Book Review

This is the story of the first British army female helicopter pilot to fly an Apache in the war in Afghanistan. It is written in the historic present, a style more commonly used in French than English literature, but one that works well here, giving you a feeling of being part of the action.

When chosen for the Apache course Charlotte Madison (apparently not her real name, which has been changed to protect her) says: “It’s angular, black and angry looking. It's like I shouldn’t be anywhere near it. No wonder US pilots call flying it, ‘Riding the Dragon.’.”...