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Kenneth Hubbard
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Dropping Britain's First H-Bomb: The Story of Operation GRAPPLE, 1957/58 Kindle Edition

by Kenneth Hubbard (Author), Michael Simmons (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 45 ratings
On 15 May 1957 Vickers Valiant V-Bomber X.D.818 under the command of Wg. Cdr. Kenneth Hubbard, O.C. 49 Squadron R.A.F., dropped Britains first live thermonuclear bomb. The success of Operation Grapple broadcast to the world that the UK had the resolve and the capability to protect her own democracy and that of her Commonwealth. It was a major breakthrough that ensured Britain maintained her place in the most senior influential positions of the United Nations and other corridors of world power, and in the ensuing years provide Britains deterrent throughout the decades of the Cold War.The theme of this book is to explain how the R.A.F. selected and trained the crews who would be responsible for the precision dropping of the several weapons that would detonate during Grapple. It also provides a complete background to the parts played by all other services during this unique period in British history.
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  1. Print length
    353 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Pen & Sword Aviation
  4. Publication date
    October 31, 2008
  5. File size
    45.3 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Group Captain Kenneth Hubbard OBE DFC AFC, Michael Simmonsare an ex-pilot and author respectively.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00O3GWPHI
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pen & Sword Aviation (October 31, 2008)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 31, 2008
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 45.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 353 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 45 ratings

About the author

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Kenneth Hubbard

Kenneth Hubbard

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
45 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • ROBBY R
    3.0 out of 5 stars How to fly the aircraft that dropped the bomb
    Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I was on Christmas Island during most of this period. This book does little to tell the story of the whole multi-service operation. It seems like the details of the life of a pompous, pampered pilot, whose goal is to drop the names of as many important people as possible. The repetitive description, in excruciating detail, of the minutiae of flying, is very boring.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Richard Domoney-Saunders
    5.0 out of 5 stars Dropping the bomb
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 19, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    A good book for 2 reasons.

    The first is that it gives an accou t of what the RAF was like during the 50s when the second World War was only 10 years finished.

    Second it gives an amazing accou t from the pilot who dropped the first H bomb in accessible detail which never makes the story too heavy or boring.

    Really recommended as both a book about the nuclear policy of the time and also about life in the RAF during the 50s.
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  • David J
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another era - redolent of its time - the fifties ...
    Reviewed in Australia on March 18, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Another era - redolent of its time - the fifties, Britain's cold-war superpower height, the life of an Officer and pilot in the post-war RAF and a fascinating insight into how and why facilities on Christmas Island came to be. Well worth a read.
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  • Doug Pate
    4.0 out of 5 stars Operation 'Grapple'
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 3, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Having been a 'Grapple' serviceman myself, I found that Grp. Capt Hubbard's book brought back many memories of my year's incarceration on 'the island'. The book is, of course written by a man at the top and, being so, in very 'Rafspeak' language but it brought out all the information that was never divulged at the time which was most interesting - especially to someone who, like me, arrived too late to witness any nuclear tests (just the aftermath) for which, in later years, I was truly thankful. It is a most informative work and is full of technical information which is written in such a way as to make it understandable. I would recommend it to anyone who would like to learn a bit about 'Task Force Grapple' and what it stood for in those days of long ago.
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  • Neil
    5.0 out of 5 stars Really interesting book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 13, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Found the information and the dialogue from the 1950’s fascinating history. Well worth reading to understand how this all came about
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  • JCP CALDOW
    5.0 out of 5 stars A bomb history
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 13, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    The story of how the UK tested its atomic bombs at Christmas Island. Thoroughly enjoyable and a remarkable achievement by all three arms of the UK armed forces.
    Report

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