In ‘A Good Clean Fight’, the pilots have replaced their Hawker Hurricanes with Curtiss P-40 Tomahawks and Kittyhawks – the prequel is ‘Piece of Cake’ – but Derek Robinson’s penchant for black humour is unerring, and the story all the better for it. This book steers clear of glamourous stereotypes, preferring instead to convey its heroes’ misery as they fight in blast-furnace heat, covered with flies. Through believable characters, Robinson voices many unpopular theories about what’s happening in the war and why, as the RAF Hornet Squadron arrives in Egypt and takes on an ambitious campaign to provide aerial support for an SAS troop, working in Libya. It’s sobering, it won’t appeal to everyone – but it is still a gripping and highly entertaining read.
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