Status
Available
Publication
New York : Farrar Straus Giroux, 1986.
Description
As a young man working in East Africa for the Shell Company, Roald Dahl recounts his adventures living in the jungle and later flying a fighter plane in World War II.
User reviews
LibraryThing member mysterydan
Book review: ‘Going Solo’
‘Going Solo’ is a book written by Roald Dahl in 1984. The genre of the book is an autobiography as it states in the foreword. I think that Roald Dahl wrote this book because he wanted to share the amazing events in his life and maybe embellish on that a bit.
The
The main themes and topics of the book mainly show how ‘lucky’ Roald Dahl is and the many narrow neck breaking times he cheated death - although he didn’t come out of it unscathed. I think that Roald Dahl used the series of events that he did because at first he seems like just a young man that always attracts a bit of trouble around him but not on himself. When suddenly BAM he is placed in a new plane that he hasn’t had enough time to get the hang of before and off he goes a western desert that he has the wrong coordinates for. Then he is placed in another plane and is off to fight some Germans that outnumber them 62 to 1. So Roald Dahl has to fend for himself in a life and death situation.
The techniques that Roald uses make him a very good writer in my opinion and I am sure many others around the world would agree with me. Roald Dahl uses lots of descriptive language like ‘shining images of red and black laid across the purest white.’ This is just one example of the thousands of different descriptions of things unimaginably disgusting and those of beautiful elegance combined in the book ‘Going Solo’. Roald uses description to convey these ideas by describing the objects using his vast knowledge of vocabulary to express or convoy his text. The characterization that Roald Dahl in all of his books not only ‘Going Solo’ in which he gives his characters vile and humorous descriptions of the characters and the varied reactions of different characters and the characters thoughts. The settings that Roald Dahl bases his story of ‘Going Solo’ is way back in World War II when he was a RAF pilot. Roald also suspended the story making us the reader itching for more and finally Roald Dahl lets all the suspense fall and we finally know what’s going on.
My favorite part in the book ‘Going Solo’ will have to be when Roald Dahl first opens his eyes after they were damaged and his first glimpse of things in the hospital and the way he describes it is well and truly a good writers material. This part was basically the turning point in the story as if Roald’s eye did not heal he would have been sent home on a injured excuse and would never face Germans or get bombed on the ground from above. This part in the book basically told us about the book in the whole because of Roald’s undying courage to survive and continue fighting and serving country in the times of war.
Overall I think that the strengths of the book ‘Going Solo’ are its descriptive language, the characterization and finally the suspension is the main strength in the book in my opinion. The weaknesses in the book ‘Going Solo’ I think are that maybe the book was a little bit confusing on the trip to Africa when he saw naked people running wildly on the decks and a women eating an orange without her hands, etc. Maybe some of those details had been a bit too much embellished but other than that personally I think this book will by far be on my top ten book list. I would strongly recommend this book to those that love adventure jam packed books and don’t mind that bit of craziness. To sum up I hope this article has helped you and that overall I would give Roald Dahl’s ‘Going Solo’ a 9.5/10.
Another miracle yet again captured on paper by Roald Dahl.
I agree with edgeworth when he talks about Roald dahl being sceptical
‘Going Solo’ is a book written by Roald Dahl in 1984. The genre of the book is an autobiography as it states in the foreword. I think that Roald Dahl wrote this book because he wanted to share the amazing events in his life and maybe embellish on that a bit.
The
Show More
book ‘Going Solo’ is an intriguing, eventful story that will have you biting your nails for more. The series of embellished events include encountering mambas (large, dangerous snakes), fighting off Germans in a Hurricane, saving his cooks wife from a lion, getting bombed while having a bath and the list goes on. The book ‘Going Solo’ was written during the World War II and some events occurred before the war and some after although the main events in the book happened during the war.The main themes and topics of the book mainly show how ‘lucky’ Roald Dahl is and the many narrow neck breaking times he cheated death - although he didn’t come out of it unscathed. I think that Roald Dahl used the series of events that he did because at first he seems like just a young man that always attracts a bit of trouble around him but not on himself. When suddenly BAM he is placed in a new plane that he hasn’t had enough time to get the hang of before and off he goes a western desert that he has the wrong coordinates for. Then he is placed in another plane and is off to fight some Germans that outnumber them 62 to 1. So Roald Dahl has to fend for himself in a life and death situation.
The techniques that Roald uses make him a very good writer in my opinion and I am sure many others around the world would agree with me. Roald Dahl uses lots of descriptive language like ‘shining images of red and black laid across the purest white.’ This is just one example of the thousands of different descriptions of things unimaginably disgusting and those of beautiful elegance combined in the book ‘Going Solo’. Roald uses description to convey these ideas by describing the objects using his vast knowledge of vocabulary to express or convoy his text. The characterization that Roald Dahl in all of his books not only ‘Going Solo’ in which he gives his characters vile and humorous descriptions of the characters and the varied reactions of different characters and the characters thoughts. The settings that Roald Dahl bases his story of ‘Going Solo’ is way back in World War II when he was a RAF pilot. Roald also suspended the story making us the reader itching for more and finally Roald Dahl lets all the suspense fall and we finally know what’s going on.
My favorite part in the book ‘Going Solo’ will have to be when Roald Dahl first opens his eyes after they were damaged and his first glimpse of things in the hospital and the way he describes it is well and truly a good writers material. This part was basically the turning point in the story as if Roald’s eye did not heal he would have been sent home on a injured excuse and would never face Germans or get bombed on the ground from above. This part in the book basically told us about the book in the whole because of Roald’s undying courage to survive and continue fighting and serving country in the times of war.
