I've always enjoyed Dahl's children's books, and so I was curious to see what he might write about his own life. To say that his early adult years were exciting might understate the matter a bit. This book opens with Dahl embarking on a ship for East Africa, to start his first job as a representative of the Shell Oil Company, and follows him through his career as a RAF fighter pilot in the Eastern Mediterranean theater during WWII. Many of his tales are so over the top that it would be tempting to believe that he has embelished the stories. But even if he did, the result is an thoroughly enjoyable read, full of adventure and the excitement of youth. We also get a glimpse of the last hurrah of the British Empire, the epic struggle of the second World War, and just the barest idea of the conditions he found in war torn England upon his return. Very entertaining.

i must say, this book was incredibly hard to put down!

having read the previous roald dahl biography "boy," i was eager to read this book. i wasn't disappointed at all. i was absolutely fascinated by the things that this man has gone through. i feel like a coward indeed after reading about roald dahl's trip to africa and his terrifying wartime experiences! it's magnetic!

this book is written in a very straightforward style, and anyone and everyone should read it, i believe! there is a lot to be learned from this book. it shows the true insanity of war. people lose their minds in the kind of situations described in this book!

it has a happy ending, though. this, you can look forward to!

What an entertaining read this proves--not surprisingly--by the author of the children's classic, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. Continuing the autobiographical expose of British boarding schools as revealed in BOY, Dahl opens this meant-for-adults book with a delightfully wacky view of his fellow Englishmen en route to work in Africa. Scornful of the repeated falls from stoic grace by so many of his predecessors, this young Empire Builder is at first shocked by the sight of so many decent chaps who have Gone Native--a result of prolonged absence from the UK and intense heat exposure. Can an idealistic youth rise above heat, humidity and British bravado to maintain his unflappable equanimity, or will he too succumb to the national trend?

Most of this book, however, consists of Dahl's serious account of his contribution to the Allied air war in Africa's western desert, followed by a long recuperation from head trauma. Before he returns safely to England, he describes the deadly action in Greece where German planes far outnumbered the intrepid RAF pilots. Interspersed among the reports of the air war are his own b/w photos and letters (self-censored) to his beloved Norwegian mother in England. This account will easily capture the reader's interest as Dahl translates the global struggle by bringing it down to an intensely human level. With his treasured possessions--pilot's Log Book and his 2nd camera--we leave him when he is reunited safely with his mother. A fast read--well worth the effort even if you are not a war buff.

What an entertaining read this proves--not surprisingly--by the author of the children's classic, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. Continuing the autobiographical expose of British boarding schools as revealed in BOY, Dahl opens this meant-for-adults book with a delightfully wacky view of his fellow Englishmen en route to work in Africa. Scornful of the repeated falls from stoic grace by so many of his predecessors, this young Empire Builder is at first shocked by the sight of so many decent chaps who have Gone Native--a result of prolonged absence from the UK and intense heat exposure. Can an idealistic youth rise above heat, humidity and British bravado to maintain his unflappable equanimity, or will he too succumb to the national trend?

Most of this book, however, consists of Dahl's serious account of his contribution to the Allied air war in Africa's western desert, followed by a long recuperation from head trauma. Before he returns safely to England, he describes the deadly action in Greece where German planes far outnumbered the intrepid RAF pilots. Interspersed among the reports of the air war are his own b/w photos and letters (self-censored) to his beloved Norwegian mother in England. This account will easily capture the reader's interest as Dahl translates the global struggle by bringing it down to an intensely human level. With his treasured possessions--pilot's Log Book and his 2nd camera--we leave him when he is reunited safely with his mother. A fast read--well worth the effort even if you are not a war buff.

Going Solo is the great story that Roald Dahl adventured throughout his young life. Roald Dahl accomplished many things once he was able to do things on his own. Mainly the book is about himself traveling all over Europe and Africa just trying to experience as much as he could. He travels all over the bottom of Europe and works way down and around Africa staying at many non civilized villages and getting to know many natives. At the time he is working for the Shell Oil Company until he finally quits. In East Africa he also is endangered with a near fatal death with a Green Mamba , one of the most deadly snakes. Roald also has a passion for the air force, and ends up joining the RAF. Going Solo is one of the most adventurous books that I have ever read, with the nonstop climax's and so many near death experiences. This is a very descriptive book with so many heroic twist that can keep anyone's attention. Roald Dahl is very famous for most of his work such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but this book is amazing because this all actually happened to writer in real life. The greatest part about the Roald Dahl in Going Solo is that he never gave up, even after a plane crash that he should not have been able to live after. He was told that he would be blind for the rest of his life, but about a month later he started to gain his sight back. I feel that this book is a miracle.

