Richard Hilary - Last Enemy

Review by Maggie Perkovic on show 9th Dec 2010
THIS IS WHAT I CALL A 'RETRO' BOOK THAT IS IT WAS WRITTEN IN 1942 & REPRINTED IN THE 1950'S & 1990'S.
IT IS A RATTLING GOOD READ. THE STORY IS OF RICHARD HILLARY, A UNIVERSITY STUDENT WHO JOINS THE WAR BASICALLY TO FLY, IN FACT HE ARGUES VERY FORCEFULLY WITH HIS COMPATRIOTS ABOUT THEIR SO CALLED PATRIOTISM, POINTING OUT WHAT THEY WERE DOING WAS MORE A MATTER OF ADVENTURE THAN OF BEING A PATRIOT. HE IS A TRUE STUDENT READY TO DISCUSS AT THE DROP OF A HAT WHAT HE THINKS, FEELS, BELIEVES IN ETC. HE IS A GOOD PILOT AND SCORES WELL IN SHOOTING DOWN THE ENEMY FIGHTERS UNTIL HIS LUCK FAILS AND HE IS SHOT DOWN IN FLAMES, ENDING UP IN THE SEA ROUND MARGATE, WHERE THE LIFEBOAT RESCUES HIM AND HE ENDS UP IN THEIR HOSPITAL.
HE IS VERY BADLY BURNT, HIS EYELIDS, HIS HANDS & FACE ALL DESTROYED. HE GOES TO VARIOUS HOSPITALS, IS OPERATED ON BY IAN MACINDOE THE FAMOUS PLASTIC SURGEON AND SUFFERS INCREDIBLY, AS DO LOTS OF OTHER YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN TOO.
RICHARDS ONE CONCERN IS TO GET BACK TO FLYING AND THAT IS HARD WITH THE STATE OF HIS HANDS. HE FINISHES HIS BOOK WITH A VOW TO WRITE ABOUT THE WAR, ABOUT HIS COMRADES, TO LET THE WORLD KNOW SOMETHING OF THE LIVES OF THESE MEN, THEN HE FEELS HE WOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING WORTHWHILE.
SADLY HE DID GET BACK TO OPERATIONAL FLYING AND WAS SHOT DOWN NINE MONTHS LATER. THIS TIME HE DIDN'T SURVIVE.
I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK, A CLEVER SUPERIOR SORT OF CHAP, HE WRITES LIKE A GENIUS.
review by Mags