Richard Pike (11)

The Lightning Boys: True Tales from Pilots of the English Electric Lightning

ISBN: 9781908117151

Author: Richard Pike    Publisher: Grub Street

According to a recent international study, the Lightning is the fifth most popular military aircraft of all time. It has many thousands of devotees who are a r...


According to a recent international study, the Lightning is the fifth most popular military aircraft of all time. It has many thousands of devotees who are a ready market for this timely and entertaining book which, with over twenty individual stories from former Lightning pilots, relates the highs and lows, the dramas and the demands of those who operated this iconic aircraft from the sharp end. Tales include the recollections of an aerobatic display pilot, an implausible yet true account of telepathic communication, and an extraordinary episode when a Lightning pilot on an exchange programme with the French Air Force became embroiled in a mid-air collision. An unverified yet probably genuine world record is revealed in one of the chapters. In addition to the original photographs that accompany the text, the renowned aviation artist Chris Stone (himself a former Lightning pilot) has provided a unique sketch as well as copies of some of his paintings. The style, scope and pace of the writing in this book will appeal to the general reader as well as to the enthusiast.


Pages: 224


Dimensions: 148 x 210 mm


Publication Date: 01-07-2011


Tag: Military
$59.99
Phantom Boys (PB)

ISBN: 9781911621881

Author: Richard Pike    Publisher: Grub Street

Originally developed for the US Navy, this twin-engined supersonic long-range fighter-bomber first flew in the spring of 1958. It then entered service for the U...


Originally developed for the US Navy, this twin-engined supersonic long-range fighter-bomber first flew in the spring of 1958. It then entered service for the US Navy in 1961, and in 1969 with the Fleet Air Arm and RAF in the UK. Regarded as one of the most versatile fighters ever built, the Phantom F-4 was the US Navy’s fastest and highest-flying aircraft. It was flown by both US military demonstration teams (Navy Blue Angels and the Air Force Thunderbirds) from 1969 to 1973. It ended its service in 1991 with the RAF. But it continued to serve a variety of air forces across the world, with some still in service fifty years after its first flight. Throughout the twenty chapters of this book, thirteen contributors will take readers across the world with adventures in the Falkland Islands, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the Far East and Germany. There are anecdotes of reconnaissance missions, encounters with the Russian Tupolevs, record-breaking flights and life on HMS Ark Royal.


Bind: paperback


Pages: 224


Dimensions: 156 x 234 mm


Publication Date: 30-04-2020


Tag: Military
$35.00
Lightning Boys 2 (PB)

ISBN: 9781911621065

Author: Richard Pike    Publisher: Grub Street

The sequel to the bestselling The Lightning Boys, Lightning Boys 2, now available in paperback for the first time, is a must-have companion and continues the th...


The sequel to the bestselling The Lightning Boys, Lightning Boys 2, now available in paperback for the first time, is a must-have companion and continues the theme of tales from pilots and other crew connected with this iconic aircraft, giving a rare insight into post-war fighter operations. In twenty separate stories to intrigue, amaze and amuse, the book has also been compiled and written by Richard Pike. The reader is taken to situations as diverse as intercepting sixty plus enemy aircraft, a desperate struggle in a cockpit flooded by tropical downpours, the difficulties of being affected by sudden and painful toothache at high altitude, and the curious encounter with an unidentified flying object. Yet another chapter paints a dramatic reconstruction of a scene in Germany when a Lightning, having entered an inadvertent, out-of-control spin, began an earthwards plunge towards a town centre.


Bind: paperback


Pages: 186


Dimensions: 153 x 234 mm


Publication Date: 20-06-2018


Tag: Military
$35.00
Hunter Boys (PB)

ISBN: 9781911621034

Author: Richard Pike    Publisher: Grub Street

Now in paperback! From Richard Pike, author of Grub Street’s bestselling Lightning Boys series, comes Hunter Boys, a fascinating insight into the experiences ...


