Brotherhood of the Skies

A British fighter pilot recounts his battles—in both wartime and peacetime. David Ince only managed to pass the RAF medical board on his third attempt—but this did not stop him from forging a highly successful aviation career. After flying Hurricanes and Mustangs at 41 OTU, he converted to Typhoons and flew with squadrons 193 and 257, from Normandy until the end of the conflict in Europe. He completed almost 150 sorties, and also took a leading part in trials, demonstrations, and the early operational use of napalm. In Brotherhood of the Skies, he recounts his story: his childhood as the son of a Great War veteran, moving from a farm to the squalid city of Glasgow; his determination to overcome obstacles in order to join the Royal Air Force; and his coming to terms after the war with his anger toward the enemy, as he went into the aircraft industry and formed relationships with ex-Luftwaffe pilots during peacetime. An outspoken examination of courage, fear, team spirit, and motivation—as well as a highly informed analysis of army cooperation, fighter ground attack, reconnaissance, and other topics—this is an intriguing memoir by a pilot and leader, filled with personal experience and hard lessons learned.