★
Benjamin Johncock
Reviews
Press
“Nostalgic and heart-rending... supercharged Hemingway at 70,000 feet.”
—Washington Post
“A remarkable achievement... Johncock weaves a beguiling story. A book that hooks the reader from the very first sentence... lit by the fire of 1960s adventure, and also by the blazing beauty of a new literary star.”
—Boston Globe
“Reading Johncock one is reminded of Hemingway, Cormac McCarthy and especially of James Salter’s The Hunters. His mastery of the American idiom is perfect. This is a first-rate novel by a major new talent.”
—The Spectator
“With great skill (and some nerve), Benjamin Johncock has inserted his fiction into the true history of the early space race and it’s almost impossible to see the join. A big, muscular novel... tenderly undercut by the quite different theme of a marriage and a family under unbearable stress... convincing and moving.”
—Guardian
“Transports readers to a time of scotch-soaked bars, Walter Cronkite on the news, and astronauts as superheroes... Ingeniously plotted, deftly written, and engrossing.”
—People Magazine
“His descriptive writing has a clean grace that recalls Cormac McCarthy... Johncock’s story and characters take flight: this is a very promising debut.”
—New Statesman
“A spare gem of a novel.”
—BBC
“The Last Pilot may be Benjamin Johncock's first book, but it reads like he's a seasoned pro, with descriptions and dialogue so rich that it's impossible not to get invested in the book's characters...You may cry, but this story is worth every tear.”
—Metro
“A taut domestic drama whose stringent prose evokes the emotional and physical landscape of a time and a place, this is a remarkably accomplished debut.”
—Mail on Sunday
“One of the most authentic pieces of fiction set in America in years. Johncock writes paragraphs that are often only seen by master craftsman with many books already to their name. A distinct and unique new voice in fiction... reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy. If the National Book Award opened up its prize to novels not just written by Americans, but set in America, The Last Pilot would have to be considered for that award. Johncock shatters previous attempts at writing about American life from an outsider’s perspective.”
—Huffington Post
“In this riveting and beautifully written novel... Johncock brings fresh perspective and new energy to this old story ground.”
—Daily Mail
“A Great American Novel – written by a Brit.”
—Times Higher Education
“This marvellous book captures the excitement of the space race alongside the emotions of Jim and Grace. Johncock seamlessly blends history and fiction, science and intimacy.”
—Sunday Express
“A stellar debut... one of those terrific reads that deliver a compelling story against an interesting historical backdrop.”
—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Johncock has earned his ‘right stuff’ merit badge.” —San Diego Tribune
“The dialogue is clean and smooth and Johncock’s spare prose gallops along at a fair pace.”
—Herald Scotland
“Johncock’s characters are his real accomplishment. The author offers such emotional insight.”
—Big Issue
“With its Lucky Strike-smoking hero, pithy prose and terse, no-frills dialogue, this classic tale of love and loss is steeped in the American tradition… Although the idea of the personal and professional in conflict is a familiar one, this big-hearted, atmospheric narrative is charged with the tension of the times and carried along by its compassionately imagined characters.”
—The Lady
“A soaring, exhilarating, emotional read, a mesmerising family story... that plumbs the depths of grief and mental illness. He conjures the feel of a place so completely that it is hard to believe Johncock was not raised in the sun-strafed Californian desert.”
—Eastern Daily Press
“An arresting debut... Comparisons to Cormac McCarthy aren’t wide of the mark – heartbreaking and brilliant.”
—Portsmouth News
“The Last Pilot deftly evokes America’s ramp-up to the space program so skillfully you can almost feel the sandblasted landing strips.”
—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“A quick read with punchy, spare dialogue that makes the action pop. Johncock strikes just the right balance, marrying facts and real life people with fictitious characters... A contemplative book that will spark many a conversation.”
—The Missourian
“Johncock is being compared to Cormac McCarthy... A much-needed fix for those suffering from Mad Men withdrawal.”
—The National
“A test pilot pushing the sound barrier. A husband consoling his childless wife. An astronaut training for the impossible... Spanning the aftermath of World War II to the '60s, The Last Pilot offers a heart-wrenching tale of loss and discovery.”
―Paste Magazine, Best New Books
“It takes a confident writer to cover material that Tom Wolfe defined as his own in The Right Stuff. Benjamin Johncock proves that he has the chops to put his own spin on the matter. Johncock writes spare sentences, each diamond-like, free of any cloudiness caused by extra words. The prose is beautiful.”
—Salon
“A powerful story of courage and redemption, The Last Pilot portrays an emotional time in American history through the Harrisons' marriage-a tale of world events larger than the young couple, the joys and hopes of parenthood and the crushing burden of devastating loss.”
—Edge
“An impressive debut... a marvellous, emotionally powerful novel.”
—Publishers Weekly (Starred & Boxed)
“Tightly told with searing uncomplicated prose, The Last Pilot is as engaging for its emotional gravitas as it is for its enthralling story of the race to space – I couldn’t put it down.”
—Amazon, Editor’s Pick, Best Books of the Month
“A touching and fascinating tale of a man forced to choose between family and his place in the history books.”
—We Love This Book: Book of the Week
“An ideal read for history buffs and space race enthusiasts.”
—Kirkus
“An exploration of a marriage at the same time as frontiers are being pushed... beautifully executed. Benjamin Johncock is a name that you’ll be hearing more of.”
—BBC Radio Oxford
“Johncock threads fictional protagonists through a milieu with many familiar historical characters without awkward traces of literary Photoshopping.”
—The Pueblo Chieftian
“This first novel is engaging and believable, and it's compelling to revisit the events of the space program.” —Library Journal
“A truly marvellous read. 5/5. ”
—The Reading Agency
“Masterful, nail-biting and heartfelt.”
—BookBrowse, Editor’s Choice
“It captures a sense of time and place in a very evocative way and explores the personal challenges of one family whilst society changes in the background, in a manner reminiscent of Mad Men. There are some beautiful, sad moments as well as a fascinating insight into the space race and the sacrifices and courage it required.” —Soho House, Books to Read In July
“While realistically describing the struggles Harrison faces in finding the courage to transcend a personal tragedy in the service of his country, Johncock also draws on true-life historical details to tell, in beautifully measured prose, a riveting good yarn.”
—Book List
“Spectacular.”
—Numéro Cinq
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