Going Solo is a memoir by British author Roald Dahl, first published in 1986. It is a direct sequel to Dahl’s first memoir, Boy: Tales of Childhood (1984), which recounts his experiences as a young child growing up in Britain in the 1920s and 1930s. Going Solo is a story about Dahl’s adventures as a young man, focusing on his experiences working for the Shell Oil Company in East Africa and later serving as a Royal Air Force pilot during World War II. The memoir offers a personal account of British colonial life and the perils of war, interwoven with Dahl’s characteristic wit and storytelling flair. Through a series of episodic narratives, Dahl explores themes of bravery, The Absurdity and Tragedy of War, and the impact of global conflict on individual lives.

This guide uses the 1986 Farrar, Straus and Giroux print edition.

Content Warning: The book contains descriptions of wartime violence and depictions of colonial attitudes and behaviors that reflect the period.

Summary

The memoir begins with Dahl’s voyage to East Africa aboard the ship SS Mantola in 1938, where he accepted a position with the Shell Oil Company. The ship’s voyage from England to Mombasa is filled with encounters with eccentric fellow passengers, whose behaviors reflect the peculiarities of British colonial expatriates. He describes the vibrant and sometimes bizarre characters he meets, highlighting the cultural clashes and the distinct lifestyle of British expatriates who have spent years living far from home. Dahl arrives in East Africa and begins his work with Shell Oil in Dar es Salaam, Tanganyika (modern-day Tanzania). He is struck by the beauty and strangeness of his new surroundings, detailing the tropical landscape and the local customs. His relationship with his personal servant, Mdisho, becomes a focal point as Dahl navigates his new environment. The chapter also introduces the challenges of living in a tropical climate, including encounters with dangerous wildlife like the black mamba snake, which nearly kills his gardener, Salimu.

The outbreak of World War II changes the course of Dahl’s life. He decides to leave his job and join the Royal Air Force (RAF). The chapter details his training in Nairobi and Iraq, where Dahl learns to fly fighter planes. The tone becomes more serious as Dahl transitions from the relatively carefree life of a young expatriate to the disciplined and dangerous world of military aviation. The training is rigorous and demanding, and Dahl begins to experience the realities of war, including the fear and uncertainty that accompany the responsibility of piloting a combat aircraft. A pivotal moment occurs when Dahl crash-lands in the Libyan Desert during a flight to join his squadron in 1940. This crash is a turning point in the narrative, marking a dramatic shift from the adventurous spirit of earlier chapters to the realities of survival and the brutality of war. Dahl describes the terrifying experience of the crash, the subsequent fire that engulfs his plane, and the severe injuries he sustains, including a fractured skull and temporary blindness. Stranded in the desert, he faces the very real possibility of death before being rescued by a passing patrol.

Dahl is assigned to 80 Squadron, which is tasked with defending Grecian airspace from the German Luftwaffe. He participates in a battle to defend Athens, detailing the grueling pace of sorties he and his fellow pilots undertake, often flying multiple missions a day with little rest in between. On April 20, 1941, after barely surviving the intense aerial combat, Dahl and his comrades are suddenly attacked by a squadron of Messerschmitt 109s while they are on the ground at their airfield. The pilots and ground crew scramble for cover as the airfield is ground-strafed. Despite the attack, Dahl and some of the other pilots manage to get their planes airborne and escape further damage.

Dahl and his squadron move to a makeshift airstrip at Argos as the British forces prepare to evacuate Greece. The situation escalates when the airstrip is discovered by a German reconnaissance plane, leading to a ground-strafe attack that leaves their camp in chaos. Despite these challenges, Dahl manages to escape with a small group of pilots, flying to safety in Crete and then onward to North Africa. After the retreat from Greece, Dahl is transferred to the Middle East, where he is involved in the Syrian Campaign against the Vichy French forces. The final chapters of Going Solo bring the narrative to a close with Dahl’s transition out of active combat and his return to civilian life.