This was a disappointment! Mr Robinson seems to have a low opinion of RAF officers. I don't think this story is a true depiction of RAF types of that era. I know some were like this and they were not all fair haired blue eyed boys doing the right thing and having a wizard prang. However, having spent more years then I care to remember wearing a blue suit (!) I was fortunate in being trained as a cadet by the men who survived the war. Most of them were ex bomber pilots/navigators/engineers/bomb-aimers/gunners/wireless operators etc. None of them were remotely like the characters in this book. Of course, they may have been transformed by their experiences and certainly were. Had they ever been like Langham or Silko? Frankly, I doubt it. It took me a long time to wade my way through this novel, partly because it was not ringing true most of the time. Partly because I had the feeling the author was somehow having a pop at people he didn't really like. I wonder if he had some unpleasant experiences with officers during his RAF service and it was his way of getting his revenge. If so it was a Pretty Poor Show, not a damned good show. The only character in this book that rang true from my experience, was the Group Captain. He was vaguely like my first flying instructor who was a former Mosquito pilot but a mere Flight Lieutenant - albeit with DFC and bar! Skull Skelton, the Intelligence Officer seemed to have been borrowed. Unless I'm very much mistaken, the 'brains' on 633 Squadron of Fredrick E Smith's creation was Skull Skelton. Maybe he had been posted from there as well!To me, this book was a parody of the reality. A line-shoot at best, a Mickey-take at worst. It trivialised the efforts of a lot of brave and unsung heroes and left a sour taste in my mouth.One to avoid like flak!
Surprisingly funny: April 1, 1940 began with a Tannoy message that crackled and droned throughout the camp as men walked to breakfast. "Attention. All code-letters for aircraft have been changed in order to improve communications with the French Air Force. With immediate effect, A-Able is changed to A-Ingénieux and B-Baker to B-Boulanger. C-Charlie has been deleted. D-Dog is now D-Chien. E-Easy is E-Facile, et cetra. A full list is being circulated. Anyone requiring assistance with French pronunciation, report to the orderly room."In some ways, less cynical, more weary, than author's more famous work.
What do You think about Damned Good Show (2002)?
Set in the early years of the British bombing campaign of World War Two, ‘Damned Good Show’ tells the story of a fictional bomber squadron flying Hampden and Wellington bombers. Robinson seems to know his stuff and the book feels very authentic, right down to the planes’ individual flying characteristics. Rather than tell the story through a single hero, he creates a handful of main characters, and it is very difficult to predict which of them will survive to the end. I found these characters to be very well-conceived, and a lot of this is down to Robinson’s lively and very enjoyable dialogue.For me, however, there was not enough action in the book. The characters talk about the dangerous missions they fly, but Robinson seldom lets the reader experience it for themselves by really placing them at the heart of the action. Consequently, while I found this an enjoyable book to read, it never really got me as excited as the cover art had let me to expect.
—Robert