Overall I think that the strengths of the book ‘Going Solo’ are its descriptive language, the characterization and finally the suspension is the main strength in the book in my opinion. The weaknesses in the book ‘Going Solo’ I think are that maybe the book was a little bit confusing on the trip to Africa when he saw naked people running wildly on the decks and a women eating an orange without her hands, etc. Maybe some of those details had been a bit too much embellished but other than that personally I think this book will by far be on my top ten book list. I would strongly recommend this book to those that love adventure jam packed books and don’t mind that bit of craziness. To sum up I hope this article has helped you and that overall I would give Roald Dahl’s ‘Going Solo’ a 9.5/10.
Another miracle yet again captured on paper by Roald Dahl.
I agree with edgeworth when he talks about Roald dahl being sceptical
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LibraryThing member edgeworth
Roald Dahl was a British author most well-known for his children's novels - Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG and so on - but he also wrote short stories for an older audience, and had a very interesting life. Going Solo is an autobiography that covers his experiences living in
The book isn't long and Dahl writes in an extremely simple style, so it almost does feel as though this is a children's novel, albeit one with people getting shot in the head. This makes it quite an easy and enjoyable read, and I breezed through it in about two days. There's a definite feeling of adventure to it, set as it is on the fringes of the British colonial empire during its last great era. Scattered throughout the book are original documents that enhance this feeling - maps, handwritten letters, steamship schedules, black and white photographs and so on - and Dahl even acknowledges on the first page that this isn't just nostalgia, but a genuine opinion that everything was interesting back then:
The voyage from the Port of London to Mombasa would take two weeks and on the way we were going to call in at Marseilles, Malta, Port Said, Suez, Port Sudan and Aden. Nowadays you can fly from London to Mombasa in a few hours and you stop nowhere and nothing is fabulous anymore, but in 1938 a journey like that was full of stepping stones and East Africa was a long way from home, especially if your contract with the Shell Company said that you were to stay out there for three years at a stretch.
His life in East Africa lasts for only a few chapters before World War II breaks out, and he trains as a pilot and is sent to fight in the eastern Mediterranean. He survives a crash in Libya, participates in the Battle of Athens and becomes one of only ten pilots to escape from Greece alive, and it's all terribly exciting, by Jove.
Even if you've never read anything by Roald Dahl, or are skeptical that a children's authour might offer up anything more mature, Going Solo is an easily readable insight into a fascinating period of history, and I highly reccomend it.
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East Africa in the 1930s and then serving as a fighterpilot in the RAF during World War II.The book isn't long and Dahl writes in an extremely simple style, so it almost does feel as though this is a children's novel, albeit one with people getting shot in the head. This makes it quite an easy and enjoyable read, and I breezed through it in about two days. There's a definite feeling of adventure to it, set as it is on the fringes of the British colonial empire during its last great era. Scattered throughout the book are original documents that enhance this feeling - maps, handwritten letters, steamship schedules, black and white photographs and so on - and Dahl even acknowledges on the first page that this isn't just nostalgia, but a genuine opinion that everything was interesting back then:
The voyage from the Port of London to Mombasa would take two weeks and on the way we were going to call in at Marseilles, Malta, Port Said, Suez, Port Sudan and Aden. Nowadays you can fly from London to Mombasa in a few hours and you stop nowhere and nothing is fabulous anymore, but in 1938 a journey like that was full of stepping stones and East Africa was a long way from home, especially if your contract with the Shell Company said that you were to stay out there for three years at a stretch.
His life in East Africa lasts for only a few chapters before World War II breaks out, and he trains as a pilot and is sent to fight in the eastern Mediterranean. He survives a crash in Libya, participates in the Battle of Athens and becomes one of only ten pilots to escape from Greece alive, and it's all terribly exciting, by Jove.
Even if you've never read anything by Roald Dahl, or are skeptical that a children's authour might offer up anything more mature, Going Solo is an easily readable insight into a fascinating period of history, and I highly reccomend it.
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LibraryThing member Hi8iJi8iS
‘Going Solo’ by Roald Dahl
Going Solo was written by Roald Dahl in 1986. Its main focus is of Dahl’s experiences in Africa and his experiences while he served in the army. It specifically focuses on the boat trip he was on to Africa, his relationship with his ‘boy’ (a servant-like person)
Roald Dahl uses a lot of descriptive language and techniques to make ‘Going Solo’ an enjoyable book for all to read. For example, he can create exceptional pen portraits in his book, such as the Major on his boat trip to Africa. He uses descriptive language to provide and enforce a concrete idea of what the Major was like. He is also very good at describing his surroundings. For example, when he was in Greece fighting with the RAF he created a vivid landscape in my mind and I was able to interpret what the landscape in Greece must have been like. He also uses suspense and his emotions well to create very hooking situations. Such as when he has to go up alone and he encounters six Ju-88’s. He uses the incredibility and uniqueness of the situation to his advantage and embellishes the encounter, making it seem even more incredible than it should.
Overall, I believe ‘Going Solo’ was an incredible read, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone.
Reviewer 'carlym ' stated this book is an autobiography, but don't despair those people who aren't looking for a typical boring autobiography, this story has been embellished and mostly only shows the exciting parts of Roald Dahl's life.
Going Solo was written by Roald Dahl in 1986. Its main focus is of Dahl’s experiences in Africa and his experiences while he served in the army. It specifically focuses on the boat trip he was on to Africa, his relationship with his ‘boy’ (a servant-like person)
Show More
and the disorganisation he had to survive in the army.Roald Dahl uses a lot of descriptive language and techniques to make ‘Going Solo’ an enjoyable book for all to read. For example, he can create exceptional pen portraits in his book, such as the Major on his boat trip to Africa. He uses descriptive language to provide and enforce a concrete idea of what the Major was like. He is also very good at describing his surroundings. For example, when he was in Greece fighting with the RAF he created a vivid landscape in my mind and I was able to interpret what the landscape in Greece must have been like. He also uses suspense and his emotions well to create very hooking situations. Such as when he has to go up alone and he encounters six Ju-88’s. He uses the incredibility and uniqueness of the situation to his advantage and embellishes the encounter, making it seem even more incredible than it should.
Overall, I believe ‘Going Solo’ was an incredible read, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone.
Reviewer 'carlym ' stated this book is an autobiography, but don't despair those people who aren't looking for a typical boring autobiography, this story has been embellished and mostly only shows the exciting parts of Roald Dahl's life.
Show Less
LibraryThing member TimBazzett
Another writer once told me that one of the most important elements to be found in a memoir is a "likeable" narrator. Roald Dahl is perhaps one of the MOST likeable of narrators. Modest to a fault and blessed with a very sly and subtle sense of humor, the story Dahl tells in GOING SOLO, his sequel
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to BOY, is perhaps one of the most readable memoirs of modern times. His story of the quick and almost informal training he received at a flying school in Africa shortly after Great Britain entered WWII, is hair-raising and nearly impossible to believe, except you do believe, because you trust this man. At six foot six inches tall, Dahl was physically quite unsuited to be a fighter pilot, noting that when seated in the various planes he flew, his knees were nearly under his chin and he had to hunch over to fit beneath the plane's canopy. But fly he did, even after surviving one horrific crash in the desert early on in his career as an RAF pilot. He sustained a very bad concussion (which was to come back to haunt him and finally "invalid" him out of service nearly two years later) and had his face bashed in. As he explained to his mother in a letter: "My nose was bashed in ... and the ear nose and throat man pulled my nose out of the back of my head and shaped it and now it looks just as before except that it's a little bent about ..." Dahl went on to fly many combat missions in North Africa and Greece, usually against vastly superior odds, but somehow he managed to survive until the middle of 1941, when the migraine headaches caused by the aforementioned crash made him unfit for further flying. Dahl's nearly laconic and completely unself-conscious manner of writing about the things he did - absolutely heroic things - made me think of Sam Hynes's WWII memoir of his missions in the Pacific theater. Both writers downplay the importance of their roles. They never speak of heroics or derring-do, only about the importance of their comrades, doing the jobs they were trained to do and trying their best to simply stay alive. This was an enormously satisfying, moving and often hilarious tale. After reading these two slim volumes of memoirs by Dahl, I do wish he had written another. I have ordered his slim collection of stories about WWII already. What a wonderful writer - and gentleman - Roald Dahl was. Show Less
LibraryThing member eglinton
It's not news that Roald Dahl knows how to tell tales, and memoir can be more satisfying than fiction. This is a delightful record of his early adulthood, exuding all the freshness and directness of youth. It's not so long ago but the sensibilities are long distant of the British colonials who
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dressed every evening for dinner, "and to hell with the climate". So too of the young RAF pilots, Dahl among them, who, after breezy speed-training, flew up in light planes to buzz the powerful German war machine on the fringes of 1940s Europe. All told with a light and engaging efficiency, and an eye for the memorable detail. Show Less
LibraryThing member amrahmn
Great memoir from Roald Dahl that begins where Boy ended. The tone of this book is different from Boy. Dahl's anecdotes are more serious - they should be when they have to do with poisonous snakes, lions, murder, crashing one's plane, losing friends, and WWII in general. His stories didn't make me
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laugh but they were riveting. I kept trying to imagine being that young with so much responsibility. And his injuries! So severe and yet, he wanted to keep flying. Finally, flying a combat mission and being shot at would be terrifying! This quote stuck with me, "In retrospect, one gasps at the waste of life." (Referring to the loss of young fighter pilots.) I would use this with older students studying biographies or WWII. Show Less
LibraryThing member jelly123456789
Going Solo
Going Solo, by Roald Dahl, is a gripping book about some interesting scenes after he had gone to work for Shell in East Africa. First published in Great Britain during 1986, it has since then spread all over the world, entertaining children and adults alike. Unlike Boy (the previous book
Going Solo starts immediately after he left school, where he is aboard a ship, sailing to East Africa (where Shell has posted him) and ends after he has come home to his mother. He was involved in bartering oil to the many different mines and plantations in the area. He was also involved in World War 2 as a fighter pilot where he suffered significant injuries to his face after his Commanding Office in Foula misinformed Dahl of the location of 80 Squadron. Dahl crashed in the middle of no-man’s land, seen by both sides of the army.
‘I am told that the flames from my burning aircraft lit up the sand dunes for miles around...’
The book circulates around Dahl’s involvement in the war and treats his job as a minor event. He only writes about significant but interesting details in the book. The author embellishes the events to hook the reader. The author also uses many other techniques that a fiction author would use including imagery and personification. The embellished events and techniques creates something like a movie, showing that the topic is Roald Dahl and his work as well as his involvement in the war and that the book tells us the importance of the war and memorable events in his working years.
The author uses powerful descriptive language so that he is able to paint pictures in our minds. He draws pen portraits of characters to introduce them so that we know, as a reader, what Roald Dahl wants us to think of a certain character. Roald Dahl also wants us to look at things from his view so that we will take the full effect of the story.
My favourite part is the chapter Palestine and Syria where Roald Dahl describes the vista of the Middle-east. However, the main reason for this chapter in the book is to describe the situation of the war. It tells us that some of the French have turned against their allies and are helping the Germans. It also tells us that the war is to do with Jew’s wanting a country which they could raise by themselves but Hitler decided that they were not worth living, therefore, exterminating as many as possible.
The author succeeds in painting pictures using words only. He refers to his letters and his pictures to keep the ‘autobiography’ as factual as possible but interesting as well. Dahl is also able to create suspense in his story so the reader would want to turn to the next page and read on. Even though he will not be able to remember what others said word for word, he is still able to create speech for his companions. This is an interesting technique as Going Solo is said to be an autobiography. He manipulates the characters to use speech and help the story create suspense and more interesting.
His main weakness is the lack of being realistic. Most of his stories have been embellished too much. However, the chapters involving with war, Roald Dahl has not embellished as much as before because ‘In the second part of the book, which deals with the time I went flying with the RAF in the Second World War, there was no need to select or discard because every moment was, to me at any rate, totally enthralling...’
I recommend this book to young readers and young adults because the techniques used in this book is strong and useful for future use.
I agree with mysterydan that some parts of the book is confusing because of over-exaggeration/embellishment.
Going Solo, by Roald Dahl, is a gripping book about some interesting scenes after he had gone to work for Shell in East Africa. First published in Great Britain during 1986, it has since then spread all over the world, entertaining children and adults alike. Unlike Boy (the previous book
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in the series), Roald Dahl chooses to write interesting pictures of his job in East Africa but mainly focuses on his duty as a fighter pilot during World War 2.Going Solo starts immediately after he left school, where he is aboard a ship, sailing to East Africa (where Shell has posted him) and ends after he has come home to his mother. He was involved in bartering oil to the many different mines and plantations in the area. He was also involved in World War 2 as a fighter pilot where he suffered significant injuries to his face after his Commanding Office in Foula misinformed Dahl of the location of 80 Squadron. Dahl crashed in the middle of no-man’s land, seen by both sides of the army.
‘I am told that the flames from my burning aircraft lit up the sand dunes for miles around...’
The book circulates around Dahl’s involvement in the war and treats his job as a minor event. He only writes about significant but interesting details in the book. The author embellishes the events to hook the reader. The author also uses many other techniques that a fiction author would use including imagery and personification. The embellished events and techniques creates something like a movie, showing that the topic is Roald Dahl and his work as well as his involvement in the war and that the book tells us the importance of the war and memorable events in his working years.
The author uses powerful descriptive language so that he is able to paint pictures in our minds. He draws pen portraits of characters to introduce them so that we know, as a reader, what Roald Dahl wants us to think of a certain character. Roald Dahl also wants us to look at things from his view so that we will take the full effect of the story.
My favourite part is the chapter Palestine and Syria where Roald Dahl describes the vista of the Middle-east. However, the main reason for this chapter in the book is to describe the situation of the war. It tells us that some of the French have turned against their allies and are helping the Germans. It also tells us that the war is to do with Jew’s wanting a country which they could raise by themselves but Hitler decided that they were not worth living, therefore, exterminating as many as possible.
The author succeeds in painting pictures using words only. He refers to his letters and his pictures to keep the ‘autobiography’ as factual as possible but interesting as well. Dahl is also able to create suspense in his story so the reader would want to turn to the next page and read on. Even though he will not be able to remember what others said word for word, he is still able to create speech for his companions. This is an interesting technique as Going Solo is said to be an autobiography. He manipulates the characters to use speech and help the story create suspense and more interesting.
His main weakness is the lack of being realistic. Most of his stories have been embellished too much. However, the chapters involving with war, Roald Dahl has not embellished as much as before because ‘In the second part of the book, which deals with the time I went flying with the RAF in the Second World War, there was no need to select or discard because every moment was, to me at any rate, totally enthralling...’
I recommend this book to young readers and young adults because the techniques used in this book is strong and useful for future use.
I agree with mysterydan that some parts of the book is confusing because of over-exaggeration/embellishment.
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LibraryThing member TamMinhNguyen
Going Solo, the second and thrilling autobiography of Roald Dahl, was published in 1986. It is about how Roald Dahl went on his Africa adventure, joined the RAF, and his wartime experience. He wrote this book to continue where he left off from his childhood autobiography Boy, and also to give his
The main topics of this book is anything that he found as a great incident and memorable that occurred during his time in Africa, and everything that happened during his time as an RAF pilot during the Second World War, because “there was no need to select or discard because every moment was, to me at any rate, totally enthralling”, Roald Dahl.
Dahl has shown his ideas in Going Solo by embellishment (exaggeration), using suspense to draw us into the story, giving his point of view in light humour, and employing accurate characterization and similes that paint pictures in your mind. He has utilized these techniques to make his autobiography enthralling with a touch of wit, and to give good portrayal of people, places and things alike.
Personally, my favourite part of the book was when Roald Dahl was talking about the events that happened during his time in Africa before he joined the RAF. I enjoyed it because it told me what Africa was like and how amazing or weird things could end up to be. This part of the book tells us on the whole that Dahl has seen several incidents, some that thoroughly amaze and make him feel elated, others that remained scarred to his memories for they were too horrible, but all memorable.
The weakness of this book is that it has a bit too much explaining, but if it hadn’t had it, a lot of the book would still remain vague and unexplained. One other negative point about Dahl’s book is that some words are too complicated for young readers, so it might not be suitable.
On the other hand, Going Solo has very amazing and unusual events that try and suck us in to the book with a combination of poetical techniques and humour that suits the story.
On the whole, I would recommend this book for readers over or at the age of 10, because any reader will enjoy this book. However, it is not suited for children, as there are a few war scenes and complicated words. I sincerely agree with carlym about how Going Solo was very hard to put down. This is an ideal book for one with humour.
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account of going to a foreign land, what it was like training in the RAF and his exploits in World War 2. The main topics of this book is anything that he found as a great incident and memorable that occurred during his time in Africa, and everything that happened during his time as an RAF pilot during the Second World War, because “there was no need to select or discard because every moment was, to me at any rate, totally enthralling”, Roald Dahl.
Dahl has shown his ideas in Going Solo by embellishment (exaggeration), using suspense to draw us into the story, giving his point of view in light humour, and employing accurate characterization and similes that paint pictures in your mind. He has utilized these techniques to make his autobiography enthralling with a touch of wit, and to give good portrayal of people, places and things alike.
Personally, my favourite part of the book was when Roald Dahl was talking about the events that happened during his time in Africa before he joined the RAF. I enjoyed it because it told me what Africa was like and how amazing or weird things could end up to be. This part of the book tells us on the whole that Dahl has seen several incidents, some that thoroughly amaze and make him feel elated, others that remained scarred to his memories for they were too horrible, but all memorable.
The weakness of this book is that it has a bit too much explaining, but if it hadn’t had it, a lot of the book would still remain vague and unexplained. One other negative point about Dahl’s book is that some words are too complicated for young readers, so it might not be suitable.
On the other hand, Going Solo has very amazing and unusual events that try and suck us in to the book with a combination of poetical techniques and humour that suits the story.
On the whole, I would recommend this book for readers over or at the age of 10, because any reader will enjoy this book. However, it is not suited for children, as there are a few war scenes and complicated words. I sincerely agree with carlym about how Going Solo was very hard to put down. This is an ideal book for one with humour.
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LibraryThing member othersam
Going Solo is the second volume of Dahl’s autobiographical writings, but if you haven’t read the first don’t worry, you can jump straight in: where Boy largely concerned Dahl’s schooldays, Going Solo takes off with Dahl as a young man setting out from home for his first job, a posting to
In fact it was writing about his RAF experiences – specifically, a crash in Libya which almost cost him his life – that first got Dahl into print (a piece in The Saturday Evening Post on Aug 1st 1942 – edited, incidentally, by C. S. Forrester). In a sense you can read Going Solo to find out where Dahl’s writing started. You can also read Going Solo if (like me, btw) his stories for younger readers passed you by when you were the age for which (say) George’s Marvellous Medicine or the Charlies were intended. You can even reread Going Solo if you’ve read it already: it’s always a treat to come back to. Hell: just read it! It’s absolutely brilliant. :D
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East Africa. When the Second World War breaks out Dahl joins the RAF, and we follow his adventures as a fighter pilot. Action, danger, eccentric characters and some of the most thrilling descriptions of aerial dogfighting I’ve ever come across – this book has got the lot, and all told with all the panache, pace and lightness of touch for which Dahl remains famous today.In fact it was writing about his RAF experiences – specifically, a crash in Libya which almost cost him his life – that first got Dahl into print (a piece in The Saturday Evening Post on Aug 1st 1942 – edited, incidentally, by C. S. Forrester). In a sense you can read Going Solo to find out where Dahl’s writing started. You can also read Going Solo if (like me, btw) his stories for younger readers passed you by when you were the age for which (say) George’s Marvellous Medicine or the Charlies were intended. You can even reread Going Solo if you’ve read it already: it’s always a treat to come back to. Hell: just read it! It’s absolutely brilliant. :D
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LibraryThing member flexatone
It's no surprise that Roald Dahl is a fantastic story teller both in his fiction as in his own life. The craft is impeccable and Dahl has a gift for doling out just the right amount of information, salient and otherwise.
LibraryThing member themythicalcodfish
Interesting material, especially in light of the dearth of personal narratives available about the African Campaign, but quite spotty in places. Understandably so, however, when considering the author's later spy work in Washington. A quick and interesting read.
LibraryThing member cameronmatarau
why did i pick up this book?...
i picked it up because i love books about war and troops. i also like Roald Dahl.
Why did i finnish this book?...
the start is a bit dull but when he gets into the war and trainnig it gets interesting. The survivals and near misses are adrenalin pumpers and make you
who would i reccoend this book to?...
boys that are 10 and up will most likly enjoy it. people that enjoy the war but practicly no violence would enjoy this book.
i picked it up because i love books about war and troops. i also like Roald Dahl.
Why did i finnish this book?...
the start is a bit dull but when he gets into the war and trainnig it gets interesting. The survivals and near misses are adrenalin pumpers and make you
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want to read more.who would i reccoend this book to?...
boys that are 10 and up will most likly enjoy it. people that enjoy the war but practicly no violence would enjoy this book.
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LibraryThing member katekf
Roald Dahl's writing is always a pleasure as he plays with words but Going Solo is a treat as he writes about his own experiences working for Shell in Africa and joining the RAF. The book begins as he travels to Dar-es-Salaam by boat surrounded by members of the old guard of the British Empire and
When he arrives in Africa, he chronicles encounters with fellow Brits and the Africans with a gentle eye. As World War II begins, he joins the RAF and learns how to fly before having a difficult time in the Middle Easter theater of war.
Amongst the text are Dahl's pictures which adds the feel of him talking next to you and pointing out and this is where this event happened. I plan on finding Boy to read, because I love reading books I'd never know from authors I love.
Due to the easy writing style, this is a book that could be read from a middle schooler up and present a fascinating read into the history of Africa and World War II. It does contain honest portrayals of serious injury and death so would not be appropriate for all middle grade readers.
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he notes their odd choices. When he arrives in Africa, he chronicles encounters with fellow Brits and the Africans with a gentle eye. As World War II begins, he joins the RAF and learns how to fly before having a difficult time in the Middle Easter theater of war.
Amongst the text are Dahl's pictures which adds the feel of him talking next to you and pointing out and this is where this event happened. I plan on finding Boy to read, because I love reading books I'd never know from authors I love.
Due to the easy writing style, this is a book that could be read from a middle schooler up and present a fascinating read into the history of Africa and World War II. It does contain honest portrayals of serious injury and death so would not be appropriate for all middle grade readers.
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LibraryThing member EM_UTS
Roald Dahl picks up his life story where he left off in Boy: Tales of Childhood. This volume take in darker themes than boarding-school brutality, however: the dangers Dahl faced as a fighter pilot in World War II, and the futile loss of life around him are catalogued with his usual acute
This is a compelling book, full of suspense and drama, but written with the lightest of touches. A true pleasure to read.
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observation and absurdist humour.This is a compelling book, full of suspense and drama, but written with the lightest of touches. A true pleasure to read.
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LibraryThing member phillipkerger
I found this book very exiting and at some times also funny to read. Its is very unique because it all really happened in roalds life. The book is quite gripping and all of dahls memories listed very exiting and gripping.
LibraryThing member LolKatze
Going Solo Book Review
“Dusk began to fall and I realized I was in trouble. My fuel was running low and there was no way I could get back to Fouka on what I had left.” This suspenseful extract is taken straight out of part two of Dahl’s extraordinary enthralling autobiography called Going
I am not going to reveal everything but his big adventure starts when he joins a group of fighter pilots in Greece to help fight the war against the Germans. He uses suspense when he is fighting bombers and creates a warlike atmosphere when he is being chased by thousands of enemy fighters who arrive to wipe out the poor remaining 12 fighters of the Allies. His best friend of all in that camp in Greece was most likely David Coke (pronounced David Cook) who was of noble blood and would have been an earl if he didn’t die later on.
When he and his squadron finally got back from the hopeless conditions in Greece they were sent to Syria and Lebanon to fight more Germans. These were considered easy targets because they were controlled by the pro-German Vichy French army who supported the Germans but were anti-British. Therefore many ANZACS were sent there to help fight the cause. This was later on known as the Syria campaign. During this time Roald Dahl yet again felt headaches which eventually forced him to resign from the air force. It was after then that he his best friend, David Coke, died. He was shot down by enemy aircraft and plummeted to the ground and unlike Roald Dahl he didn’t survive.
Roald Dahl then came home from his adventure in the war and into his family. When his mother heard the news that he was coming home she waited patiently outside her bus stop for many hours waiting for her son to arrive home from the bus. Then he got off and leapt into her arms and embraced her for what seemed like hours but probably only a few minutes.
This amazing autobiography of Roald Dahl was in sometimes funny, sometimes scary but mostly built up with suspense to lead onto something extraordinary and exciting. For example when I began with my extract from Going Solo I started with things starting to go bad and then worse and finally a crash-landing into the ground. Another example is when he was flying through Athens. He was flying around circling the area when all of a sudden thousands of planes come from nowhere and attack the 12 hurricanes and although about 5 planes go down they supposedly destroy much more than they lose but the five they lose were all the senior pilots and 2 younger ones.
In conclusion, this is a great book because of how Roald Dahl tells his life story and I would recommend it to anyone who can read because it is a good book by one of the greatest writers of all time.
“Dusk began to fall and I realized I was in trouble. My fuel was running low and there was no way I could get back to Fouka on what I had left.” This suspenseful extract is taken straight out of part two of Dahl’s extraordinary enthralling autobiography called Going
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Solo. Roald Dahl is once again throwing the bait and hooking us in to this remarkable story. Roald Dahl is usually a writer of fiction but still used his great skills for grabbing us into his books in his autobiography. Using his famous fictional writing skills he writes his story of perhaps slightly exaggerated stories to make a comical and sometimes sad story. This book from the early to mid 1980’s when Roald Dahl was about 70 years old, thirty years on from when it actually happened and some parts he obviously can’t remember due to how long it was so instead he uses fictional techniques to fill in the blank spots of his memory. The extract that I have written about is from when he went out to search for his fellow comrades in Libyan Desert but realizes too late that they were not there. As he crash lands his aircraft bursts into flames and all he could do was crawl out and lie on the ground away from the burning heat. He was the taken to hospitable where he stayed for five whole months because his head had suffered serious damage when he crashed and he was told to not fly again because he would most likely pass out from a headache. Although he didn’t admit it he had pain in his head for several weeks but eventually got over them and got his eyes open after two months. I am not going to reveal everything but his big adventure starts when he joins a group of fighter pilots in Greece to help fight the war against the Germans. He uses suspense when he is fighting bombers and creates a warlike atmosphere when he is being chased by thousands of enemy fighters who arrive to wipe out the poor remaining 12 fighters of the Allies. His best friend of all in that camp in Greece was most likely David Coke (pronounced David Cook) who was of noble blood and would have been an earl if he didn’t die later on.
