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Spitfire
- A Very British Love Story
- Narrated by: Andrew Wincott
- Length: 15 hrs and 57 mins
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Spitfire
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Summary
The Sunday Times nonfiction best seller.
Achtung, Spitfire!
The iconic Spitfire found fame during the darkest early days of World War II. But what happened to the redoubtable fighter and its crews beyond the Battle of Britain, and why is it still so loved today?
In late spring 1940, Nazi Germany’s domination of Europe looked unstoppable. With the British Isles in easy reach since the fall of France, Adolf Hitler was convinced that Great Britain would be defeated in the skies over her southern coast, confident his Messerschmitts and Heinkels would outclass anything the Royal Air Force threw at them. What Hitler hadn’t planned for was the agility and resilience of a marvel of British engineering that would quickly pass into legend - the Spitfire.
Best-selling author John Nichol’s passionate portrait of this magnificent fighter aircraft, its many innovations and updates and the people who flew and loved them carries the listener beyond the dogfights over Kent and Sussex. Spanning the full global reach of the Spitfire’s deployment during WWII, from Malta to North Africa and the Far East, then over the D-day beaches, it is always accessible, effortlessly entertaining and full of extraordinary spirit.
Here are edge-of-the-seat stories and heart-stopping firsthand accounts of battling pilots forced to bail out over occupied territory; of sacrifice and wartime love; of aristocratic female flyers; and of the mechanics who braved the Nazi onslaught to keep the aircraft in battle-ready condition. Nichol takes the listener on a hair-raising, nail-biting and moving wartime history of the iconic Spitfire populated by a cast of redoubtable, heroic characters that make you want to stand up and cheer.
Critic reviews
"The best book you will ever read about Britain's greatest warplane." (Patrick Bishop, best-selling author of Fighter Boys)
"A rich and heartfelt tribute to this most iconic British machine. By focusing on the men (and women) who flew the Spitfire, John Nichol has brought a fresh and powerful perspective to the story. And 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, best-selling author of Vulcan 607)
"As the RAF marks its centenary, Nichol has created a thrilling and often moving tribute to some of its greatest heroes." (Jon Dennis, Mail on Sunday magazine)
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What listeners say about Spitfire
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Badger
- 02-05-21
wow
yet again another awesome listening book, fantastically read, 10 stars out of 5, brilliant.
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- Craig
- 30-04-20
One word....
Superb..... But according too Audible I have to use 15 words... Lol. Stunning great read then. 😉👍
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- P. J.
- 19-09-21
Excellent
A fantastic account of the Spitfires development and role in WW2, wonderfully narrated by Andrew Wincott.
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1 person found this helpful
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- sibcald@aol.com
- 09-10-20
got to love a spitfire.
lovely book that captured the imagination. some heart racing and some tender moments.
Read prior to my flight in a spitfire... was not disappointed. book gave me a welcome prelude to the flight. can confirm that the spitfire is a lovely lady to fly.
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- JOOLES
- 20-11-18
A fitting tribute to a British Icon
I thoroughly recommend this book it was a great listen and not only was it well written it also contains heartwarming accounts from those that flew the aircraft during Second World War. John has certainly gone into a great deal of trouble to research and speak to as many people as he could. Listening to their words really does give you the full flavour of what it was like to fly a Spitfire and to live with the experience to the end of days. it was truly a great machine. Thank you John for writing such a good book.
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- Nigel
- 18-06-20
Outstanding book
As the title says... John Nichols has produced a fantastic piece of work, I cried, I laughed, I was shocked but most of all I loved! This book was/is brilliant from start to finish... the personal stories are truly engrossing, the plane is just a legend, the story behind it, its development through the war... just read/listen to it, its fantastic
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4 people found this helpful
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- geoff
- 16-08-19
spitfire
A different kind of book,very brave people indeed, everybody loves the spitfire.RAF greatest airplane undoubtedly
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 17-09-21
An utterly compelling listen
I enjoyed every moment of this book. It's packed full of stories and information. Once you start listening you won't want to stop.
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- Marcher Lord
- 23-11-22
the 20th centuries most iconic aircraft
Like many over a certain age, I was caught under the Spitfires spell. This book took me back to the stories heard during my childhood of one of Britain's saviours in 1940 when the jackboot regime across the English Channel threatened to enslave us.
Personal accounts from those who flew , maintained and otherwise associated with the Spitfire have been recorded here as less with first hand are still among us , their tales will survive in posterity for future generations. Well read from the pen of John Nicholl 👏
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- Ben Cookson
- 17-07-20
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Emotional. Beautifully described, written and read with the utmost respect for the men and woman that served and all that were affected by the war.
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4 people found this helpful