John Hickman

Reluctant Hero (eBook, ePUB)

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

John tells the true story about his Dad, Bill's involvement in the Second World War. Bill grew up in the slums of Notting Hill, London and left school at fourteen. Despite his insecurities and self-doubt, while still in his late teens, and against all odds, he qualified as a skilled fighter pilot. Due to his lack of family connections he was assigned to the 'Bomber Boys' where thrust from boyhood to air combat veteran in just two years.
He desperately wanted to belong to the 'establishment' but rebelled against the powers-that-be when he realised how expendable they thought he was. Victim of their class conscious attitudes, he was unwilling to toe their line and so they punished him!
For this and his outspoken anti-establishment views he was penalised, but continued to cheat death many times. Needless to say he was held in high regard by his crew.
Loss of life and planes was horrendous and to Bill's mind largely unnecessary. His attitude towards death in combat changed dramatically after he met and married John's mother to be, Alice.
After the raid over Dresden in February 1945, he became angry at the cover-ups, corruption and myriad of lies. Authorities disputed claims that British planes carried out machine-gun attacks on the civilian population but Bill knew otherwise!
Against all odds he survived the war, physically but was dreadfully scarred emotionally.
After serving his country he was finally dismissed without a commission or a job. Even told he was unfit to fly!
Angry and bitter at the age of 23, with a wife and child to support he needed to move on. Disillusioned, he decided to become wealthy and sell diamonds to Americans. This is the true story of how his combat experiences, especially the bombing of Dresden, changed the course of his and his family's life.
A no holds barred book that's honest about the role of Lancaster Bombers in the Second World War, one that challenges most preconceptions. A book not afraid to be honest about war.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: John Hickman
• Erscheinungstermin: 4. April 2011
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9780987094506
• Artikelnr.: 48239071

Autorenporträt

John Hickman was born in the UK at the end of WWII. He grew up in the shadow of his war hero father, Bill.
Attending numerous schools due to the family moving for Bill's work, John learned quickly to enjoy the most of the moment, and to not take life too seriously. His books are a glimpse into his world and the imagination that has grown from those life experiences.
After specialising in global pest control, fumigation, and timber preservation, John and his family diversified into farming Javan Rusa deer, in the South Burnett.
After retirement in 2003 and unable to play golf, he discovered a latent passion for writing.
John's first book 'Reluctant Hero' is about his Dad, Bill, who survived as a Lancaster bomber pilot in WW2.
John's second book 'Tripping Over' depicts the humorous side of life in post war England.
It provides a comic foil to his 'Reluctant Hero' reminiscent of a true life 'Diary Of A Wimpish Kid' during the 1950s and 1960s.
'Sex, Lies & Crazy People' is the follow on from 'Tripping Over'.
John tells the Bittersweet true story about his family's involvement in the Harewood Hotel, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent in England during the 1960s interspersed with self-deprecating reminisces. Best described as a true life Fawlty Towers but without Basil.
Unlike Fawlty Towers John's are all true stories.
'Living Upside Down' is John's debut novel to feature the adventures of Sue and Roger, after writing three true stories this novel was inspired in part by the author's thirty-five years of experience in the global pest control industry, life in the Archipelago, and migrating as ten pound poms.
Given the gift of LIFE - other books may follow about how not to run a Deer farm, and after retirement his life at the pointy end of the queue in a Happy Valley resort.