Life's Too Short to Cry cover art

Life's Too Short to Cry

The Compelling Story of a Battle of Britain Ace

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Life's Too Short to Cry

By: Tim Vigors
Narrated by: Roger Davis
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £14.99

Buy Now for £14.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

A newly discovered “exhilarating and moving memoir” of an RAF fighter pilot in World War II (Daily Mail).

It is not often that a long-hidden gem of a manuscript is published, bringing a moment in WWII history to vivid life for today’s audiences. Geoffrey Wellum’s First Light was one example. The memoir of Timothy Vigors is another.

Born in Hatfield but raised in Ireland and educated at Eton and Cranwell, Vigors found himself in France in 1940 flying Fairey Battle bombers. After the Fall he joined the fighters of 222 Squadron, with whom he saw frantic and distinguished service over Dunkirk and persevered through the dangerous days of the Battle of Britain, when he became an ace.

Vigors transferred to the Far East in January 1941 as a flight commander with 243, then to 453 Squadron RAAF, and on December 10 of that year he led a flight of Buffaloes to cover the sinking Prince of Wales and Repulse. Dramatically shot down, burnt, and attacked on his parachute, he was evacuated to Java, and from there, to India. As he describes these experiences in his handwritten account, the author provides a fascinating and valuable record, a newly discovered personal narrative of air combat destined to be seen as a classic.

©2008 Tim and Diana Vigors (P)2018 Grub Street Ltd
Air Forces Great Britain Military World War II War England
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

Winkle cover art
Wings on My Sleeve cover art
The Recollections of Rifleman Bowlby cover art
Mosquito Men cover art
The Silver Spitfire cover art
Hunter Boys: True Tales from Pilots of the Hawker Hunter cover art
Bomber Pilot: A Memoir of World War II cover art
Enemy Coast Ahead cover art
Tank Action cover art
Cinderella Boys cover art
Open Cockpit cover art
One of Our Submarines cover art
Hurricane cover art
The Big Show cover art
Blood, Dust and Snow cover art
I Flew for the Führer cover art

What listeners say about Life's Too Short to Cry

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    69
  • 4 Stars
    10
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    55
  • 4 Stars
    12
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    59
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enthralling life, wonderfully described

I've read many wartime accounts but this is the best yet. This man truly had the luck of the Irish

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very compeling and entertaining account of how lucky survivors of WWII really were.

Very compeling and entertaining account of how lucky survivors of WWII really were. Very down to earth portrayal of the life of a fighter pilot. Highly recommend!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely fantastic

The story, as you’d expect is gripping. From daily life through to edge of your seat dog fights. It’s an amazing tale.

An incredible life, incredibly well acted / read.

Also check out the memoir of Geoffrey Wellum, another ace of the BoB.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Luck of the Irish.

Talk about luck never was a man so close to death and lives.
Excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great listen

What a generation. The bravest of the brave and always so modest. Just a brilliant story and true!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Sobering story of war in the air.

What a lot for a young man to experience.
The story does not pull punches , when explaining the loss of fellow pilots and it's waste of brave young men. We owe them our liberty.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One of the best

beautifully written and a great choice of narrator.

so many book spoiled by the wrong narrator. this os not the case, a perfect match.

this os up there with tge veey best war/pilot bios. a rare gem that has you there with them and gets across the feelings and mood of the time.

if you enjoy war bios then this is a must, up there with Beaumont, Cloisterman, Wellum, etc.

Reccommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story and Story teller Amazing!

Lovely inside in the thoughts of a young Ace!!
Wish there was another to see what happened to Tim in the rest of his life!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

superb

The best memorial to an amazing officer, gentleman and Irish warrior.
I would go further and suggest this could be adapted as a screenplay to an amazing series along the lines of "peice of cake".
regardless, I do hope the book and audio version reach a wide audience.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An amazing account by a seriously tough and brave man.

This book is an excellent story of a very tough and very brave character who fought in the air in WW2, The sort of book that makes me take a good look at myself. Remarkable twists of fate here as well. In a sense, luck was certainly on his side. Thoroughly recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!