August 1939.War is about to be declared in Europe.Roger Hallowes, an RAF sergeant pilot returns to the hangars with his comrades from B Squadron to see who else had returned from the latest attack. Only one more Blenheim had come in.Of the nine that had taken off, three had been shot down. One crashed on landing.One captain, one second pilot and two wireless operator-air gunners had been killed … two wireless operator-air gunners had been killed in the six which had survived the battle.
The mental arithmetic Roger did to calculate his chances of surviving another half-dozen operations gave him no comfort.
Three young men, Roger and his two cousins, share the last few precious days of peace with their families and friends.
Their carefree, comfortable lives are about to be shattered by the hardships and horrors of the Second World War.
‘Trial by Fire’ follows these men through the dramatic first year of war; the fall of France and the triumph of the Battle of Britain. It gives a comprehensive view of the early air operations whose outcome affected the whole future course of the war.
‘Trial by Fire’ is a gripping war story told from first-hand experience and a wide knowledge of the R.A.F in all its facets.
Praise for Richard Bickers:
‘A thrilling page turner.’ – Tom Kasey, best-selling author of ‘Trade Off’.
Richard Townsend Bickers volunteered for the RAF on the outbreak of the second world war and served, with a Permanent Commission, for eighteen years. He wrote a range of military fiction and non-fiction books, including ‘Torpedo Attack’, ‘My Enemy Came Nigh’, ‘Bombing Run’ and ‘Summer of No Surrender’.
Originally published as ‘The Gifts of Jove’.
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Thoroughly enjoyed the book. As a professional pilot I loved the description of every flying scene. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys history through the eyes of those making it.
did not include the entire book.
A ‘Brit’ book, a little dry but a good story of the early days of the Battle of Britain and the pilots who saved England from the Nazis. If you like a good war story, it’s worth a look.
The Battle of Britain and WWII’s beginning. From three different perspectives the bombers, fighters, and spitfires
An entertaining historical novel following 3 young Englishmen (2 brothers and their close cousin) who join the RAF at the beginning of WWII, chronicling their service through the Battle of Britain. The characters were engaging and the setting and dialogue seemed realistic. The combat sequences were understated, but that added to the novels charm. The author captured the sense of the time; the novel reads like it could have been written in 1939-40.
TRIAL BY FIRE. This was a very written era novel. Good flying sequences and real life drama. I enjoyed this book very much and recommend it to anyone that is interested in WWII and the lives of those that gave so much.
Enjoyed this book. First historical fiction I have read of the early second world war.
I liked reading the book but it just ended all of a sudden. It left me hanging.
Being clear to readers this is a novel telling a fictional family story. Not history. Also this book is one in a series and I chose not to continue the series after book one.
Learned about the early stages of the war in England. Good story, interesting characters.
Good read! If you enjoy reading history fiction based in Great Britain during the early days of WWll then you’ll love Trials by Fire
Dated, and with a full complement of British stiff upper lip. But still very engaging and interesting.
As a historical fiction it was very realistic. I was able to get into the heads of the characters and see the story unfold in there perspective. Better then I had expected
Absolutely recommend it. Page Turner from the beginning.
It was a good read.
Interesting story about the start of WW2 from the point of view of a set of RAF pilots. English dialog and language, not American English, does make the book more realistic. Looking forward to buying the followup books.
British slang and military jargon can be a little difficult.
Flushed this one at 15%. Read like a smarmy Wuthering Heights.
Like many books with British authors, I found this rather dry and hard to read. Finished it but towards the end I was glad it wasn’t longer. Was interesting and could have been really good
An interesting, but slightly troublesome read. Being written from the British perspective at the onset of WWll, the events are familiar although with much more granular detail. The trouble comes when deciphering the British vernacular, phrasing and relationships, especially as regards the various service branches and ranks. The Kindle’s dictionary is only occasionally helpful.