Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By JAFO
#1859544
This is a beautiful morning on which to fulfil a dream.

When I was seven years old I visited Barton Aerodrome which was just four miles but a world away from the back streets of Salford where I grew up. I saw lush green grass and shining white aeroplanes and people who descended from the skies to walk among us. I decided then that I wanted to fly.

A year later we had to write an essay at school about life in the future, mine was full of childish jokes and silly puns - some would say that's still my writing style - but my teacher liked it and she read it out to the class and they liked it. I decided then that I wanted to write.

Today, forty-four years later, that all comes true as my first book, Above the Law, is published. It's about the twelve years that I spent flying on police helicopters as one of only a handful of civilian air observers anywhere in the world. I attended nearly 3,000 incidents and this book is about the most intriguing, challenging, amusing and downright baffling ones. It's about my passion for flying, the landscape we flew over, the people I flew alongside and the people we helped. There are also car chases and murders and sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll. The book takes you into the cockpit with the crew and shows the thrill, hard work and humour of life in the skies, protecting the public and supporting the police.

Here's where you can buy the book:

https://www.eye-books.com/books/above-the-law

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Above-Law-Adventures-police-helicopter/dp/1785632620/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B095BFFR7M/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0

https://books.apple.com/gb/book/above-the-law/id1568217379

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/above-the-law-adrian-bleese/1139211049

https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Above-the-Law-by-Adrian-Bleese-author/9781785632624

https://www.bookdepository.com/Above-Law-Adrian-Bleese/9781785632624

https://uk.bookshop.org/books/above-the-law-adventures-in-a-police-helicopter/9781785632624

https://www.foyles.co.uk/witem/philosophy-psychology-social-sciences/above-the-law-adventures-in-a-police,adrian-bleese-9781785632624

https://www.waterstones.com/book/above-the-law/adrian-bleese//9781785632624

https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/above-the-law-adventures-in-a-police-helicopter/adrian-bleese/paperback/9781785632624.html

If you enjoy it and can leave a review on Amazon (regardless of where you bought it) then that would be appreciated very much as every one really does help.

Here's what a few other people have said:

"Brilliantly entertaining and enlightening." - Catherine Larner, Suffolk Magazine


"A genuinely absorbing read that showed me a side of the police service that I didn’t really know anything about." - Caroline Hooton, I Read Therefore I Blog


"Adrian writes with real immediacy and warmth. He exhibits the dry, black humour so often evident in personnel within the emergency services, while also displaying a real compassion for the people whose lives he is observing whether he is protecting them or pursuing them." - More About Books


"An entertaining insight into a different world, its people and, sometimes, its politics." - FLYER Magazine


"I really enjoyed the writing style. It felt more like I did not have to read, but that the book talked to me. If you are looking for an honest, from the heart tale, it's a must read." - Els, B for Bookreview


"I could not put it down. A simply brilliant, insightful and witty look at the life of a professional living his dream." - Neal Atwell


"An outstanding read." - Bill Davies


"The tale is informative and full of pertinent humour, light but without losing the focus of a serious subject...what a delight it is." - Bryn Elliott


“An engaging and enjoyable read, offering a perspective on policing unlike any other you will have come across before.” - John Sutherland


"The ultimate police aviation book" - Police Aviation News


"A hilarious, sad, thought-provoking and brilliantly told story. When my copy of Above The Law landed a few days ago it barely left my hands until I'd read through to the final, unexpected, conclusion." - Andy Betson


"It’s a great read, fascinating, factual and funny!" - Mark Redmond


"A really great read and very difficult to put down. Funny, compassionate and fascinating. The most enjoyable book I’ve read in a very long time!" - Jim Cooper


"An excellent book written by a top bloke." - Ady Powell


"I've read two books now and I've never read one like this. The other one was green." - Roger Lewis


Image

Thanks to Ian for allowing me to mention it.
johnm, lobstaboy, Flyin'Dutch' and 6 others liked this
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1859547
I shall be off to my local bookshop. The Secret Barrister has written some fascinating and slightly scary books on the parlous state of the justice system and I'm now hooked on getting insights on to how it all works :-)
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By JAFO
#1859551
Thanks @johnm - I seem to recall that you fly from Gloucester which is where I trained to be an Air Observer, so there's a fair bit about your part of the world in the first few chapters.

I hope that you enjoy it.
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By G-BLEW
Boss Man  Boss Man
#1859561
"I've read two books now and I've never read one like this. The other one was green." - Roger Lewis


Roger Lewis is my kind of book reviewer :-)

Ian
Hooligan, JAFO, Dave W liked this
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By pplmeir
#1859567
Sounds great will order.

(I guess the other title that one might associate with a police helicopter "The Law Above" might have been less PC..... )
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By T6Harvard
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1859577
Bought the book last week.

I want to complain about it.

JAFO, you made me cry.

You wrote so simply but movingly about some incidents, and your outlook on life, that my eyes leaked a couple of times.

But also...another complaint.

You made me laugh out loud. The neighbours, who already had a fair idea I was a it batty, are now certain.

And.... it was a fascinating insight.

A massive thank you from me!!

Congrats on being a successful author. Fantastic. :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft:
JAFO, MichaelP liked this
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By JAFO
#1859581
Aw, @T6Harvard, you'll make me blush. Thank you so much.

If you could leave a review that beautiful on Amazon it would make a huge difference. You don't have to have bought the book from them but every review helps an unknown like me and a small independent publisher like Eye Books.

I'm so pleased that you liked it.
T6Harvard liked this
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By JAFO
#1859583
tankbarrell wrote:Sounds like the Roger Lewis I know. Suffolk? Former observer?


One and the same. This book is better because he took the time to read an early draft and offer me his insights. My life is better because I get to call him my friend.
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By T6Harvard
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1859588
JAFO wrote:Aw, @T6Harvard, you'll make me blush. Thank you so much.

If you could leave a review that beautiful on Amazon it would make a huge difference. You don't have to have bought the book from them but every review helps an unknown like me and a small independent publisher like Eye Books.

I'm so pleased that you liked it.


Will do. I've also recommended Eye Books to an aspiring author :D
JAFO liked this
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1859592
Ordered :
This is turning out to be an expensive week for me as I sat next to a chap at a posh 70th birthday lunch yesterday, who retired to Suffolk after 35 years at the BBC from teaboy to exec producer who has just published his first novel, full, I am told, of sex and drugs and rock and roll.
I just had to have a copy of that :lol:
Thank the lord they're both paperbacks:
I've just had a run of 'must have' hardbacks................................
JAFO liked this
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