Now in paperback! From Richard Pike, author of Grub Street’s bestselling Lightning Boys series, comes Hunter Boys, a fascinating insight into the experiences of those who flew the iconic Hawker Hunter – an aircraft known affectionately to many as ‘Queen of the Skies’. Now in paperback for the first time. In fifteen separate chapters, pilots’ stories of the dramas and demands of this incredible aircraft, which changed the future of fighter development, are related in distinctive style, including experiences of the legendary test pilot Neville Duke. One chapter details the remarkable tale of a pilot who flew an unauthorised sortie under London’s Tower Bridge at the time of the 50th anniversary of the Royal Air Force. In another, the realities of war are recounted in a poignant personal account taken from diaries penned at the time of the 1971 Indo/Pakistan conflict. Further chapters describe individual experiences of flying in places as diverse as Aden, Gibraltar, Jordan and Kenya. The exceptional performance of this aircraft is evident throughout as is its well-renowned lengthy service life with the RAF and internationally. The scope, flair and pace of the writing in this book will appeal to the general reader as well as to the enthusiast.


Bind: paperback


Pages: 186


Dimensions: 153 x 234 mm


Publication Date: 31-05-2018


Tag: Military
$35.00
Lightning Boys (PB)

ISBN: 9781911621027

Author: Richard Pike    Publisher: Grub Street

First published in 2011 to wide acclaim, Lightning Boys is now available in paperback for the first time as part of Grub Street’s fantastic new Jet Age Series...


First published in 2011 to wide acclaim, Lightning Boys is now available in paperback for the first time as part of Grub Street’s fantastic new Jet Age Series. In an international study, the Lightning was voted the fifth most popular military aircraft of all time. It has many thousands of devotees who are a ready market for this entertaining book which relates the highs and lows, the dramas and the demands of those who operated this iconic aircraft from the sharp end. Tales include the recollections of an aerobatic display pilot, an implausible yet true account of telepathic communication, and an extraordinary episode when a Lightning pilot on an exchange programme with the French air force became embroiled in a mid-air collision. An unverified yet probably genuine world record is also revealed in one of the chapters. In addition to the 16-page photo section, the book features a unique sketch from renowned aviation artist Chris Stone – who is a former Lightning pilot. The style, scope and pace of the writing will appeal to the general reader as well as to the enthusiast.


Bind: paperback


Pages: 192


Dimensions: 153 x 234 mm


Publication Date: 31-05-2018


Tag: Military
$35.00
Helicopter Boys

ISBN: 9781910690550

Author: Richard Pike    Publisher: Grub Street

Helicopter Boys is the latest addition to Grub Street’s Boys series from acclaimed author Richard Pike, exploring the role of helicopters in military and civi...


Helicopter Boys is the latest addition to Grub Street’s Boys series from acclaimed author Richard Pike, exploring the role of helicopters in military and civilian situations. With over fourteen contributors, Helicopter Boys contains stories of the diverse nature of helicopter operations. From the dramatic war scenes during the Indo/Pakistani war which saw one pilot’s actions earn him a VrC gallantry award to the experience of Chinook pilots on board the Atlantic Conveyor during the Falklands War. Then there are the civilian tales from rescue missions in the Outer Hebrides to being a pilot across the world in places such as Australia and Nigeria. There is also a focus on the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988 which saw the loss of 167 lives. The book ends with Pike’s experiences in Kosovo, helping to distribute emergency humanitarian aid on behalf of the United Nations World Food Programme shortly after the war ended in 1999. Each story is told with great detail conveying the action and excitement that helicopter pilots experienced with each operation. The scope, flair and pace of the writing in this book will appeal to the general reader as well as to the enthusiast.


Bind: hardback


Pages: 192


Dimensions: 156 x 234 mm


Publication Date: 31-05-2018


Tags: Military   Transport
$55.00
The Phantom Boys: Vol 2

ISBN: 9781910690390

Author: Richard Pike    Publisher: Grub Street

The highly anticipated follow-up to Phantom Boys is here! Once again Richard Pike has brought together brilliant, hitherto unpublished, accounts across eighteen...


The highly anticipated follow-up to Phantom Boys is here! Once again Richard Pike has brought together brilliant, hitherto unpublished, accounts across eighteen chapters. And now there is coverage of the Americans. So, with both British and American perspectives, Phantom Boys 2 is packed with exhilarating action.From combat in the Vietnam War to life after the Falklands War, readers will experience a variety of wartime and peacetime tales. An array of narratives from air and ground crew cover adventures across the world; from the UK, US and Germany to the Far East. It also includes the fascinating story of one female fighter controller's chance to fly in a Phantom during the 1970s.Throughout the book Richard Pike captures the drama and emotion of life in the cockpit. With such detailed stories, readers will be gripped by this captivating book.


