Originally Posted by
downsizer
You're right, you probably shouldn't!
However since you asked....the shortest answer is, despite never having met or worked with you, I didn't think I liked you.
I joined a couple years after the events referenced in the book and there was certainly a line in various crew rooms that you were a bell end, or a failure, or a big head, or various combinations of similar. Also annoyance at seeing you trotted out on the news etc, etc. These lines were, in clear hindsight, peddled by people who had never even come close to putting themselves into the danger that you and others did in '91. I'm ashamed to admit I accepted those PoVs without any critical thought or analysis and should have realised that if someone raises their head above the parapet then others will take pot shots. So I spent the last 30 years largely discounting anything you said or wrote. I like to think I don't behave like that today.
Now I was gifted the book and thought, I don't want to read this pish (also I spent more time on harriers than tornado), but I took it on holiday with me last summer and I couldn't put it down. I'll admit that parts brought a tear to my eye. I thought it was really well written and thoroughly enjoyed it. I only really understood a fraction of what you and the guys went through till I read it, my career was mostly based around Iraq and Afghan with a bit of ex-Yug thrown in.
Now, you may well be a bell end, I have no idea, but I suspect not! And you can certainly write a good book. And I will no longer trot out tired tropes about you until I've met you to confirm one way or the other!
Hope that makes sense and doesn't offend too much!
If you like Tornado, you should try John's "Spitfire", a truly excellent read.
There's too many books on the history of the mighty Spit so you'd be forgiven for assuming this is just another one but it isn't, John focuses on the people who flew and maintained them and so it's a much more personal story. One of my 'keeper' books.