Book description
War makes heroes of men, but at what price? As the twentieth century
dawns, Guv Sutro, against his father's will, becomes a pioneer of
aviation, a fighter ace on the Western Front during the Great War and a
record-breaker between the wars. From his first flight in a primitive
glider over the fields of Sussex, helped by the dogged loyalty of his
friend Stan Kemp, he charts his ruthless course to fame and adulation.
But with the outbreak of World War Two 'the best of Old England' begins
to crumble. Guv's son Tim is fighting a more covert war, desperate to
shed the burden of his father's reputation, while Tim's childhood
companion Will Kemp, the son Guv felt he deserved, is fighting
heroically, against overwhelming odds, as a Spitfire pilot. The fates of
the men are bound together in the monumental ambitions and terrible
tragedies of an age of heroes. Frank Barnard trained as a journalist
before moving into public relations. He worked as managing director for
major international consultancies before quitting at 50 to write full
time and race cars. He is married with two children and four
grandchildren with whom he enjoys sailing and sea-fishing near his home
in Rye, Sussex.
