Sagittarius Rising

I have recently seen this book in the fiction section of a library and also for sale as a "novel". I had always assumed it to be a factual account. Comments welcome.

andy

Sagittarius Rising is the auto-biography of Cecil Lewis, and as such is as factual as any pilot's memoirs. Quoting from his forward: (1969 Corgi edition, p 13) "Some of it perhaps will be inaccurate in detail, but broadly it is true."
As a matter of interest, our local library used to have Bill Lambert DFC's "Combat Report" in the War Fiction section. This has been corrected.

I seem to think that Winged Victory (authors name escapes me) falls into the same category.
Possibly it all seems to much like fiction to modern eyes.

andy

This is a classic memoir of a First World War fighter pilot, first published in 1936. The book is not a fiction novel, Mr lewis shot down 8 EA and won the MC, he was also a member of the famous 56 Sqd

Cecil Day-Lewis was also to become the Poet Laurate of England by appointment of Queen Elizabeth.
The young English actor, Day-Lewis, is his grandson. All Claire Chennault's difficulties in teaching young Chinese to fly in the late '30s had been anticipated by some 16-18 years as chronicled by C D-L as he wrote of the British Aviation Mission to China in the immediate post-WWI period. VBR, Lee

"Winged Victory," by Yeates, _is_ a novel (albeit autobiographical), whereas Sagittarius Rising is autobiography. And Cecil Lewis should not be confused with Cecil Day-Lewis.

Slightly off the subject. Books published in the thirties had a habit of altering some if not all names. Flying Minnows is a case in point but later editions have an appendix showing who was who.
Question: Who in Saggitarius Rising was Patrick?
He of the question. "Well Lewis still learning to fly?" Patrick seems pretty good.
Anybody know anything about him?
Regards
Peter S.