Hitler Vs. Me
Will be published approx. on 22. February 2018
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-1-911440-52-9 (ISBN)
Description
The years have flown away as fast as his head of hair, sadly for ex-WWI flying ace Bartholomew Bandy.
By the start of World War II he's no longer a daredevil young pilot, but a balding forty-something, relegated to training younger men for the terrible battle against the Luftwaffe. Despite resorting to a firmly fixed toupee, he is hurtfully dismissed as too old for active service. They don't want him.
But then, mysteriously, they do - and Bart is back where he belongs, in the cockpit of one of the super new Spitfires, ready to inflict plenty of damage. Some of it even on the enemy. There's a quite jovial encounter with royalty. And yet he can only boast one over-sexed girlfriend, and one mortal enemy among the brass hats - he must be losing his touch.
With the blackest black comedy and seat-of-the pants escapades, Donald Jack's series about an accident-prone pilot is uniquely funny and compelling.
By the start of World War II he's no longer a daredevil young pilot, but a balding forty-something, relegated to training younger men for the terrible battle against the Luftwaffe. Despite resorting to a firmly fixed toupee, he is hurtfully dismissed as too old for active service. They don't want him.
But then, mysteriously, they do - and Bart is back where he belongs, in the cockpit of one of the super new Spitfires, ready to inflict plenty of damage. Some of it even on the enemy. There's a quite jovial encounter with royalty. And yet he can only boast one over-sexed girlfriend, and one mortal enemy among the brass hats - he must be losing his touch.
With the blackest black comedy and seat-of-the pants escapades, Donald Jack's series about an accident-prone pilot is uniquely funny and compelling.
Reviews / Votes
Praise for The Bandy Papers Series'I enjoyed every word . . . terrifically funny' P.G. Wodehouse
'Jack does more than play it for laughs . . . The mingling of humor and horror is like a clown tap-dancing on a coffin, but Jack is skillful enough to get away with it' Time Magazine 'Funny. Very. Donald Jack has as light a touch with this fragile art as his hero has on throttle of a Sopwith Camel. Excessive corn is avoided in favour of wit and a delight in life' New York Times 'Bartholomew Bandy is the most remarkable hero (or anti-hero) since Harold Lloyd impersonated the Freshman' Chicago Tribune 'To know Bandy is to love him . . . you tend to gallop through and come hurtling out at the end panting for more' The Sunday Sun 'For those to whom Bandy is a newcomer, what a treat is in store' Toronto Star
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Duckworth Books
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-911440-52-9 (9781911440529)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Donald Lamont Jack was born in Radcliffe, England, on December 6, 1924. He attended Bury Grammar School in Lancashire, and later Marr College, Troon (from which he was briefly evicted after writing an injudicious letter to the editor).
From 1943 to 1947 he served in the Royal Air Force as an AC, or aircraftsman, working in radio communications. During his military service Jack was stationed in a variety of locales, though he concentrated on places beginning with the letter 'B': Belgium, Berlin, and Bahrain. After de-mobbing, he participated in amateur dramatics with The Ellis Players, and worked for several years in Britain, but he had by then grown weary of 'B'-countries and decided to move on to the 'C's. Thus, in 1951, Jack emigrated to Canada.
In 1962 he published his first novel, Three Cheers for Me, about fictional Canadian First World War air-ace Bartholomew Wolfe Bandy. Three Cheers for Me won the Leacock Medal for Humour in 1963, but additional volumes did not appear until a decade later when a revised version of the book was published, along with a second volume, That's Me in the Middle, which won Jack a second Leacock Medal in 1974. He received a third award in 1980 for Me Bandy, You Cissie.
Jack returned to live in England in 1986, where he continued to work on additional volumes in the Bandy series. He died on June 2, 2003. His final novel, Stalin vs. Me, was first published posthumously in 2005.
From 1943 to 1947 he served in the Royal Air Force as an AC, or aircraftsman, working in radio communications. During his military service Jack was stationed in a variety of locales, though he concentrated on places beginning with the letter 'B': Belgium, Berlin, and Bahrain. After de-mobbing, he participated in amateur dramatics with The Ellis Players, and worked for several years in Britain, but he had by then grown weary of 'B'-countries and decided to move on to the 'C's. Thus, in 1951, Jack emigrated to Canada.
In 1962 he published his first novel, Three Cheers for Me, about fictional Canadian First World War air-ace Bartholomew Wolfe Bandy. Three Cheers for Me won the Leacock Medal for Humour in 1963, but additional volumes did not appear until a decade later when a revised version of the book was published, along with a second volume, That's Me in the Middle, which won Jack a second Leacock Medal in 1974. He received a third award in 1980 for Me Bandy, You Cissie.
Jack returned to live in England in 1986, where he continued to work on additional volumes in the Bandy series. He died on June 2, 2003. His final novel, Stalin vs. Me, was first published posthumously in 2005.