Bind: hardback


Pages: 184


Dimensions: 156 x 234 mm


Publication Date: 01-07-2017


Tag: Military
$49.99
Phantom Boys

ISBN: 9781909808225

Author: Richard Pike    Publisher: Grub Street

From Richard Pike, best-selling author of Hunter Boys and The Lightning Boys series comes the newest addition to Grub Street's popular Boys series; Phantom Boys...


From Richard Pike, best-selling author of Hunter Boys and The Lightning Boys series comes the newest addition to Grub Street's popular Boys series; Phantom Boys. Originally developed for the US Navy, this twin-engined supersonic long-range fighter-bomber first flew in the spring of 1958. It then entered service for the US Navy in 1961, and in 1969 with the Fleet Air Arm and RAF in the UK. Regarded as one of the most versatile fighters ever built, the Phantom F-4 was the US Navy's fastest and highest-flying aircraft. It was flown by both US military demonstration teams (Navy Blue Angels and the Air Force Thundercats) from 1969 to 1973. It ended its service in 1991 with the RAF. But it continued to serve a variety of air forces across the world, with some still in service fifty years after its first flight. Throughout the twenty chapters of this book, thirteen contributors will take readers across the world with adventures in the Falkland Islands, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the Far East and Germany. There are anecdotes of reconnaissance missions, encounters with the Russian Tupolevs, record-breaking flights and life on HMS Ark Royal.The scope, flair and pace of the writing in this book will appeal to the general reader as well as to the enthusiast.


Bind: hardback


Pages: 192


Dimensions: 156 x 234 mm


Publication Date: 15-06-2015


Tags: Military   Transport
$55.00
The Lightning Boys 2

ISBN: 9781909166134

Author: Richard Pike    Publisher: Grub Street

The sequel to the best-selling The Lightning Boys, Lightning Boys 2 is a must-have companion and continues the tales from pilots and other crew connected with t...


The sequel to the best-selling The Lightning Boys, Lightning Boys 2 is a must-have companion and continues the tales from pilots and other crew connected with this iconic aircraft, giving a rare insight into postwar fighter operations. In 20 separate stories to intrigue, amaze and amuse, the book has also been complied and written by Richard Pike.
The reader is taken to situations intercepting 60 plus enemy aircraft, a desperate struggle in a cockpit flooded by tropical downpours, the difficulties of being affected by sudden toothache at high altitude, and the curious encounter with an unidentified flying object. Yet another chapter paints a dramatic reconstruction of a scene in Germany when a Lightning, having entered an inadvertent, out-of-control spin, began an earthwards plunge towards a town centre.


Bind: hardback


Pages: 192


Dimensions: 156 x 234 mm


Publication Date: 18-06-2018


Tag: Military
$55.00
Alfie's War

ISBN: 9781908117410

Author: Richard Pike    Publisher: Grub Street

Written in three parts, and as a sequel to "Seven Seas, Nine Lives", Richard Pike continues the remarkable experiences of Captain AWF 'Alfie' Sutton CBE DSC and...


Written in three parts, and as a sequel to "Seven Seas, Nine Lives", Richard Pike continues the remarkable experiences of Captain AWF 'Alfie' Sutton CBE DSC and bar RN.
During events which come as close to fiction as is imaginable, the first part describes how Alfie, badly injured and close to death during the bombing of HMS Illustrious by the Luftwaffe in January 1941, wakes to find himself laid out amongst the dead, but miraculously still able to help the ship on to Malta.
After full recovery, part two starts with his involvement in the Allied campaign in Greece in the spring of 1941, leading to him eventually evacuating the Greek royal family in a flying boat. After numerous escapades he fights with the defenders during the German invasion of Crete in 1941.
Admiral Cunningham was later to describe Sutton's efforts as "an example of grand personal courage under the worst possible conditions which stands out brightly in the gloom."
It was a struggle doomed to failure, but Alfie survived to continue his war and tell his story to author Richard Pike who relates it here with passion, pace and drama.


Bind: hardback


Pages: 192


Dimensions: 156 x 234 mm


Publication Date: 30-08-2012


Tag: Military
$55.00
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