A Lighter Shade of Blue

Ref: 5105

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{detailed description}Christopher Foxley-Norris began his Royal Air Force career in 1935 and ended it in 1974. In that time he rose in rank from Acting Pilot Officer to Air Chief Marshal and in role from cadet pilot to Commander-in-Chief.
From the earliest days of the war - as a Lysander pilot during the Battle of France, later as a Hurricane pilot during the Battle of Britain - until the end of his career, he was rarely far from the scene of action. He flew anti-shipping Beaufighters in the Mediterranean and at the end of the war he commanded a squadron of Mosquitos operating off the Norwegian coast in Max Aitken's celebrated Banff Wing. After the war he planned counter-terrorist operations in Malaya, master minded the reorganisation of the Ministry of Defence in the early sixties under Lord Mountbatten, commanded the tactical air forces in Malaysia during 'confrontation' and was Commander-in-Chief of the Second Allied Tactical Air Force in Germany. His final appointment was as Chief of Personnel and Logistics for all three Services in the Ministry of Defence.
But this is no reflective philosophical memoir of the lessons gained from a distinguished career or of the burden of vast and heavy responsibilities. Nor is it a tight-lipped account of a brilliant operational record in war. It is the story of the lighter moments of a very full life where the sense of humour for which the author is renowned helped him through many a tense and difficult situation. As he says in his introduction: '...I was faced with a choice - whether to be strictly factual and historical: or whether to attempt to be reasonably entertaining.' He chose the latter, and many readers whether they have worn the 'light shade of blue' or not, will find wit, humour and not a little wisdom in his book.

***signed and inscribed by the Author***

{Author / Publisher / Date}by Christopher Foxley-Norris
published by Ian Allan 1978 1st edn. 144pp illustrated 15x22
{condition}yellowed otherwise good in loose poly covered d/j
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