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The Last Enemy

An inspiring story of World War Two from a Battle of Britain hero

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The Last Enemy

By: Richard Hillary
Narrated by: Jeremy Vine, Sebastian Faulks
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The thrilling and moving classic memoir of a spitfire pilot in World War Two.

This is the true story of Richard Hillary, immortalised in Sebastian Faulks' bestselling triple biography, The Fatal Englishman. In The Last Enemy, Richard Hillary tells his extraordinary story in his own words. Shot out of the sky in the Battle of Britain, Hillary spent months in hospital as part of Archibald McIndoe's 'Guinea Pig Club', undergoing pioneering plastic surgery to rebuild his face and hands.

The Last Enemy was first published in 1942, just seven months before Hilary's untimely death in a second crash.

'Rivetingly well told...It will speak to anyone who cares for the romance and tragedy of a lost hero' Sunday Times

'One of the classic texts of World War Two' London Review of Books

'Elegantly affecting memoir' The Times

© Richard Hillary 1997 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

 Air Forces Armed Forces Historical Military Military & War
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An interesting but very serious story about a complicated, intelligent character whose service in WW2 was ended in a unfortunate and very painful way. For some there was too much pontificating and self opinion but very enjoyable overall.

The Sorrow of War

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I heard about this book on the Jeremy Vine show when he interviewed Sebastian Faulks about Richard Hilary's life and this book. Jeremy said it was his favourite book and in this Audible edition he is the narrator. Vine is an outstanding broadcaster by any standard but there's something a little 'off' about the narration; either it's the text or his interpretation of it. I don't know which one it is as I can't get hold of the book. Anyway, notwithstanding the challenge of tuning in to the narrator, this is a special book. Hilary certainly has a distinctive style and the passages about air combat and recovery in hospital are extremely powerful.

Exceptionally Powerful Writing

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i really struggled with this. a bit boring, perhaps its just me but it took forever to go nowwhere

i dont get the hype, poor narration.

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