Phoenix Squadron, by Rowland White is the true story of how a squadron of Buccaneer fighter bombers set off on an unprecedented long-range mission to combat the threat of invasion to British Honduras. This tiny outpost on the other side of the Atlantic, had been a source of tension in the region for some time, but things came to a head towards the end of 1971 and early 1972, when US-trained Guatemalan paratroops began building their numbers on the border for what looked like a serious attempt to claim British Honduras for themselves. The only possible deterrent Britain could offer was HMS Ark Royal, its once dominant aircraft carrier that was, at the time, on the verge of being scrapped. And so began a high-speed dash across 1,500 miles of ocean to get them to a point where they could launch two Buccaneers that would fly over Honduras and show everyone in the region that Honduras was protected. The launch point was on the very edge of what was possible and involved inflight refuelling, both there and back. If the rendezvous points were missed or delayed in any way, the bombers would not have made it back. Full of incredible detail about the people involved, as well as the planes and ships involved, this is a testament to the skill, bravery and sheer bloody mindedness of an elite squadron who, in January 1972, were tasked with the impossible ... or so it seemed. I admire the research and work that has gone into this book, with much of the content taken from first hand accounts, and I also applaud the tenacity of the squadron who pulled this mission off. However, partly due to the technical nature of the detail, I found myself getting bogged down at times and a little confused by the number of people involved, particularly in the first half of the book. However, once the mission got underway and the tension began to rise, I became much more engaged. So, for me, a book of two halves. If you really like the technical stuff, I can heartily recommend this book to you.
My STAR rating: THREE.
Length: 524 print pages.
Price I paid: FREE, borrowed from my brother-in-law.
Formats available: Print, ebook.
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