Review Wings Over Iraq, A Novel

Forsyth, Eric, Wings Over Iraq, A Novel, Yacht Fiona Books, 2020

 

Wings Over Iraq, A Novel is a fictional book by Eric Forsyth. It focuses upon a British Royal Air Force pilot named Chadwick who is assigned to a bomber squadron in Iraq from the 1920s-30s. The story is set against the rise of Hitler in Germany and Berlin’s expansionist ideas which involve Iraq’s oil. The book is a quick and interesting read but the ending is disappointing because it never resolves any of the major issues laid out.

 

There are two parallel stories involved in the book. The immediate plot is about Chadwick’s life as an air force pilot which includes things like bombing rebel tribes in Iraq and his desire to build new navigational equipment for planes. The bigger picture involves Germany’s plans for Iraq. That included sabotage involving a German intelligence officer covertly working within an archeological dig and an Iraqi nationalist who worked with the Germans in an attempt to get Iraqi independence from the British. Later the Germans try to start a revolt by Kurds in northern Iraq where the country’s oil was. The two threads converge when Chadwick comes across the archeological site and later Chadwick is tasked with bombing the rebels.

 

Forsyth was able to include a lot of details in his writing which made it interesting. Chadwick for example doesn’t just get in his bomber and fly missions. Forsyth describes the instruments, the speed, the feel of the plane, etc. when it takes off. There is discussion of ancient Mesopotamia at the archeological site, and more. It showed the author did a lot of research to bring his book to life and that was appreciated.

 

The main problem with Wings Over Iraq is the ending. You have German interference in Iraq increasing and Hitler is elected but that’s not what Forsyth decides to go with in his conclusion. Instead it’s about Chadwick flying planes. That was really anti-climactic. He could’ve gone in all kinds of other directions that would have been much more interesting.

 

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