The book

This book written by Filip Jánský, that was pen-name of Richard Husman, War Veteran, Air Gunner in RAF and USSR The Sky Riders was base for the movie with the same name shot by director Jindřich Polák. I think, that this movie is the best (Czech)oslovak movie dedicated to our RAF War Veterans.

The book Riders in the Sky describes destiny of Czechoslovak airmen in a bomber squadron in RAF. In the book is written not about sorties and missions, but about theirs life in theirs free time. Experience of author, who was heavily injured by German fighter pilot, is written in this book too same as experience of airmen, who waited for theirs rescue on the dinghy without certainty of rescue. Some parts of the movie aren´t same as in the book.

This book was first issued in better 1960´ (The most powerful and just one political party was Communist party and Czechoslovakia and it wasn´t good times for commemoration of our war heroes from the West and not only.) This book was very popular among readers. That was reason, that this book has been issued six time:

• first issue 1964,
• second issue 1965
• third issue: 1967, when the movie was prepared for shooting. In this year The Sky Riders were issued in Czech language and Slovak language too.
• fourth issue 1969.
• the biggest impression was printed in 1990 and it was reprinted in same year.
• the last issue was printed in year 2003.

The book was issued abroad too in Germany (1970) with name Die Himmelsreiter, Romania (1974) with the name Cavalerii cerului, United Kingdom (1969) with the name Riders in the Sky and in Hungary, where was issued two times: 1967 and 1990 under the name Égi lovasok.