Under An English Heaven by Robert Radcliffe is the best kind of novel; it sweeps you up and puts you right in the middle of the action. Set in World War II England, Radcliffe evokes a bygone time filled with scary missions in a B17 bomber, the Misbehavin' Martha. The characters are real; the missions are daring; the plot is entirely believable.
I admit that one reason I found this book so intriguing is that my own father was a tailgunner in a B17, the Wait For Me. He was stationed at Polebrook in 1943 and flew 30 missions before returning to the States. While I was too young and ignorant to ask him to tell me much of his experiences before he passed away, I do recall him laughingly telling us about taking a cab into London on a 3 day pass, hoping to see the "circus"--Piccadilly Circus, that is. For a farmboy from Iowa, he was experiencing things I can only dream about. This book helped me to see at least some of those experiences.
This book is gorgeously written, full of vibrant people who crawled into my heart immediately. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Do yourself a favor and track it down. It's worth it.
My amazon review can be found at http://tinyurl.com/4q4n47.
~taminator40
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