Enemy in the sky: My 1940 diary

by Sandy Johnstone

Illustrated with photographs in black & white.

Genres: History

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

Reviews

[Vic · Rating 4 out of 5]

WWII Battle of Britain book. Illustrated. Written in "Diary" format. Consequently book has many minor details that may of may not lack interest. Diary format allows for much information about everyday details, relationships, thoughts of the pilots involved. Critical evaluations from the pilots perspective. Of interest are the thoughts of the participants in regard to tactics, equipment, leadership. And in particular interest questions regarding German activites.
The Diary format at times was confusing if compared to the actual historical progression of events.
The book was if interest and can recommend.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a weird book. Great look into flight operations during the Battle of Britain, while also a great look into upper class stiff upper lip almost royal Britain in 1940. Fascinating to look up the Scottish and southern England airfield locations. Also fascinating to contemplate the cluelessness with which the British upper-class lived, even as the author literally - literally !!!! - faced death every day.

[Mike Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is better than amusing, but amusing it surely is! Here is the actual day-by-day journal of a Spitfire pilot for the year 1940, the time of the Battle of Britain. The author rose to command his 602 Squadron and became an ace that year, married and impregnated his wife, and kept up a social schedule that would have been full time for most people. He is, I think, the prototypical fighter pilot, and one of "the few" whose heroics saved Britain from invasion.
I'm going to teach a course in aviation history, and will use excerpts from this journal along with Churchill's own description of the Battle of Britain to give students a taste of what it must have been like.

[Steve Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Enemy in the Sky" is the 1940 diary of Air Vice-Marshall Sandy Johnstone, a Spitfire fighter pilot and unit commander during World War II. The diary covers the period of the "Battle of Britain". It reveals the trivial/ mundane and the exciting/courageous life of British pilots at air bases in both Scotland and southern England during those trying days. The book can best be appreciated by those who are more familiar with this particular battle and have already read one or two good histories of the events.