Lancaster: The Forging of a Very British Legend
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- Create Date：2021-08-05 08:51:30
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：John Nichol
- ISBN：1471180492
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Summary
Praise for Spitfire: A Very British Love Story
‘The best book you will ever read about Britain’s greatest warplane。’ Patrick Bishop author of Fighter Boys
‘As the RAF marks its centenary， Nichol has created a thrilling and often moving tribute to some of its greatest heroes。’ Mail on Sunday
‘A stirring portrait of a piece of aviation art in motion flown by the bravest of the brave。 Nichol’s Spitfire is still a sky-borne prima ballerina that kicks like Bruce Lee。’ RAF News
‘A superb journey through the remarkable tale of that British icon， the Spitfire。 Brilliantly and engagingly written 。 。 。 Truly stunning。’ Andy Saunders， aviation historian
‘A rich and heartfelt tribute to this most iconic British machine。 Focusing on the men （and women） who flew the Spitfire， John Nichol has brought a fresh and powerful perspective to the story。 By recording their bravery， humility， camaraderie， tragedy and sheer joy in flying their beloved Spits he has done them， and us， a valuable service。’ Rowland White， author of Vulcan 607
‘A superb and compelling book。 Brilliantly written with some incredible and astonishing stories; it is gripping， moving， emotional and sometimes humorous – just perfect。’ Squadron Leader （Ret） Clive Rowley， former Officer Commanding RAF Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight
‘There are not many of us left， most of us who survive are over 95 and this is a story of young men。 We were the cutting edge of the ‘Shining Sword’ that Bomber Harris dubbed the Lancaster。 We survived the Bomber Offensive in which 55，573 — almost half — of our friends and colleagues gave their lives to stop Hitler ruling the world。 We are now a whole generation older than the young men and women who serve today and in a few years we will all be gone。 Historians will then be able to throw around their insouciant opinions about what we did with no contradiction by those who were there。 When we are gone our stories of flying and fighting the Lancaster should not die with us。 We are the last witnesses to the legend of the Lancaster and those who fought and died within its metal body。’ - Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Beetham
After its maiden flight on 5th January 1941， Lancaster chief test pilot Sam Browne said， ‘Oh boy， oh boy。 What an aircraft！’ With a maximum weight of over thirty tons， far heavier than the RAF’s previous generation of bomber， the standard version could lift， on average， 14，000lbs of bombs。 Britain was ready to take the aerial war to Nazi Germany in a deadly fashion。
During the course of the Second World War， 7，377 Lancaster bombers were built， flying a total of 156，000 sorties and dropped 618，378 tonnes of bombs on German cities such as Cologne， Hamburg， Berlin， and， of course， Dresden。 Only thirty-five Lancasters completed more than 100 operations， and 3，249 were lost in action。 The most successful， which completed 139 operations， was sent for scrap in 1947。 One seventh of all deaths suffered by the British during WWII were incurred by Bomber Command。 Over 50，000 aircrew were lost over the skies of Europe。
Now， John Nichol， Gulf War veteran， ex-POW in Iraq and Sunday Times bestselling author of Spitfire: A Very British Love Story reveals the true cost of flying this iconic and deadly airplane – through the few authentic voices of the RAF veterans who are left to us。
‘The best book you will ever read about Britain’s greatest warplane。’ Patrick Bishop author of Fighter Boys
‘As the RAF marks its centenary， Nichol has created a thrilling and often moving tribute to some of its greatest heroes。’ Mail on Sunday
‘A stirring portrait of a piece of aviation art in motion flown by the bravest of the brave。 Nichol’s Spitfire is still a sky-borne prima ballerina that kicks like Bruce Lee。’ RAF News
‘A superb journey through the remarkable tale of that British icon， the Spitfire。 Brilliantly and engagingly written 。 。 。 Truly stunning。’ Andy Saunders， aviation historian
‘A rich and heartfelt tribute to this most iconic British machine。 Focusing on the men （and women） who flew the Spitfire， John Nichol has brought a fresh and powerful perspective to the story。 By recording their bravery， humility， camaraderie， tragedy and sheer joy in flying their beloved Spits he has done them， and us， a valuable service。’ Rowland White， author of Vulcan 607
‘A superb and compelling book。 Brilliantly written with some incredible and astonishing stories; it is gripping， moving， emotional and sometimes humorous – just perfect。’ Squadron Leader （Ret） Clive Rowley， former Officer Commanding RAF Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight
‘There are not many of us left， most of us who survive are over 95 and this is a story of young men。 We were the cutting edge of the ‘Shining Sword’ that Bomber Harris dubbed the Lancaster。 We survived the Bomber Offensive in which 55，573 — almost half — of our friends and colleagues gave their lives to stop Hitler ruling the world。 We are now a whole generation older than the young men and women who serve today and in a few years we will all be gone。 Historians will then be able to throw around their insouciant opinions about what we did with no contradiction by those who were there。 When we are gone our stories of flying and fighting the Lancaster should not die with us。 We are the last witnesses to the legend of the Lancaster and those who fought and died within its metal body。’ - Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Beetham
