Winkle by Paul Beaver

Winkle: The Extraordinary Life of Britain’s Greatest Pilot by Paul Beaver — the definitive biography of Captain Eric “Winkle” Brown, the most accomplished pilot in British history.

Small in stature but immense in talent and courage, Eric Brown flew more types of aircraft than any other pilot who has ever lived — over four hundred different machines. From combat in the Battle of the Atlantic, where he shot down Luftwaffe bombers from the deck of an aircraft carrier and narrowly escaped a torpedoed ship, to an unmatched career as a test pilot that produced a litany of world firsts and records, his flying life was extraordinary.

A rival to Chuck Yeager and a hero to Neil Armstrong, Brown also witnessed history on the ground: fluent in German, he interrogated senior Nazi officials after the war and was present at the liberation of Belsen — an experience that stayed with him for life. By the time of his death in 2016 he had become a national treasure, yet mysteries remained at the heart of his story.

Drawing on previously unseen documents and unfettered access to Brown’s personal archive, Paul Beaver — a close friend for nearly forty years — reveals the complex, enigmatic man behind the legend. Compelling, fascinating and frequently jaw-dropping, Winkle is the full account of a life of daring, skill and quiet heroism that Winkle himself insisted could only be told after his death.