Bolts from the Blue: From Cold War Warrior to Chief of the Air Staff

摘要

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Johns originally intended his book Bolls from the Blue: From Cold War Warrior to Chief of the Air Staff to be an autobiography for his grandchildren. In this, it succeeds magnificently. Thirty years and 250 pages cover a career of varied and exciting flying as an officer in the RAF: from his early training at Cranwell; to close-quarters combat training at night in Javelins; to supersonic Hunters doing fighter reconnaissance in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula; and then to flying and commanding the most challenging of airframes, the vertical take-off Harrier. The book also reveals the background to these events - a rich tapestry of travel to different postings, around every two years or less. The book is hugely illuminating for those outside the air force profession.