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Spitfire Women of World War II | 
| Author: Giles Whittell
Publisher: HarperPerennial
Category: Book
List Price: £8.99
Buy New: £4.49
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Avg. Customer Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 14909
Media: Paperback
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5 x 1
ISBN: 0007235364
EAN: 9780007235360
ASIN: 0007235364
Publication Date: July 1, 2008
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Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
 Unmissable for anyone interested in aviation history October 14, 2008
This is one of the most fascinating stories I have read this year, no it's not highly technical (There are many technical Tours de Force on the Spitfire). Instead it concentrates on the politics and personalities surrounding the remarkable decision to allow women to fly combat aircraft in WW2, and the uniquely challenging conditions under which they did so, traveling from as far away as South Africa and Chile.
It also contains some superbly evocative photographs. (Even though the front cover shows not just a Spitfire & a Hurricane but an ME109! (Actually, it's a Spanish built HA-112, with a Spitfire engine!)
Page-turner of a read and fascinating August 29, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
By coincidence I'd just read Diana Barnato Walker's autobiography when I came across this book. Very much enjoyed the additional insights from other pilots and also it helped that the author was also able to put things in historical context. I found the book a real "page-turner" and full of amusing stories and gossip.
I enjoyed reading it even more than I did DBW's own account and also Jeffrey Quill's and Alex Henshaw's biographies which I also read in the past few months.
 spitfire August 10, 2008
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
Thisbook is good as far as it goes but it dosnt go nearly far enough.164 women from allover the world joined theAir Transport Auxillary to fly fighters and bomers that were unarmed and without radio control.139 survived the war and 15 died flying. Nomention is made of the other 10. Fifteen ssrvivors were interviewed while the remainder of the book seems to deal with material from other publications. It is noted thecImperial War Museums archives were searched but not the RAFs.The book should have a line listing of all the women with their flying details and final outcome.
Not one for the flying enthusiast July 22, 2008
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
Lots of family history and background, lots of politics, lots of the social line and back stabbing and bitching. Almost no flying.
If you want to read about flying activity don't buy this book.
Rebuttal! May 6, 2008
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
No idea what these bad reviews are about - I found the book absolutely fascinating, well-researched and engagingly written. Nothing can take away from the sheer guts these women had, and the book inadvertently gives a vivid picture of just how much death permeated everyday life during the War: colleagues, friends, loved ones - and one's self, of course - could cease to exist at any moment, frequently quite horribly. It very eloquently shows women living under such terrific strain while behaving with almost incomprehensible bravery in fulfilling their own missions.
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