RACE FOR THE PLANE
Summer 1940. The world can only watch in horror as the mighty German army cuts its way through Europe’s borders with brutal efficiency. France is the latest victim to succumb to the assault, but Hitler’s generals won’t rest until the bigger prize on the other side of the Channel is in their hands. Although Britain is at risk of invasion, it does have the advantage of a new cutting-edge weapon with the potential to tip the balance: the Spitfire plane. With its powerful engine and elliptical wings, the Spitfire is ahead of its time and Berlin will stop at nothing to get it. Two spies – one English and the other German – are brought into Britain to infiltrate the Spitfire factory and smuggle its design secrets out of the country. Will they succeed, or can the courage of a remarkable female pilot and MI5’s network of double agents, torpedo their mission before it can get off the ground?
Spitfire Spies, by John Hughes, ticks every level of satisfaction: it is intelligently written, with a good narrative structure, and plenty of seat gripping action. The characters, regardless of whether they’re major or minor players, are realistically portrayed while the situations into which they’re thrown are plausible thanks to some excellent research. The urgency within the narrative mirrors the desperate sense of time running out in this “phony war”, as British and German intelligence officers battle to gain the upper hand. Hughes doesn’t flinch from conveying the desperation of those times, nor the impact of conflict on the human soul. The tragic dignity of British soldiers, captured by the Germans during the Dunkirk evacuations, is a vivid contrast to the twisted psychology of the men who can’t wait to kill them. Running alongside this are the themes of loss, compassion, the pain of infidelity, and the urge to atone. The reader’s attention is engaged from the very beginning because of a superb prologue that brilliantly sets the stage for the much bigger drama that lies ahead.
Spitfire Spies avoids the World War 2 clichés of RAF “good chap” bravura, goose stepping Nazis, and over pumped Churchillian rhetoric. Instead we are given the reality of a country living on the edge as the authorities and public prepare for the inevitability of war. Emotions run high in a raw, fevered atmosphere where the shadow of suspicion hangs large. Nothing will ever be the same again and not even the enemy is immune to the pressure of that reality. In the duplicitous environs of the German military top brass, colleagues viciously back stab each other and even plot to claim the credit for stealing the Spitfire’s secrets.
Spitfire Spies is a good read thanks to the quality of the writing, some excellent plot twists, good in-depth research, and brilliantly timed moments of high drama. Surprisingly, the manuscript was rejected when it first did the rounds amongst the publishers over twenty years ago. Thankfully that wrong has now been corrected. John Hughes is an immensely talented writer who knows how to grip his audience with bold, innovative story telling.
Reviewed by Juliette Foster
© Archant Community Media Limited used under limited licence
Why not add Living with Jo, How to Steal a Piano and Follow My Leader to your John Hughes collection? Click on the covers to find out more about these books written by the author.
