible. He had critics in 12 group who defended South-western England, especially Leigh-Mallory and Douglas Bader who wanted to collect 5 squadrons into a big wing to shoot down as many Germans as possible, after they’d bombed. This wouldn’t work during the BoB, they did try, but it took too long to coordinate. The frustrating outcome of Leigh-Mallory and Bader’s conniving, was that Dowding was pensioned off, and Keith Park was fired. But Park wasn’t the kind of man to give up, so he just kept on working, first in Training command, then the western desert and Malta, doing well wherever he went, he ended up as Air chief Marshall of South-East Asia Command, and together with Bill Slim running the Japanese out of Burma. He made this amazing career without going to the right schools, he didn’t even do very well at school, which I sympathise with.
The author has done a wonderful job of bringing this quiet, distinguished gentleman to life. It’s a very nicely balanced book, one chapter about the big wing controversy which was the perfect length, he doesn’t bang on about it, Park didn’t do so himself, but enough to understand how unfair it was.
Yes, this was a very good book, and I read it more or less in one go, stretching over a week or two. It’s a long book, but easy to read, and well worth it.
Heres a Hawker Hurricane like the one Keith Park flew as his personal aircraft.
The author has done a wonderful job of bringing this quiet, distinguished gentleman to life. It’s a very nicely balanced book, one chapter about the big wing controversy which was the perfect length, he doesn’t bang on about it, Park didn’t do so himself, but enough to understand how unfair it was.
Yes, this was a very good book, and I read it more or less in one go, stretching over a week or two. It’s a long book, but easy to read, and well worth it.
Heres a Hawker Hurricane like the one Keith Park flew as his personal aircraft.
March 4, 2013
Comprehensive biography of the man who contributed significantly to the winning of the Battle of Britain but who is often overlooked in favour of the proponents of the Big Wing concept. Which was pants.
October 10, 2020
It’s amazing how much research must be behind this biography. However it is a dense read; like a textbook.
I can’t say that I got to know ‘the man’ Keith Park. Attention was focused on his activity.
I wonder whether the austerity of the biography reflected the austerity of the man. His steady movement through testing times highlights his unwillingness to get bogged down in disappointments or introspection.
He was a man of faith, diplomacy, steady application and resilience, so much needed in our day.
I can’t say that I got to know ‘the man’ Keith Park. Attention was focused on his activity.
I wonder whether the austerity of the biography reflected the austerity of the man. His steady movement through testing times highlights his unwillingness to get bogged down in disappointments or introspection.
He was a man of faith, diplomacy, steady application and resilience, so much needed in our day.
July 31, 2018
Very informative on the Battle of Britain and a Great man and military mind.
I knew little about the Battle of Britain and nothing of Air Marshall Parks. That is no longer true. I would give this five stars, but the level of detail might cause most readers to big down and not finish this. My interest in WWII aircraft may be the reason I was able to finish
I knew little about the Battle of Britain and nothing of Air Marshall Parks. That is no longer true. I would give this five stars, but the level of detail might cause most readers to big down and not finish this. My interest in WWII aircraft may be the reason I was able to finish
April 26, 2023
Really easy to follow and interesting
December 29, 2023
A Under-appreciated Flyer Who Helped Save The World
My guess is, if Keith Park had been a true-blood Englander instead of a Kiwi, his name would be listed with Churchill, Montgomery and Bomber Harris as heroes who vanquished Hitler and saved the world. Instead, like scores of fighters from the dominions and colonies, men like Park did the heavy lifting while those with the right pedigree took the credit and titles.
Author Vincent Orange did an honorable job in this book of putting the emphasis on Park’s deeds throughout a 40-year RAF career, not worrying too much about his New Zealand heritage, though that, too, is noble and proud.
Park, credit given or not, was at the top of his game and deserves to be remembered and appreciated beyond his southern island home.
For those engrossed by stories of WWII air combat, this is a great read.
My guess is, if Keith Park had been a true-blood Englander instead of a Kiwi, his name would be listed with Churchill, Montgomery and Bomber Harris as heroes who vanquished Hitler and saved the world. Instead, like scores of fighters from the dominions and colonies, men like Park did the heavy lifting while those with the right pedigree took the credit and titles.
Author Vincent Orange did an honorable job in this book of putting the emphasis on Park’s deeds throughout a 40-year RAF career, not worrying too much about his New Zealand heritage, though that, too, is noble and proud.
Park, credit given or not, was at the top of his game and deserves to be remembered and appreciated beyond his southern island home.
For those engrossed by stories of WWII air combat, this is a great read.
January 8, 2025
Excellent story of a great man. While I knew he was responsible for the success of the Battle of Britain. I wasn't aware of his role later in defending Malta and then organising air transport in Burma to defeat the Japs.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2014
Vincent Orange is the Olympian of military biography. This one is a masterly insight to the life and character of one of the key people who saved Britain during WWII
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews