Going Solo

January 4, 1999
The second volume of the beloved British writer's autobiography, after Boy, follows Dahl to his first job, working for an oil conglomerate in Africa, and then into WWII and his career as an RAF pilot. Ages 12-up. (Jan.) r

Children's writer Roald Dahl's memoir of working for Shell (oil) in Tanzania and training as a fighter pilot for the RAF ranges from scenes of comedic Scottish snake charmers to those of terrifying air battles. Dahl's zest for life and absurdist sense of humor are perfectly encapsulated by Dan Stevens ("Downton Abbey"), who employs both wry and serious tones overlaid with just the right note of adventure. Stevens rolls through African place names and terms without hesitation. He's a master of pacing, increasing his speed to maximize the excitement when chasing a lion that has stolen the cook's wife and then amping up the astonishment at the discovery that she has been held so gently as to not be hurt at all. Dahl's experience of the war and the Allies' futile air strategy in Greece are appropriately rendered in a grave tone accompanied by disbelief. A.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine


Roald Dahl outdoes himself as he brilliantly portrays the horrors of war, along with the wonderful details that made up his life as a young soldier during WWII. Derek Jacobi presents Dahl as though he had been there. We join Dahl as he learns to fly, observes the carnage of war, and experiences the mixed emotions that haunt most soldiers. Whether portraying Dahl's conversational style or his letters to his mother, Jacobi is splendid, perfectly recreating the different speech patterns and accents of the many people Dahl encountered during the war. All ages will gain a valuable history lesson, complete with music, humor, and drama. S.G.B. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine