UK

041533 - SPITFIRE GLORY: The Wartime Flying Life of Leif Lundsten

By Tor Idar Larsen

• Previously unpublished stories of hundreds of Spitfires
• For the first time in English and with quotes from Norwegian fighter pilots who flew Spitfires for the RAF
• Illustrated with many rare and unpublished photographs
• A glorious work of in-depth research that took years to complete

Major Leif Lundsten flew hundreds of Spitfires during the Second World War. As a fighter pilot with the legendary No. 331 Squadron and test pilot with Vickers-Armstrong, he flew ten marks of Spitfires from Mark I to the very capable and brutal Mark XIV.

Following Lundsten’s career as a skilled fighter and test pilot under Jeffrey Quills’ leadership, all Spitfires he flew are covered as well as in-depth and detailed information on his sorties from his first flight in 1941 to his last shortly after D-Day.

Tor Idar Larsen pays tribute to a forgotten Spitfire hero, a brave and gallant young man who contributed greatly towards the Allied victory. Behind every Spitfire he flew, there is a tale to be told; stories of unimaginable heroism, tragic deaths and brave resilience. A number of Lundsten’s Spitfires met an early demise, shot down in flames by Luftwaffe fighters and others exist today, one planned for an airworthy restoration. This is Leif Lundsten’s legacy.