After its maiden flight on 5th January 1941， Lancaster chief test pilot Sam Browne said， ‘Oh boy， oh boy。 What an aircraft！’ With a maximum weight of over thirty tons， far heavier than the RAF’s previous generation of bomber， the standard version could lift， on average， 14，000lbs of bombs。 Britain was ready to take the aerial war to Nazi Germany in a deadly fashion。
During the course of the Second World War， 7，377 Lancaster bombers were built， flying a total of 156，000 sorties and dropped 618，378 tonnes of bombs on German cities such as Cologne， Hamburg， Berlin， and， of course， Dresden。 Only thirty-five Lancasters completed more than 100 operations， and 3，249 were lost in action。 The most successful， which completed 139 operations， was sent for scrap in 1947。 One seventh of all deaths suffered by the British during WWII were incurred by Bomber Command。 Over 50，000 aircrew were lost over the skies of Europe。
Now， John Nichol， Gulf War veteran， ex-POW in Iraq and Sunday Times bestselling author of Spitfire: A Very British Love Story reveals the true cost of flying this iconic and deadly airplane – through the few authentic voices of the RAF veterans who are left to us。
Reviews
Ellie
，
Wonderful history。 I've been lucky enough to live near the BBMF for a few years， moving to one of the old villages that had the Lancs flying out during the war， we live in the pub where many of the air men would have drank before flying out， so thought this was an important part of history to read up on。It doesn't disappoint， and I'm happy to recommend to everyone who has an interest。The audio book was brilliant。*Absolutely broke down in tears during parts of it。 Wonderful history。 I've been lucky enough to live near the BBMF for a few years， moving to one of the old villages that had the Lancs flying out during the war， we live in the pub where many of the air men would have drank before flying out， so thought this was an important part of history to read up on。It doesn't disappoint， and I'm happy to recommend to everyone who has an interest。The audio book was brilliant。*Absolutely broke down in tears during parts of it。 。。。more
Druss
，
Outstanding！ A superbLy researched and written book。 The stories are intertwined to tell the tales of the plane， it’s crews and its targets。 I listened to the audiobook which was a real win。 Great stuff
John Willis
，
Well written and superbly researched。 Deals with the controversial campaign to bomb German cities with sensitivity if not with an answer。 The stories of the pilots and aircrew are what makes the book。
David Blackburn
，
Thoroughly enjoying this book。 Nichol blends the stories （real） of the crew who flew and fought in these machines， with the story of the plane itself， and the bomber war in Europe。
David Walley
，
I expected a book about the development and use of the Lancaster in WWII。 It was much more than that。 Stories about airmen and WAAFs and even a little about the ground crews from all over the world。 About some of the prejudices they faced despite their willingness to risk their lives for the mother country。 Even stories about aircrew on the run from the Nazis and in POW camps。 An excellent book， hope that Spitfire by the same author will be just as good。
Roy Szweda
，
Was given this as a present because I would not buy such a treatment for myself， this is more for the general reader I feel。 What is in a title I often ask myself。 Well， in this case you know what you might find inside， the "forging" an odd blacksmithy term that， of a genuine legend， though I dislike that overused word in these frightfully overeager times。 In case you read this review and have not got the book I should read the flyleaf because this is about the crews and much less about the Avro Was given this as a present because I would not buy such a treatment for myself， this is more for the general reader I feel。 What is in a title I often ask myself。 Well， in this case you know what you might find inside， the "forging" an odd blacksmithy term that， of a genuine legend， though I dislike that overused word in these frightfully overeager times。 In case you read this review and have not got the book I should read the flyleaf because this is about the crews and much less about the Avro design and its utilisation let alone detail of its "forging" as a weapon of war warts and all because it was a machine with its faults as much as its successes。 But that aside， it was flown by the gutsiest men the commonwealth and others could provide and I have always had great respect for them not to mention gratitude。 So if you want to know how a handful of blokes took the war to the enemy when it was more or less all we could do until D-Day， in the West at least， this book will thrill and entertain but sadly it was not for me， sorry John。 。。。more
John Gribbin
，
One of the very best books about WW2， more about the people who flew in （and died in） Lancasters than the plane itself。 Highlights both their bravery and devotion to duty and the sometimes futile nature of what they were ordered to do。 By telling their stories without preaching John Nichol leaves you to make up your own mind about the morality of the area bombing campaign and whether the resources might have been better deployed; but there is no doubt about the courage and achievements of those One of the very best books about WW2， more about the people who flew in （and died in） Lancasters than the plane itself。 Highlights both their bravery and devotion to duty and the sometimes futile nature of what they were ordered to do。 By telling their stories without preaching John Nichol leaves you to make up your own mind about the morality of the area bombing campaign and whether the resources might have been better deployed; but there is no doubt about the courage and achievements of those who were at the sharp end of the campaign。 。。。more
Harry Alleva
，
Engaging and riveting from the first page to the last。 The Lancaster crews epitomized the greatest generation that ever lived。
Home Maynard
，
