Tornado: An Evening with John Nichol
Thursday 17 June, 6.30pm
Tickets £20, include a signed copy of the book
John will be in conversation about his new book, Tornado: In the Eye of the Storm. We are pleased to announce that John will be interviewed by fellow Tornado navigator and writer David Gledhill.
On active duty during the First Gulf War in 1991 John Nichol was shot down on the first daylight raid of the conflict. Captured and tortured, he was paraded on television, leaving one of the enduring images of that war.
Informed by personal experience, John’s new book tells the incredible story of the RAF Tornado force during the First Gulf War – its missions and the story of those involved, one of excitement, fear, danger, loss and courage.
Please note this is an online event: Tickets include a signed copy of Tornado: In the Eye of the Storm and there will be an opportunity to put your questions to John online during the event.
About the book:
The epic story of the Tornado during Operation Desert Storm, by the bestselling author of Spitfire and Lancaster, who was himself shot down during that conflict.
In 1990, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and occupation of neighbouring Kuwait, setting in motion a chain of events that had unimaginable political, military and personal repercussions, which still reverberate around the globe today.
This is the story of the aircrew at the heart of Operation Desert Storm, almost none of whom had any prior experience of armed combat. It is the story of the Tornado’s missions, of those who did not return - and of the families who watched and waited as one of the most complex conflicts in recent history unfolded live on television. It is a story of untold fear and suffering, and astounding courage in the face of hitherto unimaginable adversity.
About John Nichol:
While on active duty, John Nichol was shot down on the first daylight raid of the first Gulf War. Captured and tortured, he was paraded on television provoking worldwide condemnation and leaving one of the enduring images of the conflict. He later served around the world from the Nevada Desert to the Middle East and Norway to the Falkland Islands, and chronicled his ordeal in Iraq in the bestelling Tornado Down. He is the author of five novels, and the highly-acclaimed WWII history books, The Last Escape, Tail-End Charlies, and Home Run. He is a member of The Royal British Legion's Gulf War Group, helping veterans with Gulf War Syndrome and a patron of the British Ex-service Wheelchair Sports Association.
About David Gledhill: Dave Gledhill is an aviation enthusiast and aviator. He was commissioned in the RAF in 1974, and after training as an air navigator, converted to the F4 Phantom in the Air Defence role. After tours in the UK and Germany, he went on to be a radar tactics instructor on the Operational Conversion Unit. After transferring to the new Tornado F2 as one of the first instructors, he became the Executive Officer on the OCU. His flying career finished in the Falkland Islands where he commanded No 1435 Flight flying the Tornado F3.
He is the author of multiple fiction (including Defector and Maverick) and non-fiction books (including Tornado F3 In Focus and Fighters Over the Falklands) about aviation and is co-editor of the forthcoming Groudcrew Boys: True Engineering Stories From the Cold War Front Line (Grub Street, June 2021).
*This event is for UK only