Edit filter log

'{{Short description|Autobiographical book by Roald Dahl}} {{Infobox book |name = ''Going Solo'' |image = File:GoingSolo.jpg |caption = First edition |author = '''Roald Dahl''' |illustrator = |country = United Kingdom |language = English |genre = [[Autobiography]] |publisher = [[Jonathan Cape]] (UK) |pub_date = 1986 |pages = 208 |isbn = 9780224024075 |oclc = |followed_by = [[Matilda (novel)|Matilda]] (1988) }} '''''Going Solo''''' is a book by [[Roald Dahl]], first published by [[Jonathan Cape]] in [[London]] in 1986. It is a continuation of his autobiography describing his childhood, ''[[Boy (autobiography)|Boy]]'' and detailed his travel to Africa and exploits as a World War II pilot. == Plot == The book started with Dahl's voyage to Africa in 1938, which was prompted by his desire to find adventure after finishing school.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/10854/going-solo/|title=Going Solo by Roald Dahl|website=www.penguin.co.uk|language=en|access-date=2018-09-14}}</ref> He was on a boat heading towards [[Dar es Salaam]] for his new job working for [[Royal Dutch Shell|Shell Oil]]. During this journey, he met various people<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2011/dec/01/going-solo-roald-dahl-review|title=Going Solo by Roald Dahl - review|first=Krazy|last=Kesh|date=December 1, 2011|website=the Guardian}}</ref> and described extraordinary events such as a lion carrying a woman in its mouth. He eventually joined the [[World War II|war]] as a squadron pilot in the [[Royal Air Force]], flying the [[de Havilland Tiger Moth|Tiger Moth]], [[Gloster Gladiator]], and [[Hawker Hurricane]]. He was among the last [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] pilots to withdraw from [[Greece]] during the [[Battle of Greece|German invasion]], taking part in the air for the [[Battle of Athens (1941)|Battle of Athens]] on 20 April 1941. In one of his accounts, he described a crash in the Western Desert, which fractured his skull and brought him several other problems such as temporarily being blinded during his days in Greece.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2011/dec/01/going-solo-roald-dahl-review|title=Going Solo by Roald Dahl - review|last=Kesh|first=Krazy|date=2011-12-01|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-09-14}}</ref> After the country fell to the Nazis, he went to the [[Middle East]] to fight [[Vichy France|Vichy French]] pilots after staying for a brief time in [[Alexandria|Alexandria, Egypt]]. == Analysis == In ''Storyteller: The Authorized Biography of Roald Dahl'' (2010), Donald Sturrock claimed that there are disparities to the author's claims in the book, describing them as flights of pure fancy or compelling recreations of stories heard from others such as the accounts about exotic African animal adventures.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Storyteller: The Authorized Biography of Roald Dahl|last=Sturrock|first=Donald|publisher=Simon and Schuster|year=2010|isbn=9781416550822|location=New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/storytellerautho0000stur/page/112 112, 117]|url=https://archive.org/details/storytellerautho0000stur/page/112}}</ref> There was also the case of his encounter with a group of Germans, which he had orders to round up. Dahl wrote in ''Going Solo'' that its leader was killed by an African guard after thrusting a [[Luger pistol]] in his chest.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=90v0Hg0Mq90C&pg=PT62&dq=roald+dahl+going+solo+tanganyika#q=luger|title=Going Solo|last=Dahl|first=Roald|date=2012-02-02|publisher=Penguin UK|isbn=9780141965338|language=en}}</ref> In ''Lucky Break'' (1977), a story published 10 years prior, the version of this story was less dramatic with the Germans quickly giving themselves up, allowing Dahl's group to march themselves to a camp in Dar es Salaam without much difficulty.<ref name=":0"/> == Reception == When asked his opinion of the book, Brooklyn 6th grader Sinan Erogul said, "I don't know. It was good." ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Roald Dahl}} [[Category:1986 non-fiction books]] [[Category:World War II memoirs]] [[Category:Books by Roald Dahl]] [[Category:Jonathan Cape books]] [[Category:British autobiographies]] [[Category:Non-fiction books about the Royal Air Force]]'