All the Fine Young Eagles - 2nd Edition by David L Bashow (Paperback)

About the Book

"During the six years of the Second World War, Canadian fighter pilots flew and fought with great distinction in every theatre of war to which Commonwealth fighter forces were deployed. All the Fine Young Eagles captures the spirit and magnitude of the Canadian contribution, which began in Europe's Low Countries in 1940 and ended among the Japanese Home Islands in 1945. In keeping with the country's developing autonomy, Canadians served in both RAF and RCAF units, fighting with great courage in their Spitfires, Hurricanes, Kittyhawks and Typhoons. All the Fine Young Eagles collects the wartime diaries and postwar reminiscences from a great variety of the Canadian fighter pilots who served in World War II. Their vivid first-hand accounts take the reader into the cockpit to experience dogfights, tactical manoeuvres, forced landings and injuries, as well as the often tedious periods between engagements. They also illuminate the day-to-day living conditions on base and include humorous accounts of the vivid personalities and lighter moments of wartime. To provide context for their stories, Bashow's authoritative voice offers both a large-scale historical framework and detailed information about tactics, equipment and people, including such famous flying aces as "Buzz" Beurling and "Moose" Fumerton. This updated second edition contains a substantial amount of new material that veterans have contributed since the publication of the first edition."--

Book Synopsis

During the six years of the Second World War, Canadian fighter pilots flew and fought with great distinction in every theatre of war to which Commonwealth fighter forces were deployed. All the Fine Young Eagles captures the spirit and magnitude of the Canadian contribution, which began in Europe's Low Countries in 1940 and ended among the Japanese Home Islands in 1945. In keeping with the country's developing autonomy, Canadians served in both RAF and RCAF units, fighting with great courage in their Spitfires, Hurricanes, Kittyhawks and Typhoons.

All the Fine Young Eagles collects the wartime diaries and postwar reminiscences from a great variety of the Canadian fighter pilots who served in World War II. Their vivid first-hand accounts take the reader into the cockpit to experience dogfights, tactical manoeuvres, forced landings and injuries, as well as the often tedious periods between engagements. They also illuminate the day-to-day living conditions on base and include humorous accounts of the vivid personalities and lighter moments of wartime.

To provide context for their stories, Bashow's authoritative voice offers both a large-scale historical framework and detailed information about tactics, equipment and people, including such famous flying aces as "Buzz" Beurling and "Moose" Fumerton.

This updated second edition contains a substantial amount of new material that veterans have contributed since the publication of the first edition.

Review Quotes

This rich collection of wartime diaries and postwar reminiscences of Canadian WWII fighter pilots provides important historical context for the pilots' role in the war from the spring of 1943 to the end of hostilities. ... This evocative account of the aerial war is an important contribution to historical records as veterans age and memories fade.-- "Publishers Weekly"

About the Author

David L. Bashow was born in Calgary, Alberta, in 1946. After graduation from UNB he joined the Canadian Air Force, flying the CF104 Starfighter for ten years on 439 Sqn. in Germany, 417 Sqn. Cold Lake, Alberta, and as an exchange FWIC instructor on the Fighting 69th in Phoenix, Arizona. He is the author of Starfighter (Fortress, 1991), as well as several books on Canadian air operations in WWII and WWI. Upon retiring from the military Bashow became the editor of the Canadian Military Journal and is also an associate professor of history at Royal Military College. Bashow lives with his wife Heather in Kingston, Ontario.