Casemate has a long history of publishing high quality military
history non-fiction. Lately, they have expanded their range of work to
include well written novels using wartime settings. - WWII History
MagazineYoung pilots of the Royal Flying Corps take to the air above the
Sinai desert in 1916 to fight German pilots flying far superior
aircraft. Will their determination and aggressive spirit be enough to
prevail?
Phillip Parotti's new novel offers fast-paced action in the skies over
the Sinai desert in 1916. Lieutenant Devlin Collins, an Irish-American
flier in the Royal Flying Corps, expecting to fly on the Western Front,
instead finds himself flying antiquated two-seater bomber and photo
reconnaissance missions over the Egyptian desert against the forces of
the Central Powers which are trying to capture the Suez Canal. Pitted
against German machines which are up-to-date and well equipped, the men
of the RFC fight at a considerable disadvantage as they go forth to meet
their enemy, but committed to their cause and with aggressive spirit, no
matter how great the stress of battle, they proceed and prevail,
continually forcing the Turks and Germans back as the army moves slowly
toward Palestine.
Constantly endangered by superior German machines, facing incessant
ground fire during their bombing and strafing attacks, Dev and his
fellow pilot Crisp drive home their attacks with unremitting
determination. In the off hours from combat, Dev discovers that he has a
particular talent for planning his flight's air raids. This talent
manifests itself completely in the campaign's culminating attack on the
German redoubts at the battle of Magdhaba, an attack so successful that
when the pilots are finally pulled back for a rest after a year of
fighting, Dev is promoted and invited onto the staff at GHQ is order to
apply his expertise to air planning as the army moves on Gaza with the
intention of driving into Palestine.