Origins of "The Shepherd" A story by Frederick Forsyth.
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Origins of "The Shepherd" A story by Frederick Forsyth.
I have just read the book by Frederick Forsyth called "The Shepherd." In addition I listened to a tape of the story from a talking book library. Having flown single seat Vampires in my youth, the story came alive although some of the speeds quoted on the tape recording were a bit iffy. For example 485 knots cruise IAS at 27,000 ft. No way, unless you were in a terminal dive in the Vampire. Also 120 knots over the fence would make you float forever.
But apart from that, the taped version was very well done and made my hair stand on end. Having had strange going's on myself during flying a Lincoln back in the early Fifties, I wondered about the ghostly Mosquito in the story. And who was the narrator?
Was Frederick Forsyth a pilot? The description of a zero-zero landing in the book was pretty realistic and only someone who has been there-done that, could describe so accurately the sensation. While obviously The Shepherd was a very convincing work of fiction, nevertheless the talking tape got me right in. Was the story by Forsyth based on an incident somewhere back in time?
But apart from that, the taped version was very well done and made my hair stand on end. Having had strange going's on myself during flying a Lincoln back in the early Fifties, I wondered about the ghostly Mosquito in the story. And who was the narrator?
Was Frederick Forsyth a pilot? The description of a zero-zero landing in the book was pretty realistic and only someone who has been there-done that, could describe so accurately the sensation. While obviously The Shepherd was a very convincing work of fiction, nevertheless the talking tape got me right in. Was the story by Forsyth based on an incident somewhere back in time?
Some of the potted biographies about Forsyth suggest that he was the youngest pilot in the RAF at one point.
It would seem that he was a national service pilot, since his RAF career only seems to have lasted from 1956/56-58.
It would seem that he was a national service pilot, since his RAF career only seems to have lasted from 1956/56-58.
