My Flying Circus
By Richard Leven
The no-holds-barred autobiography of a World War II bomber pilot.
My Flying Circus is the autobiography of Richard Leven, an extraordinary individual who lived in extraordinary times, and an intuitive, poetic man with a powerful talent for writing.
Dickie Leven joined Bomber Command’s 107 Squadron as a young NCO pilot at the beginning of World War II. By the end of the War he was a highly-decorated squadron leader, having survived a record 127 daylight bombing missions. In My Flying Circus, he tells of life in the cockpit. Recalling the tension, fear and flak, the taste of oil and the smell of cordite, Leven recounts his many dramatic exploits; including, how he helped to knock out the V2 launch sites whose deadly missiles wreaked havoc on London, how he met members of the German high command, and what he said to Lord (and Lady) Haw-Haw.
Indomitable, unorthodox, passionate, and yet in some ways as vulnerable as the Blenheims he loved to fly, Leven was a restless man who, after leaving the RAF, could not settle down. He drifted into the City, show business and the circus, meeting many celebrities, some of international notoriety. He was a published poet and twice appeared as a professional palmist on TV.
Air Marshal Sir Geoffrey Dhenin described Richard Leven as a remarkable man who lived a remarkable life in war and peace. This is a life story told with great charm and panache, and will appeal to readers with an interest in aviation, military history and biography alike.
Praise for My Flying Circus:
‘This book is an incredible account of the wartime exploits and subsequent life of Squadron Leader Richard Leven, DFC, DFM, and Belgium Croix de Guerre Palme…of great interest to anyone interested in World War II and in colourful characters in general’ – Amazon review
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