John NicholEject! Eject!

Duncurin loved this book. For me , the amount of technical information was just about right and it was great reading about one of our leading edge companies that develops fabulous products that are sold at home and abroad. The author had a lovely blend of technical discussion and alloyed this with a very human narrative. He writes with a lovely pace and precision and the result is a read that is attractive and compelling. I especially liked the way several airmen’s and navigator’s stories were interwoven through the book as it progressed.Sadly, although I chose it because I was fascinated by modern ejection-seat technology , it was the human stories that achieved most impact on me. The events in war, about the way the Vietnam pilots were treated for instance was beaten only by the dreadful, dreadful injuries that they used to receive as a result of ejecting. The discussion for instance about the complex compound leg fractures, the pilot who had the atlanto-axial dislocation who would have, had he not been lucky, spent his days in an iron lung, the dreadful burns - were nothing short of harrowing and would be precisely the ones that I would dread coming in when I worked in A&E. The tales they told about, of course, being lucky to be alive were accompanied by lifelong disability and regrets like the poor young woman who would have loved to have been able to wear a skirt and a nice blouse - an option forever lost to her. Then came the errors, the screws that were over tightened or under tightened the aircraft that had its seat disabled only for it to intervene when death otherwise would have been certain , pilot errors, and of course the friendly fire incidents.Without doubt by its very nature there must be a constant battle between aircraft/missile performance and the safe deliverance of aircrew from an aircraft that is too fast, fatally compromised, too low, spinning too much, taking cannon shells or is on fire and for this reason no doubt work will continue.Ultimately then this was a fabulous, engaging and impactful read. At its end I could only reflect on the nature of war and the risks we ask our pilots to take on and whether technology will advance so much that seat technology will be rendered obsolete with pilotless aircraft.Lastly, as I began the book I thought that this would make for an excellent recommendation for my friend’s son-in-law who flies off an American carrier and is due home on leave at Christmas. As I encountered such harrowing tales of loss and suffering and error, however , it dawned on me that this would be the last thing he would take up on a spell of quiet leave with his family. For the rest of us however who will never face such challenges - enjoy.

I couldn’t put this book down - fascinating stories of ejection seat technology as it developed & the rescues that ensued. Terrible injuries too but all ingenuity used to avoid them in future.

John Nichol knows what he's talking about. We all know his background- RAF career, shot down, mistreated, paraded, released. He's been there and done that, and as with 'Spitfire', 'Lancaster' and especially of course 'Tornado', he gels with those he researches, meets and writes about because he IS one of them. That RAF camaraderie rings true and that is also the case here with this new title.The story is chronological from the early days of the seats being developed- a ripping yarn in itself, with some fantastic characters testing them- and then moves forward through several aerial conflicts, and other incidents in between.John has a very easy and readable writing style and I genuinely found this one to be a page turner. You'd think that all the stories would get samey- banging out of an aircraft- but they really don't. If I had a any criticism at all, it would be that the people who maintain these seats day in day out get short shrift- this is all about the occupants. While I can see that the ejectees are the focus, there was a similar slant to 'Spitfire' and particularly, 'Lancaster'- these are books that are clearly written by a flyer, about other flyers, and the people on the ground could do with a little more mention.Thoroughly recommended, and I already eagerly await news of John's next title. As a final aside, I love the design of these books and how good they all look together on the shelf!

This is a story that has needed to be told for a long time. There are other books around the subject but this pulls the story together.I'm not sure that we need all of the graphic detail of Vietnamese attrocities against US fliers, that was really the makings of another book altogether.As the author has had to be diplomatic in some areas, feelings run deep and memories are long, the book has a feel of 'now it can be told' just not completely.GW1 was a tough time for many and for some tough doesn't begin to describe it. For John Nichol to produce this book must have taken nerves of steel and a huge chunk of mental toughness, backed by massive friends and family support. He has taken the time to let the reader know that he has taken that ride, but hasn't fallen into the trap of the book being about him. Very well done.

Excellent book, very educational about the history of the ejection seat together with some very poignant stories from several users. Highly recommended.