Goodbye Mickey Mouse

Written by Len Deighton

Narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies

Norfolk, December, 1943. A group of US fighter pilots is camped at an air base; their job is to escort bombers over Germany. Each mission could be their last. Goodbye Mickey Mouse is a vivid evocation of wartime England and a brilliant, multi-dimensional picture of what it is to be at war. At the center of the novel are two young men—Captain Jamie Farebrother, estranged son of a colonel, and cocky Lieutenant Mickey Morse (nicknamed "Mickey Mouse"), well on his way to becoming America's Number One Flying Ace. Bonded only by their courage in deadly circumstances, their friendship forged in battle results in consequences for themselves and those they love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Highbridge Company
• Release date: Dec 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9781696615266

Reviews for Goodbye Mickey Mouse

[andrew1theqm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 Stars. Not enjoy it as much as when I read it 30 years ago.

[dinadansfriend · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

An attempt by Deighton to cover the other major Air force arm, the fighters, does not come off so well as "Bomber". It seems a bit formulaic, and the characters do not spring off the page with verve. The plot is pretty much that of Bomber, but there is no story on the German side , and the novel takes place not in the glory days of the Battle of Britain, but later, when the Allied Air superiority had become apparent.

[abbottthomas · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Competent, as Deighton always is, but a little disappointing. The story of a group of USAAF fighter pilots escorting bombers on daylight raids on Germany is fairly light on the technical detail that Deighton handles so well, concentrating more on the personal relationships - family and romantic - of the characters. The rather serious difficulty (from a British point of view) of the sexual needs of the US forces - 'Over-sexed, over-paid and over here!' - is worked through with an over-dramatic conclusion, necessary for the plot but a little cliched. The actual combat scenes were, as far as I can tell, accurate but seemed rather peripheral to the romance, and rather lacked excitement.

If you are going to read the book, don't read BogartFan's Spoiler!

[bogartfan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

So-so. It read quickly, like most of Deighton's work, but just didn't seem to engage me like his more intricate spy thrillers do. Follows the story of Jamie Farebrother and Mickey Morse, two American fighter pilots in Britain, flying to protect bombers, with Morse on a tear to beat Richenbach's record for most kills. (SPOILER)Romantic intrigue abounds, resulting in the errant death of a minor character (a PR lieutenant). Farebrother's father, a general, is there at the end to witness his son's death after cracking up on the runway during a takeoff. Morse finds and marries his brother's fiance, raises his son, and they all live happily ever after. Ho-hum.