First Light

At the start, the death of a friend leaves Wellum devastated and wondering when his turn will come; within the space of a few hundred pages, the failure of a pilot to return is dropped in almost as an afterthought. This is not the response of a man who cares too little, but of one who cares too much. Without being aware of it, he has experienced and felt too much and his mind and body have involuntarily separated. This comes into even sharper relief at the end when Wellum is stood down from active service; he is the only one not to see--quite literally, as his vision has become impaired--that his ailments are rooted in his psyche rather than his body. The only one false note is his desire to see his role as part of a bigger picture; written many years after the events he describes, Wellum sometimes interjects thoughts and feelings about the war that simply do not ring true. That aside, one is left wondering what became of Wellum the man between the war ending and the book's publication. What sense did the prematurely aged fighter pilot make of the post-war age and did he learn to love again? But that, maybe, is the subject for another book. --John Crace

Reader Reviews:

Probably the finest personal account of any WW2 Serviceman (0/0 people found this helpful)

In many ways I wish I hadn't read this book. This must seem like an odd thing to say given that I've assigned this book 5 stars, but the problem is that this book is so good that I judge all autobiographies of this era by it, and nothing else (as yet) has come close. It really is one of the finest accounts of a serviceman's experiences in WW2. I have read many accounts of personal experiences in WW2 (I own around 60 books on this topic), and while many have been truly excellent, none have touched me in the same way as this book. Thoughtful, and thought provoking and with an honesty which makes the reader feel that they are inside that spitfire with him, this truly is a book that should be treasured. Geoffrey Wellum has written an account of WW2 through his eyes which will still be being read in hundreds of year's time.

Essential reading (0/0 people found this helpful)

Anybody with a passing interest in aviation or World War II that hasn't already done so should do themselves a favour and read this book.
It is truly touching, engaging and riveting, reading as intimately as if the author was sat across the table, relating the story first hand.
It bristles with detail and authenticity throughout and yet still manages to affect the reader emotionally with the intimate thoughts and reflections of the author in his darker and more fraught moments.
This book deserves to be read by the widest possible audience, especially given the complete omission of any Word War related lessons in schools these days. It truly is startling to consider the attitudes of the people back then: the sheer bravery and sacrifice.
I would truly love to shake the hand of this man, and the others like him who simply aren't given the respect and status they deserve. Absolute heroes. Geoffrey - thank you for this book and the sacrifice you and your generation made.

"First Light" is FIRST CLASS! (0/0 people found this helpful)

The number of reviews for this book should be recommendation enough, gripping from start to finish and a fitting tribute to all Battle of Britain pilots and not least Geoffrey Wellum himself!

From a deeply appreciative American (2/2 people found this helpful)

My lifelong dream of flying a Spitfire has been realized; if not in fact, then certainly by reading this wonderful book.

What more can one ask from a story? While reading I am humbled, proud, heartsick, joyous, angry, philosophical, ambivalent, bored, excited.

I realize that we owe the continuance of Western Civilization to the incredible effort made by people such as Mr. Wellum. I know that the United States might well have been conquered by the Nazis, if not for the supreme effort by the Few. The Holocaust would have been completed, the Nazis would have probably developed the atomic bomb first, Russia would have likely fallen, and the Japanese and Germans would have shaken hands in Asia.

I have always been impressed by the simple, unyielding character of the British. Even in fiction, J.R.R. Tolkien (who apparently fought in WWI), summed it up when he had Gandalf say to the Balrog, "You cannot pass." ("You shall not pass" in the movie version). In his book, Wellum says the same thing to his Nazi adversaries: you were not invited here, you are not welcome here, and you shall go no further. Not a mere threat, it was a promise.

I was totally immersed, more than ever before, in the fights that Wellum described. I have read quite a few accounts of dogfights, and this book outdoes them all. Even the innocuous, seemingly random thoughts while Geoff is flying rings true, especially when he describes his wonderment at having such thoughts at strange times. He even describes his curiousity at what his squadron-mates would think if they knew what he was thinking. Seldom do we get such a detailed glimpse into a figther pilot's stream of consciousness, from wide-angle to extreme pin-point thinking.

Thank you, Geoff, for what you did, what you gave, what you endured, and the price that you paid. There are those of us who will make sure that you and your lads will not be forgotten.

First Light - First Class (1/1 people found this helpful)

An absolute endearing story to a time were we were fighting for our lives. Geoffrey Wellum's account of his early life and training to join the so called 'few' is very heart felt. Details of romances, lost friends and stresses of the battle. A terrific book and easy read for those who are interested but do not know all the details about the Battle of Britain. I was 19 when I read the book, around the same age as Wellum when he joined the RAF. (60 years previously) I have so much respect for these men, who stoicly fought for a war that they gave so much too.

Geoffrey Wellum

Editorial Review: