Filled with thrills, this novel by Booker Prize nominee Robinson also serves as a frightening exposé of the absurdities of the First World War. In 1916, Oliver Paxton enters the Royal Flying Corps a naïve young patriot. Pompous, foolish, and enthusiastic, he is determined to prove himself. But, as the realities of war, as well as the lax morals and casual cruelty of his fellow pilots, take their toll, Paxton becomes as disillusioned as those who surround him. "...superlatively well done..."--Times Literary Supplement.