HERCULES

HERCULES 
by Scott Bateman

Following the 70th anniversary of the Hercules former RAF pilot, Scott Bateman, celebrates this iconic aircraft with a host of incredible & often dangerous missions that involved both the aircraft & its crews, as well as sharing some of the stories from his own career.

The Hercules has always been a personal favourite of mine. Like many fellow airshow spectators, I have watched in awe at this aircraft's incredible versatility for its size, as well as that infamous short take off & landing. 
This ability to land & take off so quickly allows Scott to reveal the  incredible story of how one Hercules repeatedly managed to land on and then take off from an aircraft carrier! Scott even suggests the reader can check out the footage on YouTube.
Imagine also the story of a near miss flying incident. On this occasion it was not with another aircraft, but a steam train!

The chapters continue to reveal the most extraordinary stories. From war zones to famines. Suicide bombings to hostage situations. If they haven't been previously published before, then this aircraft & so many of its brave crews have now been given a well deserved mention here.

Scott's narrative places readers in the heart of cockpit and in the centre of the action. It is a thrilling read that I read over just a few days and one I most strongly recommend. 

The paperback edition will be published on May 8th by Penguin Random House. 
My thanks to them for sending this review copy.

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