I read the fantastic book named Going Solo by Roald Dahl. This book was an autobiography of Roald Dahl's life prior to and during World War II. The book explained many of his encounters with the enemy as a pilot for the Royal Air Force in Roald Dahl's personal view. There are an uncountable number of fascinating events that occur when he is a pilot. Some of them include when he receives a life threatening injury, going into a hardcore battle with no experience at fighting enemies, and getting out of a long-lasting dogfight where he was outnumbered 200 to 12. The other half of the book explained his thrilling adventures prior to the war when he worked for the Shell Company. Some of his experiences while working for the Shell Company included chasing a lion, saving a man from a deadly Black Mamba, and sighting a deadly Green Mamba enter his friends house. Every page of the book was full of plot and adventure, and I could not put this book down.
In the beginning of the book Roald Dahl is on a ship, which was taking him from England to Africa for a job with the Shell Company. He ended up in a beautiful tropic town named Dar es Salaam, located in Tanzania, which is on the coast of Africa. Once there, he was given a personal `boy' named Mdisho, which back then was like an unpaid worker. Mdisho and Roald form a very close father-son relationship, Roald being the father and Mdisho being the son. Roald teaches Mdisho many things, while Mdisho goes out and works for him. After a while, Roald decides to join the army as a Pilot Officer. He began his journey in flight training for six months. Then, he was given directions to join up with the 80 Squadron, who were fighting in the middle of the Sahara desert. The directions were incorrect and he ended up crashing and getting a life-threatening injury. Once he recovered, he was to meet up with the 80 Squadron again, who were now located in Greece. He finds himself fighting in Greece with only 12 planes in the whole of Greece. The Germans had thousands of planes located in Greece, so they fought as best they could. Once it was getting too dangerous, the 80 Squadron left and went on to a place named Argos, which was another fifty miles along the coast. After that, they went along to Palestine and Syria, and fought off more Nazis. He then was experiencing major headaches when flying and had to be sent home. This is a brief overview of the book, and as you can see it's full of suspense.
This book was an awesome book, because I learned a lot about how life was during World War II through the eyes of a magnificent writer. It was so good that I read it the first day I started reading it. Roald Dahl draws out a scene for you each battle, so you can imagine like you are there with him, in his Hurricane airplane fighting off the Nazis. This book is for the sort of person that enjoys reading fast-paced books and loves to read about history. Also, if you like the author Roald Dahl, I would suggest reading it because it tells a lot about him, and his personal history. If this book sounds interesting to you then I definitely recommend it and suggest you check it out, or maybe you might want to check out the prequel to Going Solo titled Boy.

WOW! Going Solo, by Roald Dahl is an amazing and heart capturing book. Read this book if you love war stories. These stories are serious, funny, and keep you wanting more. I found the book almost impossible to believe during some points in the amazing novel.
Dahl's biography tells about his survival in the dated war planes without experience (while outnumbered 100 to 1) and on the ground as commander with no experience again. Dahl uses great language and thought to describe things and to progress the novel with amazing simplicity. To me, simplicity and straight-forwardness makes a book enjoyable (not school like), and pretty easy to read. It is not a "piece of cake" reading, but it isn't unbelievably hard. His survival in the air of Greece and Africa come down to one thing, instincts. I believe Going Solo shows how most humans would act during a war; very scared, rather excited, nervous, and filled with heart pumping adrenaline. As I read, my eyes read faster than my brain could keep up with. I felt I was flying right next Dahl, watching him struggle to survive the most horrid war of history, World War II. What I also love about Roald Dahl's story is that he has a perfect balance of humor and exploding action. There was never one seriously boring dead place.
This is one of the best books I have ever read. I love Going Solo because I always want to read more. Most of the time I do not wish to put it down. These are the types of books I love to read. Astonishingly, the novel feels like a movie. At the last second when all hope seems to be lost, Dahl shows his intelligence by giving you a story you will remember for a long time. That is why I recommend this book.
Do not read Going Solo if you hate adventurous, unbelievably true World War II stories. Trust me; read Going Solo if you want a great read with amazing plot.
The novel builds and builds with drama and action, then the unfathomable happens...read Going Solo to find a great ending with a great last word.

