Mosquito

The incredible story of one of WW2's most iconic aircraft, told through one impossible mission by the master of the aviation thriller.

Built of lightweight wood, powered by two growling Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, impossibly aerodynamic, head-spinningly fast, and armed to the teeth, the de Havilland Mosquito was the war-winning wonder that should never have existed—the aircraft the RAF didn't think it wanted then couldn't do without.

Flying on operations barely eighteen months after a single prototype was ordered off the drawing board, it was the answer to its pilots' prayers—a stunningly versatile warplane capable of leaving the Luftwaffe in its wake to attack when and where the enemy was least expecting it.

Excelling as a spyplane, night-fighter, and pathfinder for Bomber Command's heavies, the Mossie's reputation was cemented by a series of daredevil bombing raids across occupied Europe, including on Berlin itself, where only surprise, speed, and precision could ensure success.

So when Churchill's top secret Special Operations Executive needed to destroy the Gestapo HQ in the centre of downtown Copenhagen, to prevent a devastating Nazi last stand that might prolong the war for many months, there was only one machine for the job. This is the story of that legendary aircraft told through that one impossible mission.

Like Rowland White's previous books, Mosquito is an unputdownable mix of utterly compelling storytelling, incredible human stories, and fascinating technological detail, which sheds never-before-told light on a pivotal mission that helped bring the war to its bloody and brutal close.

Praise for Mosquito