My interest in military aviation really began the day my father showed me the picture of the
wreckage of a Lancaster strewn over a field in Belgium. My grandfather had piloted the bomber, been captured and
had seen out the war behind wire. I needed to know more about who this
man was and what he had done. The outcome was my first book
Lancaster Down!. In researching for this book I
developed a keen interest in the exploits of the men of RAF Bomber Command and wrote
Sledgehammers for Tintacks and
D-Day Bombers (which also included the story of the
American heavy bomber contribution to the support of D-Day and beyond). For my fourth book I
decided to look into the fighter pilot experience after the Battle of Britain through until
the end of the war. Rather than tell a general story I decided to focus on specific airmen
and tell of the air battle and campaigns using their experiences.
Victory Fighters was the
outcome. Books five and six - Five of the Few and Five of the Many - told the war time stories of
five Battle of Britain and five Bomber Command veterans
respectively. My latest book Special Op Bomber uses first hand
accounts to tell the experiences of the Allied airmen who flew on
some of the most important bombing raids of the war.
My research into the Second World War air battle is ongoing. My objective is to record the
stories of the men who secured the freedom of the society in which I can write my books. I
am indebted to them!
I was born in Tonbridge Kent on 7th November 1966, completed my secondary education at the
Thomas Alleyne School, Stevenage and then went to Loughborough University, gaining a 2:1
in Physical Education, Sports Science and Mathematics. Whilst at University I captained the
basketball team to the Universities championship and captained and played for English
Universities and British Universities. I played national league basketball for a number of
years and gained 16 England caps. Writing is now my main occupation
and I am married with two young sons.
Steve Darlow
