An author will be visiting libraries across the region and giving talks on his latest book to hit the shelves.

Earlier this year a book by David Hewitt – Stack: From Moth to Viceroy – was published.

The book tells the story of Captain Neville Stack, who was known as the ‘Lancashire Airman’.

Neville Stack was once one of Britain’s favourite aviators. He came to fame as the first man to fly a light plane to India.

There will be a talk about a book called Stack: From Moth to Viceroy at Morecambe library on September 17 at 2pm.

placeholder image — There will be a talk about a book called Stack: From Moth to Viceroy at Morecambe library on September 17 at 2pm.

And, having been honoured by the king for that achievement, he followed it with more than a decade of derring-do.

Stack circled the Med, crossed Arabia countless times, and even flew down to Banjul. He served in both World Wars and all three branches of the Armed Forces, broke record after record, and had his own flying circus.

He piloted a prime minister, the Shoe King, and the odd sultan. But he also crashed more often than he was willing to admit, wrote bawdy songs – and recorded them, too – and played a controversial role in the Spanish Civil War.

He left behind a rich chronicle of his exploits, including newspaper articles, a memoir in song, and flight commentaries actually dictated in mid-air.

Drawing upon that chronicle, and also upon British Government files and a host of other fascinating sources, this book takes a close look at Captain Stack’s life and flights.

It talks about his aeroplanes and his friends, who included Amy Johnson, Sir Alan Cobham, and the treacherous Master of Sempill.

It goes back to the places he saw first-hand. And it tells the full story of his final, tragic fall from grace.

Exuberant, colourful, and ever so light on its feet, STACK provides an intimate and singular account of one of the true heroes of flying’s Golden Age.

David Hewitt has been a cook, a postman and a judge, and now, he enjoys telling true but unusual stories.

He has previously written about a miscarriage of justice in World War One and a silent film that was banned in half, but only half, of the country.

Stack: From Moth to Viceroy is his third published book.

David explained: “I love finding lost stories and bringing them back into the light. I have been fascinated with the history of flying ever since I went to my first air show as a child. And when I came across the story of Captain Stack, I couldn’t believe it hadn’t been told before.

“Stack was known on airfields around the country and across the world, and I found traces of him everywhere from Kent to Karachi.

I wrote the book within sight of Blackpool Tower, in a house he will have flown over many times.

“There’s something I find very appealing in his personality: given the chance, he did what he did for the sheer joy of doing it.”

David will be visiting 14 libraries across the region coming to Morecambe library on September 17 at 2pm and finishing in Adlington library on November 27, Lancashire Day.