'White writes narrative history like a novelist' Navy News 'A story of skill, courage and imagination' The Spectator 'Rowland White has crafted yet another brilliant account of aerial warfare' John Nicol _________________________________ Built of lightweight wood, powered by two growling Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, impossibly aerodynamic, headspinningly fast and armed to the teeth, the de Havilland Mosquito was the war-winning wonder that should never have existed: the aircraft the RAF didn't think it wanted then couldn't do without. Flying on operations barely eighteen months after a single prototype was ordered off the drawing board, it was the answer to its pilots' prayers: a stunningly versatile warplane capable of leaving the Luftwaffe in its wake to attack when and where the enemy was least expecting it. Excelling as a spyplane, night-fighter and pathfinder for Bomber Command's heavies the Mossie's reputation was cemented by a series of daredevil bombing raids across occupied Europe, including on Berlin itself, where only surprise, speed and precision could ensure success. So when Churchill's top secret Special Operations Executive needed to destroy the Gestapo HQ in the centre of downtown Copenhagen to prevent a devastating Nazi last stand that might prolong the war for many months, there was only one machine for the job - the Mosquito. This is the story of that legendary aircraft told through that one impossible mission. Like Rowland White's previous books, Mosquito is an unputdownable mix of utterly compelling storytelling, incredible human stories and fascinating technological detail, which sheds never-before-told light on a pivotal mission that helped bring the war to its bloody and brutal close.

'White writes narrative history like a novelist' Navy News 'A story of skill, courage and imagination' The Spectator 'Rowland White has crafted yet another brilliant account of aerial warfare' John Nicol _________________________________ Built of lightweight wood, powered by two growling Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, impossibly aerodynamic, headspinningly fast and armed to the teeth, the de Havilland Mosquito was the war-winning wonder that should never have existed: the aircraft the RAF didn't think it wanted then couldn't do without. Flying on operations barely eighteen months after a single prototype was ordered off the drawing board, it was the answer to its pilots' prayers: a stunningly versatile warplane capable of leaving the Luftwaffe in its wake to attack when and where the enemy was least expecting it. Excelling as a spyplane, night-fighter and pathfinder for Bomber Command's heavies the Mossie's reputation was cemented by a series of daredevil bombing raids across occupied Europe, including on Berlin itself, where only surprise, speed and precision could ensure success. So when Churchill's top secret Special Operations Executive needed to destroy the Gestapo HQ in the centre of downtown Copenhagen to prevent a devastating Nazi last stand that might prolong the war for many months, there was only one machine for the job - the Mosquito. This is the story of that legendary aircraft told through that one impossible mission. Like Rowland White's previous books, Mosquito is an unputdownable mix of utterly compelling storytelling, incredible human stories and fascinating technological detail, which sheds never-before-told light on a pivotal mission that helped bring the war to its bloody and brutal close.

'Utterly brilliant: a fantastically exciting book... This really does read like the best kind of thriller. His best book yet' James Holland, author of Normandy '44 April 1982. Argentina invades the Falkland Islands. In response, Britain despatches a naval task force. Eight thousand miles from home, its fate hinges on just twenty Sea Harriers against the two hundred-strong might of the Argentine Air Force. The odds against them are overwhelming. The MoD's own estimates suggest that half the Harriers will be lost in the opening days of the conflict. They need backup. Within three weeks 809 Naval Air Squadron is reformed, trained and heading south, ready for war. Not since World War Two had so much been expected of such a small band of pilots.

THE THRILLING #1 BESTSELLING STORY OF ONE OF THE GREATEST COMBAT MISSIONS EVER FLOWN Shoulder to shoulder with Strategic Air Command B-52s throughout the Cold War, the big delta-winged Vulcans of the Britain's V-bomber force faced down the Soviet threat to the West. In 1982 they were just months from retirement when they flew in anger for the first time. It was a to be a record-breaking mission of breathtaking audacity: a single bomber launched from a remote island airbase to carry out what would be the longest-range air attack in history. An eight thousand mile round trip. Her crew of six would be flying into a hornet's nest of modern weaponry: radar-guided anti-aircraft guns and missiles. There would be no second chances. Vulcan 607 tells the gripping true story of that legendary raid for the first time - an operation that many thought would turn out to be a real life Mission Impossible. 'A masterwork of narrative history' Clive Cussler 'Vulcan 607 deserves to become an aviation classic' Len Deighton 'White's gripping narrative reads like a suspense thriller, yet every word is true' Stephen Coonts 'I read the book in one sitting ... an utterly compelling war story, brilliantly written' Simon Winchester, author of The Professor and the Madman