When he and his squadron finally got back from the hopeless conditions in Greece they were sent to Syria and Lebanon to fight more Germans. These were considered easy targets because they were controlled by the pro-German Vichy French army who supported the Germans but were anti-British. Therefore many ANZACS were sent there to help fight the cause. This was later on known as the Syria campaign. During this time Roald Dahl yet again felt headaches which eventually forced him to resign from the air force. It was after then that he his best friend, David Coke, died. He was shot down by enemy aircraft and plummeted to the ground and unlike Roald Dahl he didn’t survive.
Roald Dahl then came home from his adventure in the war and into his family. When his mother heard the news that he was coming home she waited patiently outside her bus stop for many hours waiting for her son to arrive home from the bus. Then he got off and leapt into her arms and embraced her for what seemed like hours but probably only a few minutes.
This amazing autobiography of Roald Dahl was in sometimes funny, sometimes scary but mostly built up with suspense to lead onto something extraordinary and exciting. For example when I began with my extract from Going Solo I started with things starting to go bad and then worse and finally a crash-landing into the ground. Another example is when he was flying through Athens. He was flying around circling the area when all of a sudden thousands of planes come from nowhere and attack the 12 hurricanes and although about 5 planes go down they supposedly destroy much more than they lose but the five they lose were all the senior pilots and 2 younger ones.
In conclusion, this is a great book because of how Roald Dahl tells his life story and I would recommend it to anyone who can read because it is a good book by one of the greatest writers of all time.
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LibraryThing member doodle_man
Going Solo Book Review
Roald Dahl’s Going Solo is a thrilling autobiography that is the sequel to Boy. This book transports us back into the era of World War II when Roald Dahl was a young adult and flying warplanes. He tells us about the many adventures he had whether they were funny, sad or
In this book Dahl uses many techniques to embellish and enhance his adventures. The techniques that I have identified are descriptive language, characterisation and suspense. To embellish the story he uses very descriptive language. Here are some examples from the book that show this. On page 4 Dahl wrote, “This time I sat up sharply. I wanted to get a better look of this leafless phantom of the sunrise...” and on page 11 he also wrote “I liked Miss Trefusis. She was impatient, intelligent, generous and interesting. I felt she would come to my rescue at any time, whereas Major Griffiths was vapid, vulgar, arrogant and unkind, the sort of man who’d leave you to the crocodiles.”
These lines are very descriptive and in mind I can clearly make out the scene he is portraying. He also uses characterisation very well. This is one of the many examples of his wonderful use of characterisation. On page 25 Roald Dahl wrote, “My boy was called Mdisho. He was a Mwanumwezi tribesman, which meant a lot out there because the Mwanumwezi was the only tribe who had ever defeated the gigantic Masai in battle. Mdisho was tall and graceful and soft-spoken, and his loyalty to me, his young white English master, was absolute. I hope, and I believe, that I was equally loyal to him.”
This sentence clearly conveys Mdisho’s personality and how he speaks in Roald Dahl’s point of view. Another technique he uses is suspense. An excellent example to show this is the Simba incident. The incident starts on page 35 with Mdisho (Roald’s humble servant) shouting out “Simba, bwana! Simba! Simba!” (A Simba is lion in their language) because he spots a lion. He then says that the lion has taken the cook’s wife which causes even more chaos and suspense as we aren’t sure if the lion has killed the cook’s wife. Then Roald Dahl increases the suspense by wasting time by adding unneeded details. Finally, 2 pages later, Roald Dahl reveals that the cook’s wife is fine and was playing dead. I believe that this scene is very suspenseful which makes the book even more interesting.
In this book I have many favourite moments but my favourite part would have to be when the lion takes the cook’s wife. Everybody thinks the wife is badly injured or dead but infact she turned out to be well and truly fine as she was playing dead in front of the lion. This is my favourite part as that part is humorous, is suspenseful from the beginning of the scene and also as the outcome is very unexpected. As this was very early in the book it gave me a rough idea of how the rest of the book may be like. I thought it may be humorous, suspenseful and very unexpected.
Overall I would rate this book 4 ½ stars out of 5 because it has many strengths that contribute to this wonderful story. These strengths are its descriptive language, characterisation and suspense and very good story line. I would recommend this book to 10 to 14 year old boys and girls as the level of vocabulary suits them. This is also a book for children seeking thrilling adventures, a laugh and some fun as this book is package that includes all 3 things.
