Mosquito cover art

Mosquito

The RAF's Legendary Wooden Wonder and Its Most Extraordinary Mission

Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 months free
Try for £0.00
£8.99/mo thereafter. Renews automatically. Terms apply. Offer ends 31 July 2025 at 23:59 GMT.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

Mosquito

By: Rowland White
Narrated by: Roy McMillan
Try for £0.00

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends 31 July 2025 23:59 GMT. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Built of lightweight wood, powered by two growling Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, impossibly aerodynamic, headspinningly fast and armed to the teeth, the de Havilland Mosquito was the war-winning wonder that should never have existed: the aircraft the RAF didn't think it wanted then couldn't do without.

Flying on operations barely eighteen months after a single prototype was ordered off the drawing board, it was the answer to its pilots' prayers: a stunningly versatile warplane capable of leaving the Luftwaffe in its wake to attack when and where the enemy was least expecting it.

Excelling as a spyplane, night-fighter and pathfinder for Bomber Command's heavies the Mossie's reputation was cemented by a series of daredevil bombing raids across occupied Europe, including on Berlin itself, where only surprise, speed and precision could ensure success.

So when Churchill's top secret Special Operations Executive needed to destroy the Gestapo HQ in the centre of downtown Copenhagen to prevent a devastating Nazi last stand that might prolong the war for many months, there was only one machine for the job - the Mosquito.

This is the story of that legendary aircraft told through that one impossible mission.

Like Rowland White's previous books, Mosquito is an unputdownable mix of utterly compelling storytelling, incredible human stories and fascinating technological detail, which sheds never-before-told light on a pivotal mission that helped bring the war to its bloody and brutal close.

©2023 Rowland White (P)2023 Penguin Audio
Engineering History History & Culture Military Aviation War Thought-Provoking Winston Churchill Technology Air Force

Listeners also enjoyed...

Cinderella Boys cover art
Winkle cover art
Mosquito Men cover art
Eject! Eject! cover art
Clean Sweep cover art
Lancaster cover art
Enemy Coast Ahead cover art
One of Our Submarines cover art
The Weimar Years cover art
The Convoy cover art
Hazard Spectrum cover art
2SAS cover art
Concorde cover art
Churchill’s Few cover art
War's End cover art
Black Snow cover art

Critic reviews

'Exciting and breathtakingly pacy.' (Andy McNab)

'A masterwork of narrative history.' (Clive Cussler)

All stars
Most relevant  
the sizes of these lads undergarge must be so big they would need a wheelbarrow to go anywhere. I didn't realise just how much Denmark had gone through before. the narrator was on the mark no over the top accents or dull no excitement reading.

50ft no taller than a block of flats in London.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I enjoyed the depth and breadth of this fascinating story. The challenges of flying low-level pinpoint air attacks were well described, as wear the effects of the raid on various protagonists. A moving and thought-provoking book.

A fascinating and moving story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

My great uncle was a hurricane pilot in the 608 squadron and I have a keen interest in WW2 history. This book is amazing and extremely well researched as well as being well narrated and informative. A truly incredible aircraft and set of missions it did. Very sad only 1 remains flying today.

Amazing aircraft and fantastic story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Fascinating story brilliantly told and narrated. Exceeded my expectations
Would definitely recommend anyone interested in Second World War aviation/ SOE / story of Danish resistance in WW2

Fantastic Read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A truly outstanding book which takes you on an amazing journey through the development of the Mosquito to the daring daylight raids and tells the story of the amazing individuals involved, thank you!

Outstanding!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Possibly one of the most detailed, concise, well read and above all, empathetic accounts of an aeroplane and operation that has fascinated me since boyhood. Absolutely recommend.

Excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A riveting listen. The story of an iconic flying machine, de Havilland’s brilliance and the amazing individual and collective accomplishments of those who were associated with it and affected by The Mosquito. Brilliant!

Riveting!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I have to assume that the writer has thoroughly researched the events and has only added verbal commentary to embellish the story. I am in awe of the efforts those concerned had to endure, the heroism of the pilots, their crews, the planners and the ground crews, and of the civilians who faced unimaginable horrors. And of course a fitting testament to a remarkable aircraft.
An excellent listen, narrated with reverence to the horrors of war.

A remarkable account of dogged determination, courage and tenacity.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A long listen but never dull. I really enjoyed an episode of WW2 that I was unfamiliar with.

A very good listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

An impressive and wonderfully told account of the precision bombing missions that the Mosquito Squadrons of Number 140 Wing of the Second Tactical Air Command, Number 2 Group flew during the Second World War over Denmark. The account of the Mosquito operations is told along with the Danish resistance operations in the country and how the Mosquito missions were carried out to help thwart the German Gestapo and SS interrogations and torture of captured resistance operators. The description of the missions are so vivid that it is easy to imagine yourself in the cockpit of the aircraft as they make the approach to the targets. The book portrays the courage and determination of the crews who flew these pinpoint difficult missions. The story is superbly narrated by Roy McMilan who's voice portrays the tension and heroism of these heroic airmen and resistance fighters.

Mosquito Precision Operations

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews