During the Second World War Roald Dahl served in the RAF and suffered horrific injuries in an air crash in the Libyan desert. Drawing on his own experiences as a fighter pilot, Dahl crafted these ten spine-tingling stories: of air battles in the sky; of the nightmare of being shot down; the infectious madness of conflict; and the nervy jollity of the Mess and Ops room. Dahl brilliantly conveys the bizarre reality of a wartime pilots daily existence, where death is a constant companion and life is lived from one heartbeat to the next. Acknowledgments Death of an Old Old Man An African Story A Piece of Cake Madame Rosette Katina Yesterday Was Beautiful They Shall Not Grow Old Beware of the Dog Only This Someone Like You.