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Secret Squadron
Series · 6 books · 1996-1999

Books in series

Flames Over Norway book cover
#1

Flames Over Norway

1996

Pilot Officer Ken Armstrong is one of a small and select band of Spitfire pilots. In the winter of early 1940, freezing in their cramped cockpits, the pilots set out to photograph German targets that will be attacked when the ‘Phoney War’ gives way to a shooting war—the heavy industries of the Ruhr Valley and, above all, warships of the German Navy, standing ready to break out into the Atlantic and prey on Britain’s vital convoys. Suddenly, in the early days of April 1940, an armada of German warships begins to move from the north German ports. Armstrong and his fellow pilots have the task of shadowing them, and soon establish that the invasion of Norway is beginning. Shot down during a photo-recce sortie over Norway, Armstrong finds himself fighting with Allied ground forces before reaching an RAF fighter squadron operating from a frozen lake in the far north. He is soon involved in an amazing intrigue with Norwegian government officials, desperate to salvage Norway’s remaining gold reserves and fly them to England. Finding an aircraft capable of doing the job is a problem—which Armstrong and his new friends set about solving. The obvious answer is to steal one from under the noses of the conquering Germans … 'Takes you to the heart of the action.' - Tom Kasey, best-selling author of Cold Kill. Robert Jackson (b. 1941) is a prolific author of military and aviation history, having become a full time writer in 1969. As an active serviceman in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve he flew a wide range of aircraft, ranging from jets to gliders. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.
Flames over France book cover
#2

Flames over France

1997

May 1940: Flight Lieutenant Ken Armstrong is deployed to an airfield in France. His arrival coincides with Hitler’s invasion of France and the Low Countries. He picks up victory after victory but nothing he can do will be enough to turn the tide. Armstrong befriends the pilots he fights beside but is forced to watch them drop out of the sky each day. The battle for France will be lost. But that doesn’t mean the war is over. Armstrong and his men are determined to fight tooth and nail against impossible odds. In this tale of dignity and bravery when all hope seems lost, Armstrong must do what needs to be done. As a former pilot and Squadron Leader himself, Robert Jackson masters the plot and brings history to life in fantastic detail. This is the second novel to feature the charismatic Flight Lieutenant Ken Armstrong, following on from Flames Over Norway. Praise for Robert Jackson 'Takes you to the heart of the action.' - Tom Kasey, bestselling author of Cold Kill. Robert Jackson (b. 1941) is a prolific author of military and aviation history, having become a full-time writer in 1969. As an active serviceman in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve he flew a wide range of aircraft, ranging from jets to gliders.
The Intruders book cover
#3

The Intruders

1998

Summer 1940… The Battle of Britain is tearing the skies. Ken Armstrong is a fighter pilot in the RAF. Freshly promoted to Squadron Leader, his life is about to get far more dangerous. Armstrong’s days of photo-reconnaissance are over. Called to Fighter Command HQ, Armstrong receives exciting new Form a special squadron to take the war to the enemy. This secret squadron must sneak into enemy territory to destroy German bombers in France and the Low countries. This ‘intruder’ work, carried out mostly at night, is difficult and dangerous, for the pilots must fly Bristol Blenheim fighters—which are no match for the German Messerschmitts. Until something better comes along … How long can Ken Armstrong and his team survive against the infamous German Messerschmitts? Praise for Robert Jackson 'Takes you to the heart of the action.' - Tom Kasey, best-selling author of Cold Kill. Robert Jackson (b. 1941) is a prolific author of military and aviation history, having become a full time writer in 1969. As an active serviceman in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve he flew a wide range of aircraft, ranging from jets to gliders. The Intruders is the first book in The Secret Squadron series.
Fortress England book cover
#4

