Sagittarius Rising

Written nearly 20 years after the events described, Sagittarius Rising is surprisingly filled with great day to day details of Cecil Lewis' experience with the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. The book is easy to read and maintains interest with very few private life tangents.For those who are pilots, the most amazing information is how little instruction was given to pilots before they soloed, and how few hours solo time a pilot would have before being sent to the front.The flying and air battle accounts are vivid. In one part, he relates how during an early patrol alone, he spotted a yellow cloud enveloping the trenches. Even though he was already safely at 3500 feet, he instinctively pulled back to climb as quickly as possible. He said that he became physically sick as he contemplated the horrible death being visited upon the soldiers below. At this point, and a few others, Lewis then goes on a slight tangent describing his political view on the war.Lewis' take on the war, 20 years after the fact, is clearly jaundiced against the justification for war. It is interesting to note the contrast between authors like McCudden and Biddle, who wrote during the war, and Lewis who wrote after popular opinion had shifted markedly toward pacifism. Between the lines you can clearly read the opposition to any `new' continental war, and the author's discounting the threat posed by Germany in 1936 (implied only).The biographical sketch on the author points out that he went back into the Royal Air Force during World War II, so perhaps his views changed again once the menace posed by Hitler was clearer, or maybe his views matured to draw a distinction between the entanglements that broadened the first world war, and the life or death struggle for national suvival in the second. Unfortunately, there is no update or 'new' introduction or afterward to let us know.The author does spend significant time on his personal life. In fairness to the reader though, he warns that the next section might not be of interest to readers primarily interested in the war and/or aviation. This is another difference between Sagittarius Rising and other World War I aviation accounts - Lewis describes his life after the war. He went to China working for Vickers to train the Chinese Air Force. The description of the political situation and corruption in China is interesting, but the state of the Chinese Air Force and how totally unqualified, but well-connected, students were taught to fly is tragic. No less tragic is how the competent pilots in China lives were squandered in poorly though out ventures. The episode in China is just a couple of chapters and definitely worth the read.All readers interested in early aviation and/or World War I will find the entire book informative, and interesting.One challenge for the reader is the many references to types of aircraft, and some paragraphs are confusing unless you have a World War I aircraft reference book. Unfortunately, many references are just to the manufacturer (e.g. Bristol or Avro) rather than the specific model. Sometimes, the author refers to another name for an aircraft than the official name. A good reference book can help you sort through it and tie it to the description. Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War I was adequate.

Cecil Lewis's SAGITTARIUS RISING probably does deserve its classic status. It is, after al, a memoir of the role of aviation in the First World War. Aviators at that time were true pioneers, and most of them were brave - or foolish - daredevils to boot, tempting fate every time they took to the sky in their fragile machines.I read the book mainly because this new edition from Penguin Classics (2014) features an introduction by one of my favorite authors, Samuel Hynes. Hynes's FLIGHTS OF PASSAGE is perhaps one of the best WWII memoirs about flying. And, more recently, Hynes wrote an excellent and very personal sort of history of WWI aviators, THE UNSUBSTANTIAL AIR. I loved both of those books.Unfortunately, although I loved the Introduction, the Lewis book fell a bit flat for me as a memoir. The style seemed overly ornate and the language dated - to be expected, I suppose, but Lewis's many stories and anecdotes of the flying exploits by him and his fellow pilots too quickly became redundant, to the point that I began skimming long portions of the narrative. Yes, he talks of his training, mates lost in fiery crashes, stupid mistakes made by himself and others, of his growing sense of mortality, and, sometimes, burnout and dread which got him posted temporarily back to England from France. He describes his many sorties over the long days of the Somme, near misses and mechanical failures, getting lost and forced landings - all those things are in there. He also gives a glimpse into his post-war days as a civilian pilot instructor in China - mostly a fruitless enterprise.Lewis wrote his book twenty years after the war, when he was not yet forty, but felt like his life was half over. (In fact he lived to be 99.) He makes a number of comments about war that are still true in these days of global war and terrorist strikes everywhere, and the accompanying political rants so ubiquitous in today's news."People who cannot learn from their mistakes are damned ... What have we learned from ours? We are, collectively, the most evil and destructive of human creatures. We back up our greeds and jealousies with religion and patriotism ... No one knows where to put their faith, so they believe nothing. Moral and social standards are confused ... The fear of feeling the ground slipping from under their feet drives whole nations back into mediaeval despotism ... But emulating the ostrich, though it may bring relief for a space, does not solve the problem. It leads straight back to self-immolation on the altar of outworn patriotism, that is, to barbarism ..."Lewis made these observations in 1936. Hmm ... Not much has changed in eighty years, has it?He contemplated higher things too, remembering "the cynical wartime prayer: 'O God - if there is a God, save my soul - if I have a soul.'" But Lewis believed he had a soul - "a drop of the Life Force" - although he wasn't sure about heaven and displayed a dark sense of humor."If, in heaven, my grosser qualities were to be purged away, leaving me all 'good,' so much the worse. The devil was the pepper in my curry; remove it, and how flat the dish would taste."And, speaking of his 'grosser qualities,' Lewis is disappointingly circumspect about his 'jolly good times' when he was on home leave, although there are intimations of a girl friend or two. Perhaps it's his 'gentlemen don't tell tales' training. Nevertheless, there is not very much of his personal life here, aside from some time spent with this philosopher father, who enlisted in the army, refusing to take a commission.Bottom line: SAGITTARIUS RISING is a worthy, if not terribly interesting book. I would recommend it to readers interested in the history of aviation and warfare. (But I still think that the Hynes books are much better.)- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER

Cecil Lewis is certainly one of the most eloquent authors it has been my pleasure to read. His prose is beautifully poetic; his descriptive language paints vivid pictures of still life and action. He might say that war inspires art more than peace but his post-World War One writing, while perhaps not as exciting as his wartime narratives, is equally profound and brilliant.I don’t know how many passages I highlighted. Some are set aside for the wisdom they impart; others so that those who may consider this book on Goodreads may marvel at how beautiful the English language can sound. It compares favorably, for me, with two conversations by actors Charles Laughton and Peter Ustinov in the movie SPARTACUS.I read in Leonard Wolf’s THE ANNOTATED DRACULA that a masterpiece is not without flaws. (This might be a Chinese proverb.) There is a flaw in this one, not in the writing but in the writer, one which he exposes. In the final chapter, Lewis wrote a very racist paragraph directed at the Chinese and black people. I did not highlight it; I saw no reason to perpetuate his ideas.That being said, I am not about to throw the baby out with the bath water.Five stars.

"He came out of his reverie and stretched, smiling. 'Ah! It's good to be young! To have friends!' We turned and smiled into each other's eyes."Good luck getting through this book without a few tears. The innocent honesty of a 19-year old, smitten with the love of flying and his friends, recalling his experiences with heartbreaking simplicity and confusion at the destruction and pain around him, is unforgettable.

If you are attracted by "those magnificent men in their flying machines" then you should like this. Cecil Lewis, at the tender age of 18, was over the Somme dodging "Archie" ( anti-aircraft fire) and German fighter planes. He obviously lived to tell the tale, this at a time when the life expectancy of a pilot in the fledgling RAF was a mere three weeks. Mr Lewis lost many of his comrades but he tells his story well, even poetically at times. His story ends in the early twenties just after his time in China, where he taught a few young Chinese to fly, soaring sometimes over the Great Wall of China. There is even time for him to reflect upon his mortality and "the meaning of life". I would like to have met him. Good stuff!

I like Cecil Lewis's writing style; when he has something exciting to write about it's very engaging. However he does tend to ramble off in pages of purple prose so that after a while you think 'hang on, why am I reading this?' and skip ahead.More significantly, apart from one photo of the author, there are no photographs, only some rather ugly drawings that look like woodblock prints. The book would be greatly improved by having relevant photographs, as most similar books do. Why not? Hence it loses a star.

Probably the most famous book written by a First World War fighter pilot - I can't work out why I hadn't read it before. Excellent - slightly quaint language by modern aviation standards, but very readable and informative about the history of flight and air combat, right up to the occasionally hilarious memories of teaching the Chinese to fly war machines after the war in Europe. Cecil Lewis's philosophical background shows through and brings a thoughtful depth to his narrative.

The book is particularly strong in recording events around 1916 and the bloody battle of the Somme as seen from an aviators perspective. There are few records of this early period of air warfare. I suppose this is because so few of those that took part actually survived long enough to write anything down.Throughout the book Lewis writes with a mixture of pathos and humour. In places the language is arcane with early 20th century slang but the book absorbs you. Lewis descibes the characters within this real life drama with compassion and records their deaths with clear sorrow.. Even from the distance of a hundred years the reader also cannot but help mourn the loss of such fine people.The majority of the book relates to the period 1915-18 but the final chapter relates to Lewis part in an attempt to set up an early civil air service in China. Though this final chapter is by definition very different from the rest of the book it is itself enlightening.Overall a very good read and a worthy tribute to fine people whose lives ended far too soon.

This is wonderful account of a young man's aerial war. Beautifully written in an understated style, it gives a vivid account of life in the RFC bvetween 1915 and the end of the war. It also tells of his exploits in China, after the war. It is an invaluable account from both a military and cultural perspective.