Book description
In May 1943, 617 Squadron RAF executed one of the most daring
operations in military history. Flying barely 50 feet above black marble
waters, Wing Commander Guy Gibson and his bombers mounted a raid against
hydro-electric dams in Germany. Bold, courageous and precise - 617
Squadron became a World War II legend.
Nearly seventy years later in April 2011, a new generation of elite
flyers followed their Dambuster heroes into the theatre of war. Now
flying supersonic Tornado GR4 bombers, 617 Squadron was deployed to
Kandahar, Afghanistan - their mission, to provide close air support to
troops engaged in brutal conflict on the ground.
Commanding 617 is new boss Keith Taylor. An operational veteran with
seven tours over Iraq, he knew that even with the latest cutting-edge
weapons and sensors, only rigorous flying standards and watertight
tactics would keep his young pilots safe. A full-throttle account of
daring feats in modern fast attack jets, this is also a very personal
story of a closely-knit band of men and women working under immense
pressure, where every decision could affect the lives of NATO troops and
an entire country's hopes for a better future.
Tim Bouquet was given unprecedented access to 617's pre-deployment
training at RAF Lossiemouth and blistering tour in Afghanistan. From
dramatic air strikes to the life-and-death search for IEDs and
low-flying shows of force designed to spook and drive insurgents from
civilian cover, he tracks every mission - and the skill, resilience,
banter and exceptional airmanship that see 617 through.
617 is the richest, most insightful and gripping account of the Royal
Air Force at war for a generation. Tim Bouquet is a journalist and
author and has reported on conflicts, organised crime and takeover
battles across the world for leading titles including the Telegraph Magazine
, The Times Magazine
, The Irish Times
and Esquire
. He also broadcasts and teaches journalism and creative writing. He
lives on the south coast of England.
