Winkle: The Extraordinary Life of Britain’s Greatest Pilot

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Brown rubbed shoulders with myriad people throughout his life, from “the Royal family to Shirley Bassey to astronauts to German war criminals”. He even performed on stage with the legendary Glenn Miller Orchestra in late 1944. The big revelation is that Brown's origins were far more humble than he ever admitted. And in the class-conscious Royal Navy, that was not a career-enhancing situation. Especially when you are a Naval Aviator, the sort of person who had limited career prospects to begin with in the RN. (I will state categorically that had Brown flown for the USN, he would have made Rear Admiral. The only question is whether he would have retired as Commander, Naval Air Test Center - or as Commander, Naval Air Systems Command.)

The end product is ‘compelling, fascinating and frequently jaw-dropping’ says James Holland and who am I to argue? During the war, Brown’s fluency in German and expertise on aircraft made him valuable in interviewing many important figures, including captured German pilots – gathering crucial information about their aircraft, tactics and training. As a fellow airman, he knew the right questions to ask, consequently gaining invaluable insights.

Harris’s exciting and suspenseful novel takes its cue from a little-known historical development. In 1660, when King Charles II was restored to the throne, he passed the Indemnity and Oblivion Act, forgiving his enemies save those who had been complicit in his father’s execution, who were duly hunted down and (in most cases) killed. Harris follows two, equally compelling, narratives: that of the regicides Edward Whalley and William Goffe, fleeing across the world, and the vengeful royalist Richard Nayler, intent on pursuing them. If only all historical thrillers could be this entertaining. Eric said the only thing that got him was when it came to being rescued. As he climbed up the side of the warship, he banged his legs because of the swell and took the skin off.”

It would also have been interesting to read more of Brown's post-Naval career. I'm surprised that he did not wind up employed by one of the major American companies...or as a contract instructor at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. It was partly for his service on board Audacity that Brown was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. 6. He tested experimental Nazi planes Eric must have looked a bit forlorn, so Glenn asked him, ‘Can you play an instrument?’ Of course, Eric couldn’t, but he said, ‘I can play the drums’, which is actually not true. So, he became the second drummer and just drummed away.” Captain Eric Brown, RN, is one of the titans of flight testing. Nearly 500 types in his logbook, around 3,000 arrested landings, and a reputation as the greatest carrier suitability test pilot in history. This book is a good biography of him, with some revelations...but also some surprising gaps.

Brown had two favourite aircrafts. When it came to piston-engined planes, Brown favoured the de Havilland Hornet (which he said was “over-powered” and like a “Ferrari in the sky”); when it came to jets, Brown preferred the F-86 Sabre Model E (which had a moving tailplane that helped pilots manoeuvre at very high speeds). 10. Brown flew more aircraft than anyone else in history