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A review by komet2020
OUT OF THE DESERT by Tom Walker
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
Out of the Desert chronicles the experiences of Peter Denhay, a newly arrived pilot from the UK to take up his assignment with a light bomber squadron in Egypt during September 1940. It is a dire, critical time for Britain, with much of the country braving incessant, daily air attacks from the Luftwaffe, and licking its wounds after having been driven out of continental Europe earlier in the year by the German juggernaut. What's more: Italy - Germany's ally - has launched an offensive against British forces in Egypt from its neighboring colony Libya, outnumbering the British by at least 3 to one.
The reader is instantly put into the atmosphere of life surrounding a squadron in wartime. A number of characters emerge who give an added dimension into what it is that makes a squadron the unique organism it is when faced with the almost daily vicissitudes of a war that is at turns both static and dynamic over the seven months described in the novel. There is Charlie Kendrick, Peter's navigator, considered a bit of an oddball because of his leftist leanings and beliefs, who prides himself on his skills as a navigator. Skills that Peter at first scoffed at until the two airmen embarked on a test flight in one of the squadron's Bristol Blenheims that led to a spectacular discovery behind enemy lines that would later reap dividends for the squadron itself --- as well as for Peter and Charlie. Then there was Venner, one of the veteran pilots in the squadron who made it clear in no uncertain terms how much he detested both Peter and Charlie. Venner epitomizes one of those 'posh' types in British society whose affluence and privilege place them far and above their fellow citizens. And to round it off, there is Miller, the top turret gunner on Peter's plane who is representative of the enlisted ranks who are the heart and soul of a fighting unit.
The squadron --- through its actions against the Italians in Egypt and later in Greece following its transfer to that country in the wake of the Italian invasion of said nation in October 1940 --- finds itself beset with a number of unforeseen setbacks "after their home base is attacked and its aircraft ambushed" which raises suspicions of a double agent operating in its midst.
The novel's climax comes with the German invasion of Greece in April 1941 (to bolster Italy's flagging fortunes there) and the consequences heaped upon Peter, Charlie, and the squadron as a result, with the British being overwhelmed by superior ground and air forces and compelled to evacuate to the neighboring island of Crete. Despite an inordinate number of editing and punctuation errors, Out of the Desert was a gripping story, one that held my attention from beginning to end. That's why I give it 5 stars.
The reader is instantly put into the atmosphere of life surrounding a squadron in wartime. A number of characters emerge who give an added dimension into what it is that makes a squadron the unique organism it is when faced with the almost daily vicissitudes of a war that is at turns both static and dynamic over the seven months described in the novel. There is Charlie Kendrick, Peter's navigator, considered a bit of an oddball because of his leftist leanings and beliefs, who prides himself on his skills as a navigator. Skills that Peter at first scoffed at until the two airmen embarked on a test flight in one of the squadron's Bristol Blenheims that led to a spectacular discovery behind enemy lines that would later reap dividends for the squadron itself --- as well as for Peter and Charlie. Then there was Venner, one of the veteran pilots in the squadron who made it clear in no uncertain terms how much he detested both Peter and Charlie. Venner epitomizes one of those 'posh' types in British society whose affluence and privilege place them far and above their fellow citizens. And to round it off, there is Miller, the top turret gunner on Peter's plane who is representative of the enlisted ranks who are the heart and soul of a fighting unit.
The squadron --- through its actions against the Italians in Egypt and later in Greece following its transfer to that country in the wake of the Italian invasion of said nation in October 1940 --- finds itself beset with a number of unforeseen setbacks "after their home base is attacked and its aircraft ambushed" which raises suspicions of a double agent operating in its midst.
The novel's climax comes with the German invasion of Greece in April 1941 (to bolster Italy's flagging fortunes there) and the consequences heaped upon Peter, Charlie, and the squadron as a result, with the British being overwhelmed by superior ground and air forces and compelled to evacuate to the neighboring island of Crete. Despite an inordinate number of editing and punctuation errors, Out of the Desert was a gripping story, one that held my attention from beginning to end. That's why I give it 5 stars.