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Mitchell : Father of the Spitfire by Paul BeaverA triumph of historical narrative. JAMES HOLLAND, author of Victory '45The gripping story of the pioneer behind the Spitfire told in a major new biography Britain's leading aviation historian' Daily Mail Reginald Mitchell is one of the greatest names in aviation history. A visionary engineer with a passion for speed, his legacy is the most iconic fighter aircraft of all time: the Spitfire. During the uneasy peace of the 1920s, he was a trailblazing
‘A triumph of historical narrative.’ JAMES HOLLAND, author of Victory '45The gripping story of the pioneer behind the Spitfire told in a major new biography ‘Britain's leading aviation historian' Daily Mail Reginald Mitchell is one of the greatest names in aviation history. A visionary engineer with a passion for speed, his legacy is the most iconic fighter aircraft of all time: the Spitfire. During the uneasy peace of the 1920s, he was a trailblazing innovator working at the cutting edge of technology. As Europe’s politics darkened in the 1930s, the work of Mitchell and his team at Supermarine became crucial to a nation preparing for war. Though he did not live to see the Spitfire in action, his work led to triumph at the Battle of Britain – and to a legendary aircraft that still inspires awe to this day.In this exhilarating biography, Paul Beaver takes us behind the scenes, exploring the creative genius of a man devoted to pushing the boundaries of technology. We see his flair for leadership and collaboration with Rolls-Royce, the pinnacle of British engineering; we learn of Mitchell’s other innovative designs that could have changed the course of the war, had he not died in 1937; and, at last, we hear the real story behind the Spitfire.
Drawing on new interviews, private archives and previously unpublished material, this is the story of a man who helped change the course of history – one of the great design leaders of the twentieth century.
Praise for Winkle:'[A] thumping great biography by Britain's leading aviation historian' Daily Mail, ‘Book of the Week’'Winkle Brown's astonishing adventures make for fascinating reading' Sunday Times'Beaver recounts the story of a man he regarded as a mentor in unshowy but fascinating detail, and restores a British hero to his rightful place' Observer 'The extraordinary story [of] a fearless pilot and decorated war hero. Epic' The Herald'An incredible life ... Brown took a secret to the grave that makes his story all the more remarkable' The Sun
,Binding: Hardback,
Pagination: 304 pages
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4.6 ★★★★★
Based on 1322 reviews
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 4
An unexpected reading experience!
Format: Hardcover
Very unexpected novel! I went into it without any knowledge or prior information of what it was going to be about. Main character is not a person you would want to be friends. So when calamities happen to her it was hard for me to muster up much sympathy or compassion. It was more of “you had this coming, you deserve every miserable minute”. And boy, there were many! Some harder to believe than others. As I was reading, I first thought- I don’t want to keep this book, it’s not worth saving. But it developed to be definitely the type of story that sticks in your mind, you find yourself revisiting parts and characters and wondering why that happened and why did that person react a certain way. And to me that’s a book worth reading and keeping on my limited bookshelf. So I changed my opinion as I read to the end of the novel. It is certainly a book worthy of a neighborhood book group discussion. I am recommending and sharing my copy to family members and reading friends.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Beneath the perfect surface
Format: Kindle
Yesteryear completely caught me off guard in the best possible way. What begins as a fascinating look into social media influence, curated perfection, and historical living slowly unfolds into something far deeper and far more emotional than I expected.
The storytelling was incredibly well done, especially the way the author balanced the polished modern influencer world against the harsh realities of 1800s frontier life. The transitions between timelines and perspectives were seamless, and by the end, every piece fit together in a way that completely redefined the story.
What made this especially compelling for me was how layered Natalie’s character felt. Her upbringing, family expectations, faith, public image, and the pressure to maintain perfection all shaped the choices she made throughout the story. Rather than feeling one-dimensional, she felt like someone slowly buckling under the weight of everything she believed she was supposed to be.
The emotional impact of this book surprised me. Beneath the historical elements and social media commentary is a story about identity, appearances, family, and the toll that constant performance can take on a person and those around them.
This is one of those books where the less you know going in, the better the experience will be. I expected an entertaining premise, but I ended up with a story that lingered long after I finished the final page.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2026
★★★★★ 3
About that twist…
Format: Kindle
SPOILER ALERT!
The thing about big, improbable twists in stories is that the less time you have to think about them, the better their effect. For fans of the classic TV show The Twilight Zone, it has always been clear that the half-hour shows were far better and far more punchy and memorable than their rather sad hour-long cousins. And a book has far, far more time to contemplate a twist than a TV show.
Unfortunately, despite some pointed observations by the author (narcissistic people are pretty much unlikable, cruelty and brutality give power to weak men, abused children very often cling to their abusers), the big, improbable twist in Yesteryear almost completely sinks the story.
The twist is the same one that sank M. Night Shyamalan’s 2004 movie The Village, and it fares no better here. Yes, people can and do live off the grid. But avoiding every single sign of civilization for years on end? Even if you’re not in a commercial flight path, there are such things as helicopters and small private planes, especially in remote areas. Perhaps people rarely stray onto private land in the wilderness, but once in a while, stray they do. And when that wilderness home was once widely publicized? Excuse me, but people are going to look for it.
This is all not to say that Yesteryear was not entertaining - it was. I read it in one sitting. The characters, as unlikable and unreliable as they are, were well drawn. A couple of the children were also quite believable, but the author’s excuse for the rest of the kids being cyphers was that their mother saw them as cyphers as well. Okay, that’s fair, but knowing them better would have enhanced the story for the reader.
This is certainly a promising book. It held my attention and was very well-written. But that twist - well, it sank M. Night Shyamalan, too.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2026
★★★★★ 4
Good read
Format: Hardcover
This book has been getting a lot of hype, and I can understand why. First, it is a very unique storyline. Very different plot. Second, the main character, Natalie, is totally unlikable. In fact, I would honestly say I loathed her. She has no likeable qualities whatsoever. I guess that is what makes you want to keep reading, to find out what happens to this nasty woman. That said, I admit I was confused at the end. I am still not sure what exactly happened to Natalie, how the situation came about, and how 10 years went by when Natalie seemed to only be telling a few months time. Was she delusional? Did she have a mental breakdown? I wish it was more clear as to what exactly happened.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2026
★★★★★ 5
What did i spend so much time reading??
Format: Kindle
Spoilers ahead This book makes me angry. A misogynistic fable that holds women as mothers as inherently either deeply flawed or as if some fairy tale perfect mother exists. I found the early parts of the novel quite funny. Thinking this poor woman why do people expect such crazy standards? Also social media influencers somehow we are to take for reality? It is entertaining and that's why we want to spend our time looking at it. It is a fantasy world. Yet that is somehow turned from something comical and poignant dissolving into madness where there can be a 16 year old that can take away your children for what I'm not sure. Filming them? Having nannies? And then again the next bunch for living off the grid? I get that this isn't going for realism. It ultimately became for me this poorly written satire maybe? Obviously what started as comically intriguing for me descended into one totally crazy crazy turn to the darkest of places. I recognize this was supposed to be some sort of cracked fairytale where nearly everyone is evil and/or mental but 30 years for child abuse? This is like a nightmare not a thriller. The book demonstrates a hatred for mothers. Just awful! It made me crave for a totally unrealistic thriller. I came to be entertained and left pissed off.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2026