Tornado in the Eye of the Storm offers a gripping inside view of the RAF Tornado force during the First Gulf War in 1991. Centred on the aircrews at the heart of Operation Desert Storm, it follows men who were thrust into high-risk combat missions with little or no previous experience of war.
The book recounts low-level night attacks flown at high speed over the desert, where pilots and navigators faced missiles, anti-aircraft fire and the constant threat of being shot down. It explores the intensity of those missions, the split-second decisions in the cockpit, and the shock when carefully planned raids suddenly descended into chaos.
Alongside the action in the air, the narrative also turns to the families who waited at home, watching a new kind of conflict unfold live on television. Their anxiety, hope and grief form a powerful counterpoint to events on the front line.
Set against Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait and the international response that followed, this account reveals the political and personal stakes of a complex modern war. It is a story of fear, loss and endurance, but also of professionalism and remarkable courage under extreme pressure.
Key themes
- RAF Tornado strike missions in the 1991 Gulf War
- Experiences of aircrew with little prior combat
- Impact of Operation Desert Storm on families at home
- Courage, trauma and survival in modern air warfare
