Winkle: The Extraordinary Life of Britain’s Greatest Pilot

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It was always agreed I would have access to his papers and there were 12 big boxes. That took a long time to go through. Brown went on to study modern languages at Edinburgh University, with German as his primary subject. “The whole Germany thing is fascinating because despite being sunk and almost shot down and wounded by Germans [during the Second World War], he still liked the Germans. Now, drawing on previously unseen documents and unfettered access to Winkle's own personal archive, Paul Beaver uncovers the complex and enigmatic man behind the legend - the real story of Britain's greatest pilot. From 1st July 2021, VAT will be applicable to those EU countries where VAT is applied to books - this additional charge will be collected by Fed Ex (or the Royal Mail) at the time of delivery. Shipments to the USA & Canada:

A thumping great biography of the flying ace who made Top Gun look tame ... enthralling' DAILY MAIL On the occasion of the publication of his new biography of legendary test pilot and record holder, Captain Eric Melrose ‘Winkle’ Brown, CBE, DSC, AFC, FRAeS, RN, author and historian PAUL BEAVER FRAeS gives an insight into the research of WINKLE – the Extraordinary Life of Britain’s Greatest Pilot and separating fact from fiction. Of course, Winkle decides that flying the right way up is boring and so he leads inverted past the Prime Minister’s aeroplane, not realising that the Prime Minister’s private secretary has a camera and takes a snap.” An incredible life ... Brown took a secret to the grave that makes his story all the more remarkable' THE SUN If you're coming to Coles by car, why not take advantage of the 2 hours free parking at Sainsbury's Pioneer Square - just follow the signs for Pioneer Square as you drive into Bicester and park in the multi-storey car park above the supermarket. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. You don't need to shop in Sainsbury's to get the free parking! Where to Find Us

4. His fellow pilots nicknamed him ‘Winkle’

That immediately called into question Eric’s autobiography and our perceived knowledge. It also led to six years of research, writing, re-writing and editing. There were searching questions and my aim of writing about the man not the machines came sharply into focus. Having been born in Leith, near Edinburgh, Brown went on to become a student at Edinburgh University studying modern languages – with an emphasis on German. While there, he became a stuntman rider to earn extra money. One of his more memorable feats was his ride in a ‘wall of death’ with a lion in his motorbike sidecar. 3. He was a fluent German speaker, and interrogated Himmler and G öring The author had exclusive access to Capt Brown's logbook, family photos and personal effects. (via Paul Beaver)

The daring life and astonishing adventures of Captain Eric 'Winkle' Brown - Britain's greatest-ever pilot.

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He learned that there was a shortage of pilots in the Royal Navy and so, in 1939, Brown joined the Fleet Air Arm and began his illustrious flying career.

The carriage filled with young children arriving in Scotland remains a poignant image. “Everyone wanted girls and he was, I think, the only boy on the train. It is very sad when you reflect on it now, but if it hadn’t have happened, I don’t think we would have had the same Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown.” So, who was the real Eric “Winkle” Brown? Here, Beaver shines a light on feats of heroism and derring-do, as well as a markedly different origin story to the one publicly known until now.Another detail that Beaver disproved during his research was Brown’s claim that his father Robert served as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps. “I did get his father’s military record and he was in the Royal Flying Corps, but not as a pilot – he was a labourer working on the observation balloons.” The Winkle biography has its gestation in 2009 at what we all thought was Captain Eric Brown’s 90th birthday. We discussed a biography, and I followed it up a little later to get a typical Eric response: ‘of course, dear boy but start work after I have passed on.’ By the way, he was only 89.