Roald Dahl’s Going Solo is a thrilling autobiography that is the sequel to Boy. This book transports us back into the era of World War II when Roald Dahl was a young adult and flying warplanes. He tells us about the many adventures he had whether they were funny, sad or
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happy. Some of the key adventures are his stay in Dar es Salaam, flying warplanes and using them to fight against the German troops and his plane crash in Libya. In each of these adventures there are at times unexpected twists and turns with a hint of humour to accompany them. In this book Dahl uses many techniques to embellish and enhance his adventures. The techniques that I have identified are descriptive language, characterisation and suspense. To embellish the story he uses very descriptive language. Here are some examples from the book that show this. On page 4 Dahl wrote, “This time I sat up sharply. I wanted to get a better look of this leafless phantom of the sunrise...” and on page 11 he also wrote “I liked Miss Trefusis. She was impatient, intelligent, generous and interesting. I felt she would come to my rescue at any time, whereas Major Griffiths was vapid, vulgar, arrogant and unkind, the sort of man who’d leave you to the crocodiles.”
These lines are very descriptive and in mind I can clearly make out the scene he is portraying. He also uses characterisation very well. This is one of the many examples of his wonderful use of characterisation. On page 25 Roald Dahl wrote, “My boy was called Mdisho. He was a Mwanumwezi tribesman, which meant a lot out there because the Mwanumwezi was the only tribe who had ever defeated the gigantic Masai in battle. Mdisho was tall and graceful and soft-spoken, and his loyalty to me, his young white English master, was absolute. I hope, and I believe, that I was equally loyal to him.”
This sentence clearly conveys Mdisho’s personality and how he speaks in Roald Dahl’s point of view. Another technique he uses is suspense. An excellent example to show this is the Simba incident. The incident starts on page 35 with Mdisho (Roald’s humble servant) shouting out “Simba, bwana! Simba! Simba!” (A Simba is lion in their language) because he spots a lion. He then says that the lion has taken the cook’s wife which causes even more chaos and suspense as we aren’t sure if the lion has killed the cook’s wife. Then Roald Dahl increases the suspense by wasting time by adding unneeded details. Finally, 2 pages later, Roald Dahl reveals that the cook’s wife is fine and was playing dead. I believe that this scene is very suspenseful which makes the book even more interesting.
In this book I have many favourite moments but my favourite part would have to be when the lion takes the cook’s wife. Everybody thinks the wife is badly injured or dead but infact she turned out to be well and truly fine as she was playing dead in front of the lion. This is my favourite part as that part is humorous, is suspenseful from the beginning of the scene and also as the outcome is very unexpected. As this was very early in the book it gave me a rough idea of how the rest of the book may be like. I thought it may be humorous, suspenseful and very unexpected.
Overall I would rate this book 4 ½ stars out of 5 because it has many strengths that contribute to this wonderful story. These strengths are its descriptive language, characterisation and suspense and very good story line. I would recommend this book to 10 to 14 year old boys and girls as the level of vocabulary suits them. This is also a book for children seeking thrilling adventures, a laugh and some fun as this book is package that includes all 3 things.
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LibraryThing member Lizziep
This memoir about Roald Dahl's life, focusing on his experiences in the British Royal Air force and World War II. It is an interesting piece that sheds a light into the life of the famous author and would be a perfect addition in an author study of Roald Dahl.
LibraryThing member duranain
I aboslutely adored this book as a boy. Incredible that of all the amazing worlds that Dahl was able to conjure and the tales contained within were no match for the simple circumstance of his own life.
LibraryThing member hdovrhlsinluv
I thought about my brother , and i just hoped he had read this book when he was younger.tigas ng ulo nun eh !
LibraryThing member Elpaca
My children all liked The BFG amongst all of Dahl's books. This memoir though remains my favorite (along with Willy Wonka of course) as it showed the substance of a complicated man whose children's books were messages to the adults reading them out loud in early evenings.
LibraryThing member k6gst
Really astounding.
LibraryThing member satyridae
I didn't like this as much as I liked the earlier volume of Dahl's memoirs, but it was still very enjoyable. The incompetence of the RAF command in WWII was so hard to read about. All those boys, shot down by incompetence and lack of oversight. Still, Dahl's a good writer and a cheerful guy.
LibraryThing member areadingmachine
A biography about the second half of Roald Dahls life that covers his time in the airforce as he flies against the Germans in WW2.
Very moving and human Roald really invites us in to his life. What he experiences is terrifying and thrilling at the same time and all the more engrossing because you
To know that such a gentle man, a man who writes so well for children, went through such incredible ordeals and came out still able to connect with the children of the world is a marvel.
Very moving and human Roald really invites us in to his life. What he experiences is terrifying and thrilling at the same time and all the more engrossing because you
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know it is real. From his time in training, to an epic chapter that covers his first crash, survival and time in hospital.To know that such a gentle man, a man who writes so well for children, went through such incredible ordeals and came out still able to connect with the children of the world is a marvel.
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LibraryThing member soylentgreen23
"Going Solo" picks up the narrative thread where "Boy" comes to a close, and yes, I can immediately say that the two books were rightly published as separate volumes, as the narratorial voice between the two is different just as the subject matter is. While the first was relatively idyllic - the
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surgery and bullying aside - the second concentrates on more adult subjects, such as Dahl's experiences as a pilot in WW2. Frankly, I'm surprised that this book should have been included in a collection for younger readers - there are certainly darker moments in the likes of "Fantastic Mister Fox" but nothing to what you find here. All in all, though, this is a terrific read, and when I reached the last page I was sad that the story had so soon come to an end. Show Less
Awards
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 1986)