Saturated with technical detail but....

What did you like most about Defector?

This is a brilliant insight into the procedures of the RAF Germany and the use of the Phantom as a fighting platform. I found David Gledhill writes with great authority on the technical aspects of the aircraft, and as an aviation nut and Phanton Phanatic I loved that part. I learnt a huge amount.

What other book might you compare Defector to, and why?

I have listened to many other aviation Novels, that range from the cold hard technical to dumbed down top gun style nonsense. This book definitely falls into the former. However compared to "I flew for the Fuhrer" by Heinz Knock (I know this is an basically autobiography) or "Bomber" by Len Deighton I really felt as though the balance suffered. I failed to understand the full motivation of Yuri Andrenev and why he wanted defect potentially sparking WW3. This is certainly not Hunt for Red October where tension builds within a far wider political framework supported by a varied cast of characters.

Have you listened to any of David Gledhill’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I think its great that David Gledhill wanted to narrate this book. Respect is due for the undertaking. However he is no voice actor and sometimes during the high action sequences radio calls are read out as though he was ordering a take away rather than inside a highly dynamic aerial engagement. It was also very difficult to understand who was doing what, with several actions going on simultaneously and no break in the narration to identify who he was talking about. There were also several rather long random pauses that I thought marked the end of a chapter, only for dialogue to continue. A small point was that I heard background noise a few times as well, like turning on a mic or something.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did listen to it in the period of two days. I work as an illustrator and often have a book on in the background. I absorb it by osmosis over a couple of listens. I have to say I did zone out several times during the long aerial procedure accounts. They were fascinating as I have mentioned above but without the engaging narration they eventually became sterile. I imagine that in real life RAF procedures have to done like this and credit is due for David not jazzing them up Rambo style.

Any additional comments?

Dont get me wrong I love this book. For what it is, its great !! Thankyou David for writing it. It just lacks something that would have put it into "Tom Clancy" "Len Deighton" status. It didnt paint a picture of the skies over cold war Germany or the potential consequences of an aerial battle in a tinder box of international tension. Surely WW3 could have kicked off big time, but the dialogue just seemed as though it was another exercise. More focused in getting back to mess for a beer or three. Maybe that is real life in an RAF squadron, David Gledhill would be the man to know. I originally thought the book was part of a linked series where the characters would develop but having read the descriptions of the second and third books I believe they are self contained. I think I will download the next in the series and see where it heads. If you love the Phantom, BUY THIS BOOK, if you love technical detail BUY THIS BOOK, if you love hearing it from the horses mouth BUY THIS BOOK. The scenario has all the potential for a best seller, and for the right person this is the perfect book.

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2 people found this helpful

fantastic

A fantastic roller coaster story well told. The narrative was crisp and clearly told.

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1 person found this helpful

Mistakes

I can understand why an author would want to narrate their own book and Mr Gledhill obviously has an exemplary knowledge of the workings of the F4, but this job really should be left to an actor. His delivery is very monotonous with very little modulation and there are numerous re-reads that haven’t been deleted which put together spoil the story

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good story bad narrator

I enjoyed the story and love the tech aspect of the book. however hearing mouse clicks as the narrator reads this book is POOR

next time filter out the noise !

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An excellent story for jet heads

if you are a an aviation enthusiast you will enjoy this book. Full of technical language and knowledge gained from the authors experience in Cold War aviation and tactics. Read Well by the author too, with a clear voice and knowledge of aviation jargon.

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