Hornet's Sting

by Derek Robinson

It's 1917, and Captain Stanley Woolley joins an R.F.C. squadron whose pilots are starting to fear the worst: their war over the Western Front may go on for years. A pilot's life is usually short, so while it lasts it is celebrated strenuously.

Distractions from the brutality of the air war include British nurses; eccentric Russian pilots; bureaucratic battles over the plum-jam ration; rat-hunting with Very pistols; and the C.O.'s patent, potent cocktail, known as 'Hornet's Sting'.

But as the summer offensives boil up, none of these can offer any lasting comfort.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Aviation, World War I, War, Military History, Military Fiction

443 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 1999

About the author

Derek Robinson is a British author best known for his military aviation novels full of black humour. He has also written several books on some of the more sordid events in the history of Bristol, his home town, as well as guides to rugby. He was nominated for the Booker Prize in 1971 for his first novel, 'Goshawk Squadron.'

After attending Cotham Grammar School, Robinson served in the Royal Air Force as a fighter plotter, during his National Service. He has a History degree from Cambridge University, where he attended Downing College, has worked in advertising in the UK and the US and as a broadcaster on radio and television. He was a qualified rugby referee for over thirty years and is a life member of Bristol Society of Rugby Referees. He was married in 1964

Reviews

[Richard Ayre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another of Robinson's excellent books about the air war in World War 1. It is the second of a trilogy that I began reading years ago and fits in chronologically between War Story and Goshawk Squadron. What I like about Robinson is the quirky characters he portrays, and we find in Hornet's Sting the continuing story of Paxton, who we first meet in War Story, and an early view of the man who becomes destroyed by his experiences in war, and who is the anti-hero of Goshawk Squadron, Wooley.
I liked this book, but I didn't love it as I did the afore mentioned books. My favourite still remains Piece of cake, which is part of another trilogy, this time set in World War 2. Whilst Hornet's Sting is brilliantly written, I found it a little underwhelming. This is not down to Robinson, whose characterisation is as sharp as ever, but more due to the fact that I knew what was going to happen to the characters as I'd read the last book in the trilogy before I read this one. My one wish is that he wrote them chronologically rather than 'fitting in' this last book.
However, saying all that, Robinson still remains one of my favourite writers. As a poor writer myself I can see just how well his characters come to life, and the waste of human life is still hard to take. When one of the main characters in the book eventually met his demise I was really, truly saddened. This is all down to the authors ability to wrap the reader up in the story. And the mark of an excellent writer.
All in all another thoroughly enjoyable book to read. I devoured it, as I used to devour all Robinson's books when I first discovered them back in the mid eighties. I'm looking forward to reading more of his back list.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This rip-roaring barn-stormer of a novel cuts right to the quick of the WWI flyer’s short life. There is humor and political intrigue from the get-go with buffoonish Russian pilots stationed, and flying, with the Brits, the thoughts of the command forever sunk in a cloud of angst, a devil-may-care hotshot pilot, aerodrome hijinks, mysterious sexual encounters, and a feeling that the war will never end, until two bumbling American movie-makers show up as the Yank’s advance guard. All based in fact, and bringing the war to end all wars back to glorious, deadly life.

[Stu · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the authors notes at the end he states
' if Hornets Sting comes across as an account of just one damn thing after another, such is the nature of war '
he's unfortunately absolutely spot on with that review ...

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent satirical war story. Robinson is not a varied writer, but he's great at the things batch of things he does. Would recommend.

[Stephen Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

1917, and the young men of the Royal Flying Corps are still living and dying in the skies above the Western Front. This book follows “War Story” and takes up more or less where that book left off. Derek Robinson again endows the story with the humour and brutal reality of life getting drunk in the officers’ mess and the sheer terror of airborne warfare in an aircraft made of string and fabric.
The effect of all this on the mental stability of the young men is in sharp focus as pilots’ names are crossed off the duty rosters and the routine of flying a fragile, open-cockpit biplane up to 15,000 feet to kill or be killed goes on, day after day.
Derek Robinson is a Master of this genre. The next book “Goshawk Squadron” will take us into 1918 with some familiar characters – the survivors, although of course many names are missing.

[Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bleak, black and funny. Characters come and go, sometimes they are developed - often not; events happen - chronology and relevance are confusing. All in all it's a disorientating read, unsatisfactory until you realise that that disorientation is actually the point, that this feeling is an impression, a taste of what it must have been like living through this hell.

[Peter Brickwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of several of Robinson's books that winds together a good tale with lots of laughs and an absolute horror of war. In this book the Adjutant in a Royal Flying Corp squadron of World War One has been demoted and transferred out of an infantry regiment fighting in the trenches. The reason, he shot British soldiers who would not go over the top.

[Denis McMullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant read.

This is the last book of his WW1 series that I’ve read. I was totally gripped by the plot, the characters and Robinson’s excellent writing.

I’m only sorry he didn’t write more for the series.

Superb entertainment!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm very impressed with Robinson's ability to constantly come up with new pilots, as they come and go so quickly. As always, a dry and sardonic humor permeates this story of the air war in WWI.

[Anndra Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Derek Robinson's books almost all have bad titles but this one has always annoyed me more than the others, even more so than War Story. This is still a very good book, better than I remember it being, although its conceit of naming each chapter after earthquake strengths is a bad imitation of the wind strength thing in Goshawk Squadron and doesn't really fit anywhere near as well. The end of the book is also a little too vague about certain characters' fates, which is unsatisfying, and it feels like it should have had another pass over by an editor or another drafting. Still really enjoyable and with some very powerful moments, particularly one sequence involving Paxton (the protagonist of the previous book) following a crash landing and his concussed attempts to get back across the lines to safety. Not Robinson's best though - that crown goes to Piece of Cake and A Good Clean Fight, a stellar pair of books.

[Richard Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

A revisionist account of the exploits of the RFC during the Great War. There is no death or glory here among the characters only resignation of the inevitability of it all and contempt for the stupidity of the politicians and military command. The story is more a series of vignettes on the exploits of the various characters than a flowing narrative. The story however becomes more linear towards the latter part of the book when Stanley Woolley - the hero of Goshawk Squadron - is introduced. All in all a entertaining read and an antidote to the glorification of war.

[H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bleak humorous WW1 flying squad novel. Not quite as much fund as Goshawk Squadron but it works a lot better if you read them in timeline order:
War Story, Hornets Sting then Goshawk Squadron. I didn't the first time round, and did the on reread. Much better, you get to know who is who and what happens to them as the war grind moves on.

Poor Butterfly....very fitting song that.

[Rob Godfrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author continues his off-beat war story with a familiar cast. As always an easy and enjoyable read.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blackest of black humour. Very good but definitely not to everyone's taste.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty dark, some humor, a feeling that matches other novels and histories I've read of 1917.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical Derek Robinson -- sharp dialogue, wicked humour. The vicar with the limp arm is the icing on the cake.