It was to be one of the most ambitious operations since 617 Squadron bounced their revolutionary bombs into the dams of the Ruhr Valley in 1943 . . . April 1982. Argentine forces had invaded the Falkland Islands. Britain needed an answer. And fast. The idea was simple: to destroy the vital landing strip at Port Stanley. The reality was more complicated. The only aircraft that could possibly do the job was three months from being scrapped, and the distance it had to travel was four thousand miles beyond its maximum range. It would take fifteen Victor tankers and seventeen separate in-flight refuellings to get one Avro Vulcan B2 over the target, and give its crew any chance of coming back alive. Yet less than a month later, a formation of elderly British jets launched from a remote island airbase to carry out the longest-range air attack in history. At its head was a single aircraft, six men, and twenty-one thousand-pound bombs, facing the hornet's nest of modern weaponry defending the Argentine forces on the Falkland Islands. There would be no second chances . . .

'A COMPELLING, FAST-PACED NARRATIVE THAT THRUSTS US INTO THE COCKPIT. A MUST-READ!' Dan Hampton April 1982. Argentina invades the Falkland Islands. In response, Britain dispatches a naval Task Force. Eight thousand miles from home, its fate hinges on just twenty Sea Harrier fighters against the two hundred-strong might of the Argentine Air Force. The odds against them are overwhelming. British Defense Chiefs' own estimates suggest that half the Harriers will be lost within a week. Against this background, 809 Naval Air Squadron is reformed, trained and sent south to fight. Not since WWII had so much been expected of such a small band of pilots... Combining groundbreaking research with the pace of a thriller, Rowland White reveals the full story of the fleet's knife-edge fight for survival for the first time, and shows how the little jump jet went from airshow novelty to writing its name in aviation legend. And of how a small band of heroes won victory against impossible odds. 'A military adventure, written with expertise...a tale of initiative, skill and courage, of pushing beyond the rules.' THE SPECTATOR 'Harrier 809 reads like a fast-paced military adventure novel only better because every word is true. White has brought us an up-close, inside-the-cockpit saga of a band of heroes. Riveting.' ROBERT GANDT, author of Skygods 'Utterly thrilling and totally absorbing. White conveys brilliantly the spirit of a great aircraft - and the men who flew it.' PATRICK BISHOP 'Utterly brilliant. The very best kind of narrative history, Harrier 809 is a fantastically exciting book. It reads like a thriller and has some of the best aerial action sequences I've ever read. A page-turner from start to finish.' JAMES HOLLAND, author of Normandy '44 'Set against the broader context of the Falklands War, Harrier 809 brings the squadron's story to life in fine and highly readable detail.' GARTH ENNIS, author of The Boys, Preacher and Hellblazer

'COMPLETELY RIVETING. AS GRIPPING AS ANY TOM CLANCY THRILLER' JEREMY CLARKSON January 1972: the tiny Central American country of Belize is threatened with invasion by battle-hardened Guatemalan paratroops. Only HMS Ark Royal, an aging British aircraft carrier and her squadrons of fast jets and helicopters stand in her way. But as the great ship and her air group pound their way across the Atlantic the enemy are already deploying their air force to remote jungle strips close to the border. In Belize they prepare for the worst. Only a bold gamble looks likely to save the day. But it will require every ounce of skill and daring from the carrier's small band of aviators. The race is on. Drawing on brand new interviews with the participants Phoenix Squadron tells the riveting true story of a little known Cold War confrontation for the first time. 'A page-turning thriller of a book … the story never lets up, … a gripping, hugely entertaining book’ Sunday Telegraph `Stirring, gritty, punchy and compelling … Phoenix Squadron succeeds on many levels ... Highly recommended.’ Aircraft Magazine 'A truly outstanding narrative every ... there is no better read' Aviation News 'Reads more like a Tom Clancy novel than a history book' Daily Telegraph

