{"product_id":"the-complete-flying-officer-x-stories-9781448217366","title":"The Complete Flying Officer X Stories","description":"\u003cp\u003eAt thirty-four, H.E. Bates was deemed too old for active service in WWII. But as a successful author, was commissioned by the nascent RAP Public Relations unit to publicise the bravery of the fighter pilots. Bates was posted to Oakington and Tangmere air bases where, over drinks with the pilots, he gathered their stories and wrote them as \u003ci\u003eFlying Officer X\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe stories convey the pilots' personal qualities and the forces that motivated them. They blend the action and suspense of aerial battles, the tragedy of friendships cut off too soon, and life enduring against all odds. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCollected into one volume for the first time, along with five previously unpublished stories from the era, this is a remarkable collection. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eIncludes an introduction by Patrick Bishop, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eBomber Boys: Fighting Back 1940-1945\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eH. E. Bates\u003c\/b\u003e was born in 1905 in the shoe-making town of Rushden, Northamptonshire, and educated at Kettering Grammar School. After leaving school, he worked as a reporter and as a clerk in a leather warehouse. His most popular creation was the Larkin family which featured in five novels beginning with \u003ci\u003eThe Darling Buds of May\u003c\/i\u003e in 1958. The later television adaptation was a huge success. He was awarded a CBE in 1973, shortly before his death in 1974.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Reader","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52103666139410,"sku":"9781448217366","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_33b18256-17f0-4317-8f16-55aee7eadb52.jpg?v=1773152585","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-complete-flying-officer-x-stories-9781448217366","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}