Going Solo (Dahl)

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Description: Going Solo (Dahl)

Genre: Fiction; World War, 1939-1945; Dahl, Roald; Biography and Autobiography - Literary; Juvenile Nonfiction; Children's Books/Young Adult Biography; Personal narratives, British; Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9); Juvenile literature; History - Military and Wars; Juvenile Nonfiction / History / Military and Wars; Biography; 20th century; Authors, English;

Average Review: 4.5 stars

Review: A Year in a Life: What an entertaining read this proves -- not surprisingly -- by the author of the children's classic, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. Continuing the autobiographical expose of British boarding schools as revealed in BOY, Dahl opens this meant-for-adults book with a delightfully wacky view of his fellow Englishmen en route to work in Africa. Scornful of the repeated falls from stoic grace by so many of his predecessors, this young Empire Builder is at first shocked by the sight of so many decent chaps who have Gone Native -- a result of prolonged absence from the UK and intense heat exposure. Can an idealistic youth rise above heat, humidity and British bravado to maintain his unflappable equanimity, or will he too succumb to the national trend? Most of this book, however, consists of Dahl's serious account of his contribution to the Allied air war in Africa's western desert, followed by a long recuperation from head trauma. Before he returns safely to England, he describes the deadly action in Greece where German planes far outnumbered the intrepid RAF pilots. Interspersed among the reports of the air war are his own b/w photos and letters (self-censored) to his beloved Norwegian mother in England. This account will easily capture the reader's interest as Dahl translates the global struggle by bringing it down to an intensely human level. With his treasured possessions -- pilot's Log Book and his 2nd camera -- we leave him when he is reunited safely with his mother. A fast read -- well worth the effort even if you are not a war buff.