A GRIPPING SPECIAL FORCES TRUE STORY FOR FANS OF DELTA FORCE, LONE SURVIVOR AND BLACK HAWK DOWN Before Seal Team Six, before Delta Force, there was the SAS. This is the story of the do-or-die battle that entered Special Forces legend - an epic defence of freedom that stopped a Communist insurgency in its tracks. In 1970, British Special Forces flew into to Middle East to lead a fierce, secret war against a Chinese trained army that threatened the stability of the whole region. Supported by an elite band of pilots flying jets and helicopters the SAS waged war against the enemy. Then at dawn on July 19th, 1972, a force of 300 heavily armed guerillas launched an assault on the town of Mirbat. Between them and victory stood juts nine SAS men. This is the story of that epic battle. 'A rare insight into the battle that defined the modern SAS' Colonel Tim Collins 'Gripping, revealing and extraordinarily well-researched ... a riveting new account of a little known, but crucial war’ Sir Ranulph Fiennes `This gripping page-turner of a book switches from action on the ground to that in the air more vividly than any I have read ... highly recommended.’ Aeroplane Magazine

On 12th April 1981 a revolutionary new spacecraft blasted off from Florida on her maiden flight. NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia was the most advanced flying machine ever built - the high watermark of post-war aviation development. A direct descendant of the record-breaking X-planes the likes of which Chuck Yeager had tested in the skies over the Mojave Desert, Columbia was a winged rocket plane, the size of an airliner, capable of flying to space and back before being made ready to fly again. She was the world's first real spaceship. On board were men with the Right Stuff. The Shuttle's Commander, moonwalker John Young, was already a veteran of five spaceflights. Alongside him, Pilot Bob Crippen was making his first, but Crip, taken in by the space agency after the cancellation of a top secret military space station programme in 1969, had worked on the Shuttle's development for a decade. Never before had a crew been so well prepared for their mission. Yet less than an hour after Young and Crippen's spectacular departure from the Cape it was clear that all was not well. Tiles designed to protect Columbia from the blowtorch burn of re-entry were missing from the heatshield. If the damage to their ship was too great the astronauts would be unable to return safely to earth. But neither they nor mission control possessed any way of knowing. Instead, NASA turned to the National Reconnaissance Office, a spy agency hidden deep inside the Pentagon whose very existence was classified. To help, the NRO would attempt something that had never been done before. Success would require skill, pinpoint timing and luck ... Drawing on brand new interviews with astronauts and engineers, archive material and newly declassified documents, Rowland White, bestselling author of Vulcan 607, has pieced together the dramatic untold story of the mission for the first time. Into the Black is a thrilling race against time; a gripping high stakes cold-war story, and a celebration of a beyond the state-of-the-art machine that, hailed as one of the seven new wonders of the world, rekindled our passion for spaceflight. *With a foreword by Astronaut Richard Truly* 'Beautifully researched and written, Into the Black tells the true, complete story of the Space Shuttle better than it's ever been told before.' Colonel Chris Hadfield, former Astronaut and Space Station Commander 'Brilliantly revealed, Into the Black is the finely tuned true story of the first flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia. Rowland White has magnificently laid bare the unknown dangers and unseen hazards of that first mission ... Once read, not forgotten.' Clive Cussler

‘As vivid and compelling as the best adventure thriller, and a fitting tribute to a small band of men who became heroes’ ANDY MCNAB

‘Gripping, revealing and extraordinarily well-researched, this is a riveting new account of a little known but crucial war’ SIR RANULPH FIENNES

Dawn. 19 July 1972. A force of nearly three hundred heavily armed, well-trained guerrillas launches a surprise attack on the small fishing village of Mirbat. All that stands in their way is a troop of just nine SAS, aided only by an elite band of fighter pilots overhead.

Two years earlier a Communist rebellion had threatened the Arabian Peninsula, in the strategically critical Sultanate of Oman. Following a covert intelligence mission, 22 SAS deployed their largest ever assault force against the rebels.

But this was to be a bitter and hard-fought campaign culminating the Battle of Mirbat which would become a defining moment for the Regiment. Their heroism that day would remain part of the SAS legend for ever.

January 1972: the tiny outpost of British Honduras is threatened with imminent invasion by battle-hardened, US-trained Guatemalan paratroops. Britain's response must be immediate and decisive. But there is only one deterrent the government can offer: HMS Ark Royal, once the Navy's most powerful warship, now a white elephant on the verge of being scrapped. To save the small colony, she must launch a pair of Buccaneer fighter bombers on an unprecedented long-range mission. But first the old carrier must make a high-speed, 1,500 mile dash across the Atlantic towards the Gulf of Mexico. The odds of arriving in time are very slim indeed... Drawing on extensive first-hand accounts and previously unseen, classified documents, Rowland White has pieced together one of the most audacious and thrilling missions of post-war British military history.