WOW! Going Solo, by Roald Dahl is an amazing and heart capturing book. Read this book if you love war stories. These stories are serious, funny, and keep you wanting more. I found the book almost impossible to believe during some points in the amazing novel.
Dahl's biography tells about his survival in the dated war planes without experience (while outnumbered 100 to 1) and on the ground as commander with no experience again. Dahl uses great language and thought to describe things and to progress the novel with amazing simplicity. To me, simplicity and straight-forwardness makes a book enjoyable (not school like), and pretty easy to read. It is not a "piece of cake" reading, but it isn't unbelievably hard. His survival in the air of Greece and Africa come down to one thing, instincts. I believe Going Solo shows how most humans would act during a war; very scared, rather excited, nervous, and filled with heart pumping adrenaline. As I read, my eyes read faster than my brain could keep up with. I felt I was flying right next Dahl, watching him struggle to survive the most horrid war of history, World War II. What I also love about Roald Dahl's story is that he has a perfect balance of humor and exploding action. There was never one seriously boring dead place.
This is one of the best books I have ever read. I love Going Solo because I always want to read more. Most of the time I do not wish to put it down. These are the types of books I love to read. Astonishingly, the novel feels like a movie. At the last second when all hope seems to be lost, Dahl shows his intelligence by giving you a story you will remember for a long time. That is why I recommend this book.
Do not read Going Solo if you hate adventurous, unbelievably true World War II stories. Trust me; read Going Solo if you want a great read with amazing plot.
The novel builds and builds with drama and action, then the unfathomable happens...read Going Solo to find a great ending with a great last word.

Going Solo, by Roald Dahl is the epic sequel to his early age biography, Boy.
In this book, Dahl is a grown man, just graduated out of Repton Boys School and is now working for the Shell Company. This book takes place during World War II, and Dahl starts in East Africa, and ends up in the places that you would least expect.
Roald Dahl begins his new job in the small village of Dur es Salaam, Tanzania.
Just as he wishes, he drives through the African jungles, delivering oil to people who live quite far from civilization. In Dur es Salaam Dahl encountered one of natures deadliest creatures; the black mamba. This particular snake's venom has no known cure, and its poison will kill its victim in no more then an hour. Dahl got the thrill of saving a person's life, by merely looking, out a window and screaming, "Salimu! Salimu! Beware huge snake! Behind You! Quickly quickly!" The boy, Salimu, quickly killed the snake off with a pitchfork, but owed his life to Dahl. Roald Dahl had many other adventures in Dur es Salaam, such as having a green mamba in his friend's house and having to call the `snake man.' And seeing the cook's wife being carried off by a lion, but came back without a scratch!
When war was announced, Dahl went off to be a Navy pilot. He leaves the Shell Company, and goes to Iraq, to be trained to be a pilot. Finally, when his training is complete, he is given coordinates of Squadron 80 (the Navy squad he's assigned to). While flying towards his squadron, Dahl realized that he was given the wrong coordinates! Nearly out of fuel, he attempts to land his plane on the bumpy terrain, but crashes, and barely escapes death!
Squadron 80's assignment was to patrol Greece, and keep it safe from the Germans. There was only one minor problem; Squadron 80 had fifteen nice, well built Hurricane airplanes, while the German army had hundreds of planes that were the newest models. So no wonder Squadron 80 eventually fled, and Greece was captured by the Germans.
He and his remaining squad go to Haifa Egypt, to once again protect it. Due to head injury's from Dahl's big crash, he becomes an invalid pilot, and begins his long journey home.
I enjoyed this book, because it kept you on your toes at all times. There was never a moment that I wasn't enthralled in Roald Dahl's exquisite description, that put you right there in a Hurricane, dodging enemy blasts. I rate this book an 8 out of 10 because, even though its action packed, it sometimes gets a bit repetitive. If you enjoyed Boy, and are looking for a book that you won't ever want to put down, then choose Going Solo, and you won't regret it.

This gem of a book is surprising in many ways. The whimsical cover suggests tongue-in-cheek, and, indeed, there is some of that, but mostly it is a book that sneaks up on you, grabs you, and astonishes. `Going Solo' is the story of Roald Dahl's World War 2 experiences, and is divided roughly into two main themes. The first part records the experiences he had while he was stationed in East Africa before the war, when excitement meant such things as dealing with green mambas. I know virtually nothing about Africa, but resolved to learn more after reading this part of the book. There are many charming stories here: watch for the one taking place on his voyage out when Dahl discovers that his roommate is simulating dandruff on his dinner jacket with talcum powder!

The second half of the book records his RAF exploits, many of which would not be believed had this been a work of fiction. Dahl's descriptions of such things as plane crashes are charmingly low-key and understated, an unusual way to depict danger and hardship, but one that succeeds brilliantly in this book.

Adding to the charm of the book are pictures of letters, postcards, photographs, maps and the like - visuals that make the lively text come even more alive. This is one war story women who steer away from the usual blood-and-guts stereotype war novels will absolutely enjoy. It is a touching and interesting portrayal of courage and amazing happenings in the life of a very unassuming gentleman.

