Vulcan Boys: From the Cold War to the Falklands: True Tales of the Iconic Delta V Bomber

by Tony Blackman, Martin Withers (Foreword)

An in-depth look at these Cold War–era bombers, in the words of those who flew them—includes photos.   The Vulcan, the second of the three V bombers built to guard the United Kingdom during the Cold War, has become an aviation icon like the Spitfire, its delta shape as instantly recognizable as the howling noise it makes when the engines are opened for takeoff.  Vulcan Boys is the first book about this bomber recounted completely firsthand by the operators themselves. It tells the story of the aircraft from its design conception through the Cold War, when it played out its most important job as Britain’s nuclear deterrent; it also reveals the significant role its bombs and missiles played in liberating the Falkland Islands, for which it gained much celebrity.   These individual accounts detail how hours at a time were spent waiting to be scrambled to defend the country in the event of a third world war, and how pilots’ aggressive skills were honed by carrying out Lone Ranger sorties flying to the United States and westward around the world, and taking part in Giant Voice and Red Flag, competitive exercises against the US Strategic Air Command. The attacks in the Falklands using Shrike missiles are described accurately and in great detail for the first time, including the landing at Rio de Janeiro alongside a vivid account of Black Buck 2. Vulcan Boys is a fascinating and completely authentic read reminding us of the Cold War, how it was fought, and the considerable effort required to prevent all-out nuclear war.    

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Aviation, Military Fiction, War, Biography

446 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 31, 2014

Reviews

[Vojtech · Rating 2 out of 5]

I normally love books about flying, but for one reason or another I could not become engaged by an audiobook version of this one. Perhaps if you are a bigger fan of GB aviators than myself? Vulcan is a great machine, but I believe it deserves a stronger narrator to tell its story.

[Jeffrey Aitken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Often modern historical books where the actual participants talk about their experience become sensationalized. One of the Vulcan pilots wrote this book and therefore is an excellent source of information on the iconic aircraft in combat.

As you would expect, the Falklands raids feature towards the end, but you also get an insight into the earlier service and the exceptional crews that flew Vulcans during the Cold War.

I can recommend this book for both aviation enthusiasts interested in the Vulcan and researchers into the Falklands.

[Kevin Lancelott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good as victor boys.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vulcan Boys is a collection of recollections of Vulcan operations by various former aircrew, all put into proper context by the author Tony Blackman who was a Vulcan test pilot. The recollections include stories about day to day operations, as well as overseas deployments, Taceval at UK air bases, and of course the Falklands conflict. The text is supported by regular black and white photos with informative captions, although many of the photos have been reproduced to a poor standard. By this, I refer to the fact that some of the photos have appeared in many publications looking a lot sharper, such as the Vulcan with the test Skybolts on page 44. The are also two small sections of excellent colour photos. The bulk of this book is, of course, the aircrew recollections and these are excellent reading and really tll you something about the experience of working with this iconic aeroplane.