A powerful and profoundly moving account of the development of a bomber that became an icon of the RAF during WW2。 Nichols writes with an efficiency that puts him 'up there' with the best military historical writers， managing to achieve the balance between detail and human interest that draws you into his narrative and keeps the pages turning like the propellor of a Merlin engine。The way he links some of the aircrew accounts across the chapters makes this book almost seem like a novel at times， A powerful and profoundly moving account of the development of a bomber that became an icon of the RAF during WW2。 Nichols writes with an efficiency that puts him 'up there' with the best military historical writers， managing to achieve the balance between detail and human interest that draws you into his narrative and keeps the pages turning like the propellor of a Merlin engine。The way he links some of the aircrew accounts across the chapters makes this book almost seem like a novel at times， but it is in fact carefully researched accounts and archives that make this book of value to both the general reader and the researcher of aviation history。 A brilliant and exciting read！ 。。。more
Marc Storey
，
Excellent start to my non fiction reading list and will read his Spitfire later in the year。 Good insight in how it was to be onboard during the war and also great back story on the pilots and what happened in their lives around their tours of duty。 Highly recommended
Kevin
，
Very worthwhile addition to the bookshelf of any Lancophile， well-written & researched with some wonderful first hand accounts from those who flew in her。 Much more than a tale of the rivets and aluminium and steel from which the Lancs were built， this a story of the men and women who were invested in a much deeper way with WWIIs greatest 4 engine heavy bomber。 Highly recommended。
Shane
，
A balanced and well-presented history of one of the iconic - but often overlooked - aircraft of WW2。 I particularly enjoyed the detailed accounts from that Nichols used from those that used to fly the Lancaster。 At times， a gripping and poignant read that goes beyond a historical look at the aircraft and addresses both the necessities and horrors of aerial warfare。 Would absolutely recommend！
Nicholas Smart
，
Fantastic follow-up to Spitfire， and told in a similar vein。 It details the wonder of the Lancaster， its influence on WW2 and the heroism displayed by the many thousands of bomber crews。 The author’s style of writing brings home in graphic detail the life of this aircraft and its crews， in a way that makes it both emotional and a pleasure to read。
Rick
，
Review 75 - Lancaster by John NicholThis book is another fantastic read， written in the same style as this author's previous book， Spitfire。Written about the people who flew the Avro Lancaster bombers into harm's way during World War 2， this book tells of the danger and sacrifice these men went through。I didn't realise that out of the RAF bomber command force during World War 2， that almost 50% of them would not return and exactly how many planes would be lost during combat operations。This book Review 75 - Lancaster by John NicholThis book is another fantastic read， written in the same style as this author's previous book， Spitfire。Written about the people who flew the Avro Lancaster bombers into harm's way during World War 2， this book tells of the danger and sacrifice these men went through。I didn't realise that out of the RAF bomber command force during World War 2， that almost 50% of them would not return and exactly how many planes would be lost during combat operations。This book is fantastic and tells you what these men went through。 Cleverly split with pictures of the men whose stories he is telling， I will definitely consider this book as one of my go to books when it comes to time for a reread。If John Nichol has anymore plans to write books like this （which I think he does）， I will be buying them without hesitation and I can't recommend this book enough。*****5*🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 。。。more
Mark
，
A roller coaster of a book every bit as good as Spitfire。 Paying tribute to the brave men and women of Bomber Command and the mighty Lancaster。 I had the honour of meeting one of the vets in the book who was volunteering at the Battle of Britain memorial flight near Woodhall Spa。 The Lancaster crews had the highest fatality rate of WW2 they also got the most criticism and were accused of war crimes because of the Dresden and cologne bombings 。 However this book addresses it head on and although A roller coaster of a book every bit as good as Spitfire。 Paying tribute to the brave men and women of Bomber Command and the mighty Lancaster。 I had the honour of meeting one of the vets in the book who was volunteering at the Battle of Britain memorial flight near Woodhall Spa。 The Lancaster crews had the highest fatality rate of WW2 they also got the most criticism and were accused of war crimes because of the Dresden and cologne bombings 。 However this book addresses it head on and although in WW2 civilian casualties were high the cost of losing to the Nazis would have been a hundred times worse。 As with Spitfire it follows a group of RAF personnel and tells the stories of their war and their connections with the Lancasters they served along side。 。。。more
Robert Fletcher
，
A very moving read。
John Ollerton
，
Wonderful， A birthday present from my son。 Very moving， it’s hard to read when your eyes are filled up。 “When you go home， tell them of us and say: For your tomorrow， we gave our today。”
John McLaren-Stewart
，
Stunning。 So many stories of personal heroism， battling against fear and a stunningly high chance of death by nazi artillery， Luftwaffe， own plane collisions and so much more。 Gallantry， Resilience， Teamwork， Fear and Talent all working together to win the war。 I am humbled by all of the stories in this book。
T。O。 Munro
，