"Portrait of an Airman"

[tomcervo]

The following review appeared in FLIGHT, September 4, 1931
AVIATION MADE COMMONPLACE
The recipe for a best seller seems, at the present time, to be a mixture of a well-psychoanalysed hero, the inner history of his amours, his reactions to the opposite sex and a lavish flavouring of a neurotic outlook on life in general. In the “Portrait of an Airman,” by Phillip Arnall, you have this mixture spread thickly on a slab of heavy pastry called “flying.” Taken as a psychological study the book is interesting, but if read from this point of view I cannot help likening the reader to the small boys who wallow in the harbour mud at low tide to get pennies thrown from the pier.

The interest of the psychological side is at no time made so deep or so vital as to override the unnecessary sordidness of the context, and it leaves me with a sense of wonder as to why it was written at all. Had it been a paper covered novel of the cheap class I could have understood it, but in its published form I can see no justification for it whatever.

From another point of view, I suppose that we who have aviation thoroughly at heart might be glad of this book, for its very sordidness has stamped flying as an everyday and commonplace thing, and on this score I suppose we must tolerate it. From all other angles, however, it cannot be justified; there is not enough in it to satisfy the really prurient minded, and yet too much to call it a decent novel. It is simply sordid.

I admit that the author knows what he is talking about when he comes to the flying parts, which is more than most such authors do ; the pity of it is that he did not use his knowledge and talents to better purpose.

 

I admit that the author knows what he is talking about when he comes to the flying parts. Indeed. On the page before this, a review of the Air Annual of the British Empire appears. That volume includes an essay on the performance of service aircraft by the noted aviation writer Maj. Oliver Stewart, M.C., A.F.C., who is almost transparently the author writing as Phillip Arnall.

Portrait of an Airman is the story of a young officer who drifts into the R.F.C. in 1916. He flies combat all through 1917, including the notorious period known as Bloody April, earns a decoration for service, and survives to be given a home posting to an experimental unit where he earns another decoration–a close description of Stewart’s own wartime career.

Even the critical reviewer notes the authenticity of the novel’s flying scenes. In one instance, the hero is assigned a very dangerous mission with little chance of return. Things like Dawn Patrol made that situation into a cliche. Here the protagonist protests quietly to the C.O. that he may not get back. True, says the C.O., but you’re my best man and you have the best and only chance of getting back compared to the rest of the squadron. No rages or histrionics, just a cold statement of fact and its acceptance. He flies the mission and makes it back.

The “sordidness” is the unexplicit description of the several affairs with women the hero experiences. They are all quick wartime affairs–he uses, or is used by, women. For one needy girl he feels sorry for ignoring her letters after the affair, for another a vague resentment at being used and a third amazes him by her blithe, man-like acceptance of fleeting pleasure.

In the end he judges the whole war for him to have been a period of unsubstantial heroics, compared to his brother’s ordeal in the trenches, and realizes that now in peace he has to start living like an adult.

It’s an interesting and unusual novel, particularly for this genre, and better written than most–as you’d expect from a journalist.

George Simmer's accessment:

https://greatwarfiction.wordpress.com/2016/07/07/portrait-of-an-airman-byphilip-arnall/

Edited 27 January , 2017 by tomcervo
missing word

[David Filsell]

It is as you point out of course a novel and apparently judged fairly rare. Cost of copies ranges from 150 to 195 dollars on various websites

[tomcervo]

10 hours ago, David Filsell said:

It is as you point out of course a novel and apparently judged fairly rare. Cost of copies ranges from 150 to 195 dollars on various websites

Have you tried Bookfinder?

http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?ac=sl&st=sl&ref=bf_s2_a2_t1_2&qi=IYvJeslidSqoZ.vj4hJaEGkO53M_1485646968_1:9:11&bq=author%3Dphilip%20arnall%26title%3Dportrait%20of%20an%20airman

[David Filsell]

Thanks,

No clearly not - I checked abe as is my normal practice - strangely it showed only the two prices I indicated. Obviously I need to get out of abe more!

David

[Dust Jacket Collector]

Here's the scarce jacket from the UK edition with the publisher's blurb.