Out of the Clouds of Deceit

In 1948, while training to fly bombers in the RAF, Aiden forms a friendship with another pilot, Dennis, who lost his brother in the war and cannot come to terms with his grief. Through contact with older serving officers, Aiden and Dennis come to understand the sense of betrayal nursed by bomber crews who flew in the allied bombing campaign of the Second World War. Shortly before completing their training, Dennis is killed in a dreadful accident. But their uncommonly close friendship has been crucial in the development of Aiden's character. Craving domesticity as much as love and sex, Dennis' death proves an urgent propellant for Aiden to marry Margaret, who soon becomes pregnant. Aiden takes part in Operation Grapple in the Pacific testing Britain's hydrogen bombs, flying an air-sampling aircraft through the mushroom clouds. By this time, Aiden and Margaret's marriage has become strained. However, when provoked by Margaret, Aiden discovers that there is something powerful and dark both in his love for Margaret and in his love for his son. The disconnection between them is bridged when the disappearance of their son forces them to acknowledge the legitimacy of innately different male and female needs and nurturing roles. Aiden eventually retires from flying and they achieve domestic harmony, but having been exposed to radiation during Operation Grapple, a sudden health diagnosis threatens their peaceful lives...Set in the Cold War period, Out of the Clouds of Deceit has been inspired in part by the ideas in Robert Bly's Iron John of what it means to be male in our society and will appeal to fans of historical and military fiction.

About the Author :
Following a period as a musician, David Canning studied for a joint degree in Literature and Philosophy at the University of East Anglia, after which he had a successful career in systems audit and project management. He now works for a number of charities, as well as teaching and writing, and lives with his family in Norwich.

Review :
"A densely realised evocation of a bygone age - in this case, the England of the immediately post-war era - with some sharp things to say about male solidarity and the deceptions on which even the sturdiest relationships can sometimes be based." -- D J Taylor "Canning seamlessly stitches fact and fiction together, but does it in such a way that what happens still comes as a surprise. This man can write: at one point the sense of loss and betrayal was so strong that I was moved to tears." -- The Bookbag "Out of the Clouds of Deceit is a sensitively-written book. It is a realistic portrayal of an ordinary man, Aiden, who spends his life coming to terms with his identity, sometimes in extraordinary situations. It is a story that delves into the mind of a self-conscious man doing an extremely dangerous job, and how he, and other men in his field, came to terms with that. It also focuses on Aiden's thoughts on what it is to be a man in contemporary society." -- Historical Novel Society