Title: Shadows of Flight
Author: Richard Jenkins
Publisher: XlibrisUK
ISBN: 978-1-5144-9404-2
Pages: 318
Genre: Autobiography / Memoir
Reviewed by: John Murray
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Pacific Book Review Star
Awarded to Books of Excellent Merit
The impetus to shuck off the status-quo and strive for more is usually a deeply ingrained character trait and shapes everything about a person. For Richard Jenkins, it was a simple philosophy: “With God’s help, anyone can do anything.” His motivation to succeed, to push the boundaries of his comfort zone, and to explore the world results in a fascinating character study.
In his memoir Shadows of Flight, a retired Jenkins sits down and puts his life story on the pages and highlights his philosophy in action. From an early age, Jenkins became obsessed with flying. In his own words, 1932 finds him running about blindly while searching the skies for incoming planes and after falling into some rocks, “Got some dents in my forehead…as well as a desire to having something to do with flying.” Nearly every stage of his life moving forward had some connection to flying. He enlists in the British Royal Navy with a service career that ends with 2,000 hours of recorded flight time and over 200 deck landings on aircraft carriers. From there, he and his wife move to Africa to farm tobacco before starting up a charter company. Trials and tribulations abound, but Jenkins keeps putting his motto to work. Anyone can do anything, and Jenkins accomplishes an incredible amount in his life and it’s not over yet.
Whether being shot from an aircraft carrier or fending off marauders on a tobacco farm, Richard Jenkins leads an incredible life and writes about it well. Throughout all of his adventures, his true nature comes to light. Hard work, dedication to his family, and a desire to better the world around him drive his every action. For every wonderful moment—the birth of his children, community birthdays, thrilling aerial escapades— there comes about an equally terrible one—malaria, burglaries, looming tribal war. It’s truly a treat following Jenkins through the ups and downs of his life. With an easy tone and engaging narrative, Shadows of Flight feels like a beloved relative spinning a yarn that has everyone on the edge of their seat.
Shadows of Flight is a fantastic memoir/autobiography. The prose flows nicely and Jenkin’s humor and wit springs off the page. Be it the historical events, the tense intrigue, the daring drama, or the thrilling flights, you’re sure to find something to capture your attention and enflame your soul. You might just follow in Jenkin’s bold, but inviting, footsteps.
