Wind in the Wires and An Escaper’s Log: A British Pilot’s Classic Memoir of Aerial Combat, Captivity and Escape during the Great War

Duncan Grinnell-Milne was one of that select band of young men who made history in the air between 1915 and 1918 when they learned to fly in machines that resembled box-kites and laid the foundations of aerial combat which future generations would follow. He became a flying ace, with six confirmed aerial victories, and he spent two years as a prisoner of war before escaping from German captivity to fly and fight again. He took part in the great aerial offensive of 1918 which contributed to the winning of the war. The two books he wrote about the war in the air, his capture and escape are among the most exciting accounts by a pilot of the Royal Flying Corps – they are classics of their kind.

Endorsements

‘We have no hesitation in ranking it with the very best of the war books.’ Daily Telegraph

‘Wind in the Wires is a war book in class by itself…. From beginning to end the book a lure to read…outstanding.’ Flight

‘An addition to the number of books about flying needs more excuse than the mere subject of air fighting. This book is excused by the charm of the author’s style, by his judgment in pruning his story, and by the interest which his own personality arouses.’ Manchester Guardian

‘The most interesting and attractive quality of the book is the fact that it gives a graphic account of the fledgling days of wartime flying. When the time comes for the great writer of the future to compose a comprehensive narrative of the war, this is one of the books that will help him acquire a true perspective.’ Nottingham Guardian