Wings of War

"…fast-paced and gripping" CCBC Magazine

It is 1913 and Edward Simpson is enthralled by his German uncle, Horst, who designs and builds simple—and extremely dangerous—planes in his barn. Fascinated by flight and dreaming of a life in the air, Edward helps his uncle whenever he can. In return, Horst teaches his nephew the rudiments of flight and, one magical day, lets him take his latest barn-built creation up for a spin. Edward is hooked, he will be a pilot and escape the dull, boring world suffered by those whose feet are stuck to the ground. But it is 1914 and events in far-off Europe are dragging the world into a catastrophe that even a farm boy in Saskatchewan cannot avoid.

Edward sails for England where he joins the Royal Flying Corps and is sent over to join the battles in the skies over France. He is soon fighting for his life in aircraft even more uncertain than the ones Horst built, against an enemy who is better trained and who fly better armed and more maneuverable planes than he does. As he struggles to survive and watches his friends shot down one by one, he finds his beliefs tested in ways he could never have imagined. Exhausted and bitter, he fights to simply stay alive as the horrors of the Battle of the Somme unfold beneath him.

"Wilson writes eloquently about one boy's love of flight and his dream of flying…[and] Edward's narrative is thoroughly engaging. A fine, old-fashioned-feeling… tale set in the World War I skies." Kirkus Reviews

"Eddie's emotional and psychological development moves us…What makes Wings of War especially engaging, though, is Wilson's artful weaving of Eddie's story with the technical details of early flight: airplane construction and handling, and the specialized techniques required for successful aeronautic battle." Resource Links