A review by ftlobooks
Maralinga Man: Tales of the Squadron Leader by Arthur Lawrence

5.0

Maralinga Man is a fantastic short novel that is highly entertaining and comical from start to finish. It tells the story of Flight Lieutenant Gooner's experiences of getting to know his Squadron Leader, and the drama and hilarious situations that unfold through this. The stories that are told in the book never cease to make readers laugh out loud, and as they are based on true stories and experiences, this makes the book even more comical to read. The story keeps the reader hooked throughout, and it is entertaining to read what awkward situations the Squadron Leader will get himself into next.

Readers do not need to know a lot about the history of the nuclear missile testing range at Maralinga, South Australia, nor do readers need a significant interest in British history to enjoy this book as it is based around the people that served there, rather than the tests that were carried out. I would certainly recommend Maralinga Man to anyone that wants to read a well written, highly entertaining book. It leaves you wanting to hear more about what unexpected path the Squadron Leader will take next and how poor Lieutenant Gooner will become caught up in it.

The book is executed and written to an excellent standard, and its tone compliments the overall story excellently. It is refreshing to see a book include illustrations. They compliment the story well and provide the reader with a comical picture of the events that unfold in the novel. It was a great decision to choose to include illustrations and they definitely enhance the overall story.

I have nothing negative to say about the story, other than I wish that it was longer! It is a book that could quite easily be double the length, but still captivate the reader, leaving them wanting to hear more anecdotes about the Squadron Leader. The author describes the situations included in the novel spectacularly and his character portrayal is fantastic. I have not laughed this much whilst reading a book for a long time, and I feel that other readers will find it equally as entertaining and hilarious as I did.