Biography of Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson VC, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, leader of the 'Dambusters' which asks what could have caused the plane crash which took his life at age 26, less than a year before the end of WWII. His death (& that of his navigator Squadron Leader James Warwick DFC) occurred when returning from a bombing raid on the German towns of Mönchengladbach & Rheydt & this book examines the various theories & evidence.

Gibson seems to have a contradiction: respected for his flying prowess & leadership & yet not liked on a personal level. He comes across as someone it would have been difficult to get on with, bombastic with lower ranks, & a bit of a martinet with others & yet willing to bend the rules himself. Yet his achievements cannot be denied. A fascinating look at this point in British history but some of the flying technical sections were a little dry to me. 3.5 stars (rounded up)

TWs: attitudes of the time including the use of racial slurs.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Pen & Sword/Air World, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Having a WW2 family connection to Guy Gibson, I really wanted to read this book. The author ensured that it lived up to my expectations in every respect.

Gibson has always been one of my boyhood heroes, a superb pilot, a courageous officer who led from the front, and most importantly he was my Mum's RAF boss!
She was a WAAF at Scampton during the period of the build-up to the raid on the dams and was present during and after the operation. My Mother would then be considered quite pretty, and Gibson treated her very politely, particularly as she walked his beloved dog every day.
She also had lots of respect for him. However, she often mentioned that he was very arrogant to junior ranks and wasn't particularly liked by most officers (or NCO's) in 617 Sqn, and the sister 57 squadron at Scampton - my Father's squadron (he was also aircrew and vaguely knew Gibson).
The book confirms Gibson's bombastic attitude and his dreadful treatment of the ground crews. Also his known appreciation of pretty women.
I was unaware of the strange circumstances leading up to his death, including his lack of experience in flying a Mosquito' on such a complex mission.

A super book, that I couldn't put down. I understand why Gibson's dog's name cannot be mentioned, but in a factual biography perhaps it should be stated with an explanation about the non-PC world of WW2.

Who hasn’t heard of the Dambusters? Learning more about the leader, Guy Gibson, sounded interesting, but I am disappointed. Gibson did well in the Dambuster Raid, but he did not impress me. Arrogant, egotistical, disliked by fellow officers, hypocritical, looking for glory. I read
This is a British publication that can trip up an American reader. “Over 200 machines would attack.” Machines = airplanes.

I grew up watching The Dambusters and hearing about Guy Gibson. However this book reveals more insights about his life and the manner of his death. The book has been well researched and for me raised more questions about the man than answers- it's a very interesting read.