Squadron Leader Mike Harrison watches another Spitfire disappear into the morning haze over the English Channel. The year is 1943, and his fighter squadron operates from a grass airfield near the coast. Every day brings new orders to escort bombers deep into occupied Europe or sweep for German fighters over the Channel. Harrison knows the mathematics of aerial combat. He has seen too many empty beds in the barracks and too many letters written to mothers back home. The younger pilots arrive eager for glory, but Harrison understands that survival depends on discipline, teamwork, and luck. When a major offensive requires his squadron to fly multiple sorties against heavily defended targets, Harrison must balance his duty to complete the mission with his responsibility to bring his men home alive. The war demands everything from these airmen, but some prices prove too high to pay.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, military-fiction, adventure, action, aviation
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: duty-over-self, found-family
Setting: England, English Channel, Europe
Period: 1943
Paperback · Halsgrove
Content warnings: death, war