And nowhere near as good as his fiction, GOING SOLO almost seems as though it was written as therapy. It's a professional job, don't get me wrong, but you can almost see Dahl working overtime to make his stories more exciting and gripping than they probably really were. The book begins with young Roald travelling to Tanzania on a boat under orders from Shell Oil, where he hopes to begin a career. Almost instantly the war breaks out and Dahl is ordered to round up the war's first prisoners. Then he's sent to flying school and taught to master a plane in a few months. Were planes simpler to learn back then? Well, for one thing, the RAF was educating its young men at assembly line pace, and the objective was to get up and come down; nothing fancier needed.

It's sort of comical, especially because Roald felt himself to be abnormally tall (six and a half feet, a good foot taller than several of his instructors) so he really had to wedge his butt into the tiny Piper seat and fold his long legs like a heron to be able to play the pedals properly. The book peters out after a terrible crash results in awful head injuries, wounds that impacted his whole life way down the pike and narrowed his Swiftian vision into the refined cruelty that sparked his great masterpieces for children.

No, I would not say this book is for kids, but on the other hand children love reading about flying, and they enjoy identifying with the "fish out of water." Children feel a bond to outsiders of all descriptions, because everyone feels picked on. For Dahl it was a feeling that never went away, no matter how close he came to the stars.

Going Solo

Going Solo by Roald Dahl is an action-packed adventure full of laughs and frights. Dahl uses up-front, to the point explanations that provide detailed and somewhat sudden images of events from his life. The book itself, Going Solo, is based on Dahl's experience in Africa and in the air force. Dahl starts his tale as a young man headed to an African coastal city where he will help in the management of a Shell public relations group. Dahl encounters much more than he bargained for and provides readers with a great bed-time reader. I wouldn't however suggest it for bed-time reading, because you won't be able to put it down.

I typically read books that fall under the Fantasy genre because the author has the ability to constantly fill the characters with excitement as opposed to a biography in which the author may only use real events, which are not always as fast-paced. Dahl, however, has had a life that really has very few dull moments. I had no problem keeping the movie in my mind going. He transitioned well from event to event without stopping the action. I was drawn in at first by the experience Dahl had on the ship. He explains that the ship taking him to Africa was occupied by men who were somewhat mentally unstable. His colorful imagery of all his situations and scenes makes for a compelling and intriguing story-line.

In addition to detail through words, Dahl has pictures in his book. This is not a critical component of literature, but it allowed me to complete my mental images. His photographs depict people he met and things he encountered. These pictures aided in my idea of the time period and culture of the setting. This book is by no means a picture book, but it has several images throughout the book.

The book also drew me in because it was Dahl reflecting on his life. As I read the book I felt as though it was the first time since his war experience that he had looked back on the events. I felt as though he was developing his opinions of his decisions throughout the war as he was writing the book. In a sense, it felt like I was the first person to here his reflection on his life. This display of a relationship between author and reader further demonstrates Dahl's mastery of literature.

I would recommend this work to anyone seeking a short-term commitment as far as reading goes. This book can easily be finished within a few devoted days. The book is not a very high reading level, but leaves the door open for deep thought and role-playing. I enjoyed this piece and through it's creativity it compelled me to read another of Dahl's pieces. For those who choose to try this book, I invite you to spend equal time reading and reflecting to get the most out of the book. Enjoy this piece.


-Jess
13
KY

I read this book to my 11 year old son. Both of us were captivated with Roald Dahl's experiences prior to and during World War II.

Though our family has thoroughly enjoyed all of Dahl's fiction, this is the first non-fiction Dahl book we have read. The way he describes the people, places and machinery he encounters is so real and honest. He comes across as an astute observer during the times he describes. I found this book to be entertaining and educational. I only wish he had written more books about the next decades of his life.

I didn't expect Roald Dahl's account of life as a fighter pilot to interest me at all, but to my astonishment I found it gripping. It's a real page-turner; I couldn't wait to read the next chapter!

As always, his style of writing is a pleasure to read, and although most younger readers prefer his macabre tales of fantasy, this is well worth adding to their Dahl Library.

Both `Boy' and `Going Solo' are the perfect way to introduce the developing younger reader to biographical/true-life stories, rather than remaining forever stuck in the magical realms of fantasy fiction. This book can be equally enjoyed by young and old alike ... the sort of book a grandfather and grandson can read together!

Great read, moves along very well, good adventure and reflections on author's time in Africa and WWII.

Going Solo talkings about Roald Dahl being from an tennager to an adult. In the book, Roald Dahl talks about his experience in Africa working for the Shell company
He also talks about WWII as a raf fighter pilot
His biograph isn't boring like most but very exciting!
I would reccommend this book to most readers who have finished reading the first part of Roald Dahl's biograph, which is called Boy Tales of Childhood
If you haven't read that yet, I suggest that you don't read Going Solo.