Wind in the Wires

A classic memoir of WWI flying Wind in the Wires, first published in 1933, paints a vivid picture of early war training and combat, from the already outmoded Maurice Farman Longhorn, to the relatively sophisticated Bristol B.E.2. After training at Shoreham as an eighteen-year-old Grinnell-Milne was posted in 1915 to 16 Squadron near Merville. His time was not happy, discipline and morale were poor. In May 1915 he was shot down and spent two years as a prisoner of war, finally escaping and returning to England. Officially banned from further fighting, he managed to return to the front to fly with the famed 56 Squadron, in an S.E.5a. The author's eye for detail, sense of humour, and his truly hair-raising experiences make this a charming and riveting read to rank with the greats of Cecil Lewis, Antoine de Saint-Exupery and Arthur Gould Lee.