The History Press Book Review: Guy Gibson and his Dambuster Crew*

[Ad-gifted] This is the kind of book my dad is going to enjoy reading. It’s our latest book from The History Press publishing house – a place dedicated to all things Historical.

It brings out an endless range of interesting books that may feature Historic Royals, medicine from the past, significant moments in history, such as the Titanic and also war books, which the topic for the one we are about to review called, Guy Gibson’s Dambuster Crew by Charles Foster.

This is the kind of book my dad is going to enjoy reading. It’s our latest book from The History Press publishing house – a place dedicated to all things Historical. It brings out an endless range of interesting books that may feature Historic Royals, medicine from the past, significant moments in history, such as the Titanic and also war books, which the topic for the one we are about to review called, Guy Gibson’s Dambuster Crew by Charles Foster.

Books like this, for me, make the perfect gift, but if you’re a fan of wartime stories and like to get a little deeper into some of the well-known moments that helped us win the war then this is the perfect book. I am fascinated with war books and this is the second one from the History Press that I have reviewed. The last being Silent Village, which was extremely sad, whereas this WW2 tale has a much more positive approach as we all know the outcome of the Dambusters Raid was an extremely successful one and helped win the war in the process.

I find that men and women who lived during the war years lived so much of a life within such a short space of time. Often their lives were cut short – much like that of Guy Gibson who led the Dambusters Crew – but during his 26 years so much had taken place. In this book, you find out more about each of the crew members, about their life before the war, where they went to school, where they lived, and who their parents were – giving you such an important insight into how they came to be part of the war effort.

What I thought of the book

I think what makes this book is the fact that many of the crew members are not as notable as their Squadron Commander Guy Gibson, so without it, you might not get to know them as in-depth as you do here. Once the book has introduced you to the crew, you move on to the preparations for Operation Castise as the Dambusters are officially known and you get a further insight into the preparative months before. The book follows the events in a legible timeline and it’s easy to read. I have read historical books in the past that dot from one time to another and become complicated to follow, whereas, this book was easy to manage.

During your read, you continue to learn how this almost unlikely collection of military men came together through the guidance of Guy Gibson. The remaining chapters of the book tell you a little bit more about what the Squadron got up to after they completed Operation Chastise and the few years that followed. Finally, the book finishes with Guy Gibson’s passing and how without him having written the book Enemy Coasts Ahead – which was first written into the book The Dam Busters by Paul Brickhill (who also wrote The Great Escape) and then how it went onto to be transformed into a film in the 1950s with all the heroes from this Historical text mentioned.

Without Guy Gibson’s insight and book writing we may not all have the in-depth connection to the fascinating raid and continued appreciation of it, as it may have become washed away with many of the other significantly important Operations that took place during the troublesome six-year war. Similarly, Charles Foster has written a successful essay on the history of the Dambusters Raid which can be cemented in time and appreciated and remembered by all those who will only ever hear about the stories of WW2 through books of the like. Be sure to get your copy with our links below.

How much is the book and where can you get your copy?

The paperback copy retails for £20 while the Kindle edition can be downloaded for just £8.99.  You can purchase a copy of the book directly from The History Press here.

About the Book

Publisher ‏ : ‎ The History Press
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Number of pages : 256
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1803992136

About the Author

Charles Foster has been writing about the Dambusters for over 15 years through his blog and has contributed to many a TV program and radio show with some of his impressive content.

He has an affinity with the Dam’s Raid as his Uncle was one of the pilots who took part. So surrounded with stories and tellings of what happened, this went on to become a passion for him and he has continued to re-tell these historical snippets ever since.

What’s more, is how Charles Foster notes in his Acknowledgements that he suffered a haemorrhagic stroke 6 months prior to the completion of the book and without the dedicated care from the St James’ Hospital and his family he wouldn’t have been able to finally finish the works Yeah Lifestyle have at the pleasure of reviewing.

About the Publisher

The History Press is a publisher dedicated to all things historical. Here you will find publications that range from Ancient or Medieval history to entertainment history, for those who like something more lighthearted – history from the war eras including WW2 and the days of Napoleon. And if you want to know about past sporting history or a bit more about past Kings and Queens – they have it all.

Many books are available in a number of formats including hardback, paperback and ebooks. So you can read them from your electronic reading device and enjoy them when you’re on holiday or you can buy them as a gift in their hardback form, making them the perfect addition to a history lover’s bookshelf. If you’d like to see the books on offer head to their website.

Review by: Lex Ward

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