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Failed to Return: Enquiries into Mysteries of the Air 1939-45
nan
192 pages, Hardcover
First published November 21, 1988
About the author
Roy Conyers Nesbit
38 booksRoy has a long-established reputation as a leading aviations historian, who served in the wartime RAF.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 27, 2024
Already read this book many years ago but decided to revisit it.
The book describes a number of 'mysteries' concerning aircraft, and in the final chapter ships, that did not return from their journey during WWII. Calling it 'mysteries' is somewhat misleading. It is more that what really happened was not instantly clear. In a couple of cases it concerns aircraft that were shot down over Europe, but the details being vague. But hey, if you only receive a couple of pictures from a crashed aircraft, how can one expect the details to be fully known right away. This remark does not take anything away from the work put in by the author to find out what happened to the aircraft or crew in the picture(s).
Other stories are indeed mysterious, like the loss of Amy Johnson and the flight to England by Rudolf Hess. The author has done a great job to find missing pieces of the puzzle and mix them in with what is already available. The disappearance of Glenn Miller over The Channel does show how good research can bring to light facts that had been missed or shoved aside for years.
The final chapter concerns the fate of German POW ships that were bombed by the RAF in the final days of the war. Not really 'mysteries of the air', but the circumstances and myths surrounding these tragedies are worth looking into.
Overall a good read and happy to have revisited this book from 1988.
The book describes a number of 'mysteries' concerning aircraft, and in the final chapter ships, that did not return from their journey during WWII. Calling it 'mysteries' is somewhat misleading. It is more that what really happened was not instantly clear. In a couple of cases it concerns aircraft that were shot down over Europe, but the details being vague. But hey, if you only receive a couple of pictures from a crashed aircraft, how can one expect the details to be fully known right away. This remark does not take anything away from the work put in by the author to find out what happened to the aircraft or crew in the picture(s).
Other stories are indeed mysterious, like the loss of Amy Johnson and the flight to England by Rudolf Hess. The author has done a great job to find missing pieces of the puzzle and mix them in with what is already available. The disappearance of Glenn Miller over The Channel does show how good research can bring to light facts that had been missed or shoved aside for years.
The final chapter concerns the fate of German POW ships that were bombed by the RAF in the final days of the war. Not really 'mysteries of the air', but the circumstances and myths surrounding these tragedies are worth looking into.
Overall a good read and happy to have revisited this book from 1988.
Displaying 1 of 1 review