The Struggle

This new book from Mushroom Model Publication’s (MMP) associate company STRATUS, is the autobiography of Franciszek Kornicki. He was a fighter pilot in pre-war Poland and then with the RAF during WWII and post war. He describes in detail his upbringing in rural Poland in the 1920’s and 30’s, then his training and service with the Polish Air Force until Poland’s defeat in 1939.

Like so many Polish airmen, he escaped to France and then to Britain, and flew with the RAF during the rest of the war. In post war years, he worked in the pub and restaurant trade before rejoining the RAF, ultimately ending up as a senior catering manager at RAF bases both at home and abroad.

Kornicki writes with candour and humour, and his Polish perspective of life in Britain during and after WWII is revealing. This book is a good addition to the literature about service and civilian life in the UK during the 1940’s and 50’s, as well as giving a rare and poignant view of Poland in pre-war years and also after the fall of the Iron Curtain. It is a good reference source for anyone interested in these times.

The book is in soft-cover 6 ¼” x 9” page format and is 224 pages long. 194 pages of it are all text. There is a one page bibliography, a 6 page appendix and a photo album at the back of the book. The album contains 71 black and white photos, spanning the pre-war, wartime and post-war years. Most of these pictures are of Kornicki with other people. There are a very few shots of aircraft. So, I must say that this book will not be that interesting to aircraft modelers. It is more of a book for WWII armchair aviation historians.

I want to thank Stratus and Roger Wallsgrove, Editor in Chief of Mushroom Model Publications for this review sample.