The Quick and the Dead

Written in 1956 but still relevant and thought-provoking today, this book is an absolute revelation on test flying with the British aircraft organisations and manufacturers in the 1950s. Written with refreshing frankness and truth – which allegedly finally cost him his job at the “Daily Express” – this account details what really went on behind the scenes in the defence world. Waterton pulls no punches in recounting the non-cooperation of civil servants in improving/altering recognised faults (often minor) when developing aircraft – to the cost of lives lost. This is an astonishing insight into the workings of the British aircraft industry.