Going Solo: Amazon.ca: Roald Dahl: Books

Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

The esteemed novelist, short-story writer, author of children's classics and screenplays presents a sequel to Boy, his first book of memoirs, published as a children's book. Now 70, Dahl chronicles events of his youth, when he worked in Africa and garnered material for his chilling tales about lethal snakes and other perils. The autobiography dwells mainly, though, on Dahl's experiences in the British Royal Air Force and on his comrades during World War II. Appealingly illustrated, this second volume contains copies of the author's letters to his mother and ends with their joyful reunion. The book is exciting, touching and graced by Dahl's incomparable sense of humor: a standout. 20,000 first printing.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-12-Roald Dahl was Going Solo (Puffin, 1999) when he left England to work for the Shell Oil Company in East Africa. In this sequel to his earlier autobiography, Boy (Dec. 2002, p. 71), the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory details his adventures in Africa and later as an RAF pilot during World War II. Dahl is occasionally tongue-in-cheek as he recalls a few highly dangerous snakes and an inordinately gentle lion during his travels around the African countryside. When war was declared, Dahl helped to round up German ex-patriots, and then he went off to a desert outpost to learn how to fly fighter planes. His wartime experiences in North Africa, Greece, and the Middle East included suffering a serious head injury in a plane crash and shooting down enemy planes. His descriptions of war are occasionally horrific, but there are also frequent injections of ironic humor. Though the thoroughly British pronunciation of some words may be unfamiliar to American listeners, Derek Jacobi's narration is well paced and splendidly balances the comic and serious elements of this memoir. The sound quality is good and, despite the fact that the cardboard case will not circulate well, both it and the cassettes provide useful information. This recording's straightforward recounting of war will appeal to Roald Dahl fans and World War II air buffs, and is most suitable for upper middle school and high school audiences.
Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library. Rocky Hill, CT
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

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First Sentence
The ship that was carrying me away from England to Africa in the autumn of 1938 was called the SS Mantola. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars A TESTAMENT TO ONE MAN'S LOVE OF FLYING, Aug 17 2011

By

MONTGOMERY (WASHINGTON, DC - U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Going Solo (Paperback)

Many years ago, I read this book, which thoroughly captivated me. Before earning a worldwide reputation as a writer of exciting and wildly imaginative children's books, Dahl had served as a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Here he relates his experiences of undergoing flight training in Southern Africa. He conveys with touching clarity the stresses, joys, and pain any pilot trainee experiences in coming to grips with flying. As someone who is fascinated with aviation, I almost felt as if I were in the cockpit with Dahl as he advanced through the various levels of training.

Dahl went on to serve with a fighter squadron in Libya, which, in the wake of the German blitzkrieg in the Balkans in April 1941, was later sent to Greece. It proved to be a fruitless undertaking as Dahl's squadron sustained heavy losses and Dahl himself was greviously wounded. This book is a testament to one man's love for flying and his efforts to pick up the pieces and resume a full life again.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Roald Dahl Review "going solo", Jun 30 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Going Solo (Paperback)

In the book "Going Solo" Roald Dahl describes every fun and depressing part of his experience as a teenager to adulthood. Its in his hilarious style where no word is boring, and the language is easy to read, lots of photographs took by Roald Dahl himself, and the ending is satisfying.
Everyone dislikes going on wars but Roald Dahl enjoyed it. He thought that it was a free travel and it was interesting. The story is about Roald Dahl's first career in Africa (Sudan) working for the Shell Oil company. When the second world war broke up he joined the royal airforce throughout middle east and the coast of Greece. some of the things he gets himself into and out of are incredible...like when he captures the war's first prisoners, or crash-lands in the desert, or flys in the Battle of Athens...the list goes on and on.
Throughout the book you follow a period of his life, experiencing both the positives and negatives sides of his adventure. You also get to find out how he begins to build ideas, and these ideas become great children books that are so memorable today.
Best parts: all the flying missions, of which Dahl writes so enthusiastically, by a 6'6" pilot crammed into the tiny cockpit of a Hurricane.
Worst: I cannot believe how the RAF could send so many practically untrained flyers into combat in aircraft they had never even flown before

Going Solo was, like all of Dahl's books, wonderful. I only wish he'd have written a third about his later adulthood. unfortunately he died before he could do that.

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5.0 out of 5 stars It's a pity there isn't a sequel to this one., May 23 2002

By

Meaghan Good "meggilyweggily" (Venedocia, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

In this sequel to Boy, Roald Dahl writes about his life as a young adult. After leaving Repton, his boarding school, he signed on with the Shell Oil Company and was sent to East Africa, which is now called Tanzania. While Dahl was serving in Tanzania, World War II happened and he signed up with the Royal Air Force. He chronicles in detail his work for Shell, and his experiences as an RAF pilot.

In East Africa, Roald Dahl had a near-fatal encounter with a deadly black mamba, whose poison can kill you in about two seconds. Right after the war broke out Roald's servant, a descendant of warrior tribesman, decided to become a warrior himself and killed a civillian. Roald had to spirit him away before the murder was discovered. And just to show how dangerous flying with the RAF was, one day when Roald returned from a mission his tent-mate told him, "I boiled enough tea for two, just in case you happened to come back." He was eventually shot down, but survived. While recuperating in the hospital, he fell in love with his nurse.

Going Solo was, like all of Dahl's books, wonderful. I only wish he'd have written a third about his later adulthood. Pity he died before he could do that.

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Most recent customer reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Feedback on the book
This book talks about Roald Dahl when he was young. He took part in the Second World War and this book deals with the time he went flying with the RAF in the war. Read more

Published on Dec 9 2001 by Rida

5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling sequel
This thrilling, true-life adventure stands on its own as a great read. In fact, I read it to my 8-year old son before we read "Boy", and turned to "Boy" only... Read more

Published on April 9 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars The wonderful continuation of 'Boy'
"Going Solo" is a continuation of Dahl's autobiography "Boy." Once started, one will not be able to put it down. It is a page turner. Read more

Published on Feb 15 2001 by Marcus Valdes

4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting book about roald dahls book
As a 17 year old boy who spent my childhood in Norway, with roalds books, I was really surprised when I found at that he wrote books for adults as well. Read more

Published on May 22 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book
I'm German so I'm sorry for all the mistakes I will surely make. This book is humorous, it's easy to understand and it tells a good story. Read more

Published on Mar 14 2000

3.0 out of 5 stars the book was good, but it was alittle too long
Going Solo takes place between 1938-1941. The book details the narrator's life as a pilot in the Navy. Read more

Published on Jun 14 1999

3.0 out of 5 stars Half of Roald Dahl's life in 200 pages
SM Summary

Going Solo is an auto-biography of Roald Dahl. In this book Roald Dahl joins the army to fight in WW II while he is in Africa in the 1930's and 40's, Dahl comes face... Read more

Published on Jun 2 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Autobiography
It's a pity that amazon.com descibes this book as "Reading level: Young adult," because it really should be classified among Dahl's adult literature, along with... Read more

Published on Jan 16 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars This book shows how Roald Dahl can write books like he dose
This book shows the key points of the formation of the vivid imagination Rald Dahl has. It gives an indepth look into the wonderful and not so wonderful experience's he has in... Read more

Published on Oct 4 1998

3.0 out of 5 stars "An amazingadventure through WWII"
This autobiography tells of Mr. Dahl�s early adult life and how it led him to experience a life of action, adventure, and even pain, as the beginning of a career suddenly changes... Read more

Published on Sep 16 1998