ENEMY COAST AHEAD

Michael Joseph First edition, first impression, 1946.    302 pages. The frontispiece reproduces the well-known studio portrait of Gibson by Gordon Anthony; the front endpapers carry the famous aerial photograph of the breached Möhne dam.

A Near Fine condition hard back book in blue boards with silver gilt titles. It is clean and bright with a solid binding.  The original, fragile and very scarce dustjacket is unclipped and in Very Good condition. It has a few chips to the top and tail of the spine, some wear in the corners and some light rubbing but is otherwise a particularly good dustjacket. It is now protected with a clear archival cover.

Guy Gibson has gone down in history as the leader of possibly the most daring and spectacularly successful exploit of WWII. 

Gibson wrote the book aged 25 in 1944 whilst off operations. He had by this time completed two full tours, each of 30 operations, with Bomber Command (with 83 and 106 Squadrons), another one as a night-fighter pilot with 29 Squadron and led the famous Dam Busters raid against the dams of the Ruhr Valley (Operation Chastise) with 617 Squadron in May 1943. This is his autobiography, completed shortly before he flew over the enemy coast for the last time and was published posthumously in 1946.

The Introduction was written by Sir Arthur Harris and there is nothing else to add:

‘This is a magnificent story, well and simply told by as great a warrior as these Islands ever bred. It is also History.’

The true first edition of this book complete with dustjacket is scarce and should be an essential book for every WWII aviation library.