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2019 Audio Update ... Still an amazing story. Dan Stevens is the narrator for this audio book, and he does a wonderful job. I normally listen to my audiobooks at 1.25 speed, but this was a story that needed to be experienced at 1.0 speed. It felt wrong to speed it up. What a llfe Roald Dahl led! What a different world he lived in. I wouldn't want to go back to World War II, but I'd love to live in a world where the middle east and the wonders of Africa were a little better accessed by the western world ... but then I guess that easier access is part of what led to the issues we have today, so ... maybe not. I'm just glad that I got to live a little vicariously through Dahl's wonderful storytelling. Still a five star book!
If I was at a magical dinner party with lots of famous authors from all time, I would totally want to be sitting right next to Roald Dahl. Why? His life experiences are AMAZING. What a life! Going Solo only tells a short three year portion of that life, but every bit of it was fascinating.
The story begins with his service with an oil company in Northern Africa shortly before the start of World War II. The details he shares about Africa at that time in history were so interesting. It was so different than the Africa of today. The British still had a colonial presence in so many places in that region, and the British citizens who resided in these areas had their own little culture. Add to the interesting people a good dose of African culture, and it made for a great story. This was not a story that was heading on a pre-determined course, beginning to end. Instead I felt like I was getting to come along for the ride as a young British citizen had the experiences of a lifetime in a simpler world. I loved his fear of snakes and his horrible encounters with the deadly mambas of Africa. I loved every time he encountered a large group of native African animals. Can we even do things like this any more? Maybe I am a total coward, but I couldn't imagine heading across Northern Africa by myself in a car, passing by huge wild animals as well as a group of African tribesman carrying spears galore. But Roald did it, and I loved sharing the ride with him.
The second part of this auto-biographical story begins when World War II breaks out, and Dahl volunteers as a pilot for the RAF. Had he done any flying before? No. Did he get a lot of training before he was sent into combat? No. It was terrifying to think of how little experience these young men had before being sent out by the RAF into hostile situations. At the time that Dahl was flying the German air force was vastly superior to the RAF. It seemed absolutely impossible, and to see these men go up again and again despite receiving practically suicidal orders from their superiors was hard to comprehend. But it was so interesting to get a first hand account of what life as a pilot was like at this time in history. So brave.
This is not a book that I would have picked up on my own, but it is my son's favorite book of all time, and he wanted me to read it. I'm glad that I did. Dahl has an attention to little details in life that often escape others as they describe events. He made each scene of this book come alive. I especially loved the pictures he had taken at the time which were scattered throughout this book. In addition there are a few letters and telegrams that he sent home to his mother. So sweet! Thisis a perfect book for middle school readers, but as an adult I loved it as well. If you are looking for a change of pace, a quick read that brings history to life, pick up this one. You won't be disappointed. Five stars!
If I was at a magical dinner party with lots of famous authors from all time, I would totally want to be sitting right next to Roald Dahl. Why? His life experiences are AMAZING. What a life! Going Solo only tells a short three year portion of that life, but every bit of it was fascinating.
The story begins with his service with an oil company in Northern Africa shortly before the start of World War II. The details he shares about Africa at that time in history were so interesting. It was so different than the Africa of today. The British still had a colonial presence in so many places in that region, and the British citizens who resided in these areas had their own little culture. Add to the interesting people a good dose of African culture, and it made for a great story. This was not a story that was heading on a pre-determined course, beginning to end. Instead I felt like I was getting to come along for the ride as a young British citizen had the experiences of a lifetime in a simpler world. I loved his fear of snakes and his horrible encounters with the deadly mambas of Africa. I loved every time he encountered a large group of native African animals. Can we even do things like this any more? Maybe I am a total coward, but I couldn't imagine heading across Northern Africa by myself in a car, passing by huge wild animals as well as a group of African tribesman carrying spears galore. But Roald did it, and I loved sharing the ride with him.
The second part of this auto-biographical story begins when World War II breaks out, and Dahl volunteers as a pilot for the RAF. Had he done any flying before? No. Did he get a lot of training before he was sent into combat? No. It was terrifying to think of how little experience these young men had before being sent out by the RAF into hostile situations. At the time that Dahl was flying the German air force was vastly superior to the RAF. It seemed absolutely impossible, and to see these men go up again and again despite receiving practically suicidal orders from their superiors was hard to comprehend. But it was so interesting to get a first hand account of what life as a pilot was like at this time in history. So brave.
This is not a book that I would have picked up on my own, but it is my son's favorite book of all time, and he wanted me to read it. I'm glad that I did. Dahl has an attention to little details in life that often escape others as they describe events. He made each scene of this book come alive. I especially loved the pictures he had taken at the time which were scattered throughout this book. In addition there are a few letters and telegrams that he sent home to his mother. So sweet! Thisis a perfect book for middle school readers, but as an adult I loved it as well. If you are looking for a change of pace, a quick read that brings history to life, pick up this one. You won't be disappointed. Five stars!
