Reach for the Sky

From the bestselling author of The Great Escape, discover the inspiring story of Britain''s most courageous flyer: the Second World War hero Sir Douglas Bader.

In 1931, at the age of 21, Douglas Bader was the golden boy of the RAF.

Excelling in everything he did, he represented the RAF in aerobatics displays, played rugby for Harlequins and was tipped to be the next England fly half. But one afternoon in December all his ambitions came to an abrupt end when he crashed his plane doing a particularly difficult - and illegal - aerobatic trick. His injuries were so bad that surgeons were forced to amputate both his legs to save his life. He did not fly again until the outbreak of the Second World War, when his undoubted skill in the air was enough to convince a desperate air force to give him his very own squadron.

The rest of his story is the stuff of legend. Flying Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain, Bader led his squadron to victory after victory, keeping them all going with his unstoppable banter. Shot down in occupied France, his German captors had to confiscate his tin legs in order to stop him trying to escape. A true hero of the Second World War, Bader faced every challenge with the same charm, charisma and determination that was an inspiration to all around him.