Fortress England

1998

For the beleaguered British people, it seems at times that the war will never end. Ken Armstrong and the rest of his special squadron are dedicated to finding ways to reaching that end. The Battle of Britain is over…but the threat of invasion is not. Germany’s planes continue to sneak across to England, dropping bombs on her cities and fleeing again into the night. For Armstrong, new possibilities have emerged, as his special squadron has been greatly expanded with new types of aircraft. Along with these planes come a new cooperate with the Royal Navy in attacking German shipping in the English Channel and North Sea. But ‘Channel Stop’ operations carry extreme risk. The pilots not only must brave storms of German flak in their attacks on enemy ships—they also must contend with the vagaries of mother nature, struggling to fly missions in fog, rain, and snow that make finding the enemy as much down to luck as skill. The Germans are banking on their newest warship, Bismarck, to turn the tide of the war in the Atlantic. This is a terrifying prospect for Great Britain, which already faces dwindling supplies due to the Germans’ destruction of convoy ships bringing in fresh supplies. Everything builds up to a final buoyed by intelligence intercepted by their intelligence officers, England sets out on an assault on German battleships and cruisers that lurk in the French Atlantic ports, just waiting to put to sea and wreak havoc on Britain’s vital maritime convoys… Fortress England is the second book in Robert Jackson’s Secret Squadron series. Robert Jackson was born in the north Yorkshire village of Melsonby in 1941. A former pilot and navigation instructor, he was a squadron leader in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, experience that strongly influenced his writing career. A prolific writer, he has written more than fifty factual works devoted to aviation and military subjects, including Air The RAF in the 1990s, operational histories of a wide range of aircraft, and reference works such as the Guinness Book of Air Warfare. He has also authored more than twenty novels, most of which take place against the backdrop of World War II, and has written popular science features for the Press Association.
Desert Combat book cover
#5

Desert Combat

1999

Autumn 1941. Tobruk, North Africa Tobruk is one of the most important ports in North Africa. Its importance has attracted the attention of the German and Italian armies, and the British Eighth Army is reeling under the relentless attack of Rommel’s Panzer divisions. They are in desperate need of reinforcements. If the garrison falls, Rommel will have a doorway to Egypt and a clear path to the Suez Canal. Wing Commander Ken Armstrong is the senior RAF officer on board the HMS Ark Royal, and it is time for his Secret Squadron to terrorise the enemy. He must set up a secret air base, deep behind enemy lines and evoke a storm from the skies on the Panzer army. The only way to effectively prevent Rommel’s progression is to operate from within Tobruk’s perimeter, some 120miles away from the nearest air strip. Armstrong knows that whilst success can alter the course of the war, failure can only bring one outcome… Desert Combat is the exciting fifth instalment in Robert Jackson’s popular Secret Squadron series, and an enthralling Second World War aviation adventure. Robert Jackson was born in 1941 in the North Yorkshire village of Melsonby. A former pilot and navigation instructor, his active involvement with aviation lasted many years. Following his retirement from the RAFVR in 1977 as a squadron leader, he became a full-time aviation writer and aerospace correspondent and lectured extensively on strategic issues. He speaks five languages, including Russian, and has written more than forty nonfiction works on military affairs. He is also the author of the popular Yeoman and SAS fiction series.
The Rising Sun book cover
#6

The Rising Sun

1999

December, 1941. Wing Commander Ken Armstrong's Secret Squadron must face a new enemy and turn the tide of the war. In North Africa, the Germans have been halted ... for the time being. But now there is a new enemy... In the Far East, the Japanese strike at Pearl Harbor, Malaya and Burma. While the men want to rush to protect their American allies, they know the whole world is at stake. Wing Commander Ken Armstrong's secret squadron, together with other reinforcements, is immediately rushed to Burma to provide the spearhead of an air strike force – and his pilots soon find themselves locked in combat with a deadly and ruthless foe. The Japanese fight with a fury the likes Armstrong has never seen. The battle takes far more out of his team than he anticipated. The American fleet that survived the bombing and turned the tide against the Japanese at Pearl Harbor arrive to serve side by side against this insidious threat. They survive, but just barely. Stranded, beset by enemies, lost... Cut off at an airstrip deep in the inhospitable jungle, fighting alongside their American comrades, they form a deadly team that takes a fearsome toll of the enemy – until their supplies and aircraft begin to run out... Will the Secret Squadron survive their campaign toward the rising sun? The Rising Sun is an enthralling military adventure. Praise for Robert Jackson ‘The descriptions of weaponry…are authentically detailed.’ - Publishers Weekly 'Takes you to the heart of the action.' - Tom Kasey, best-selling author of Cold Kill. Robert Jackson (b. 1941) is a prolific author of military and aviation history, having become a full time writer in 1969. As an active serviceman in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve he flew a wide range of aircraft, ranging from jets to gliders. The Rising Sun is the fourth book in The Secret Squadron series .

Author

Robert Jackson
Robert Jackson
Author · 47 books
Robert Jackson was born in 1941 in the North Yorkshire village of Melsonby. A former pilot and navigation instructor, his active involvement with aviation lasted many years. Following his retirement from the RAFVR in 1977 as a squadron leader, he became a full-time aviation writer and aerospace correspondent and lectured extensively on strategic issues. He speaks five languages, including Russian, and has written more than forty nonfiction works on military affairs. He is also the author of the popular Yeoman and SAS fiction series.
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