“To So Few – Overlord” is the tenth volume of Fountain Hills resident Cap Parlier’s epic WWII air combat saga, published by Saint Gaudens Press, Inc.
Parlier’s popular historical fiction about Allied pilots in the war takes readers to the year 1944, providing an account of the life of his main character, heroic pilot Major Brian “Hunter” Drummond, as well as a detailed integration of world events that set the stage for the book’s action.
Drummond began his service as an 18-year-old volunteer pilot with the Royal Air Force (RAF) flying Spitfires with No. 609 during the Battle of Britain. He was transferred to the All-American Volunteer Squadron no. 71 “Eagle” – the first of three RAF squadrons made up of American volunteer pilots.
When the United States entered the war, the three Eagle squadrons transferred to the US Army Air Forces, and Drummond’s squadron became the famous 334th Fighter Squadron. Through his relationship, Drummond received an exemption from combat mission restrictions that allowed him to serve all five years of the war.
When asked what inspired him to write this book, Parlier replied: “In one word, ‘history’. I started researching and writing the ‘To So Few’ series decades ago when I saw the reality of our children’s school history books. If mentioned at all, the Battle of Britain is mentioned in one sentence, something like ‘The Battle of Britain was fought in the summer of 1940.’
“I wanted to bring that critical and pivotal epic aerial battle to life in a human, personal way,” Parlier said. “Many other motivational reasons arose from that simple observation.”
A resident of Fountain Hills for five years, Parlier lived in Mesa from 1983 to 1991, working for what was then McDonnel Douglas Helicopter Company as an experimental test pilot. This is where his passion for writing began.
After his time at McDonnell, Parlier worked at Beech Aircraft Company in Wichita, Kan., before returning to Arizona in 2017.
“To So Few – Overlord” takes the characters of “The Few” through the historical events of 1944, as the Allies gain the upper hand in their relentless crusade against the remaining fascist Axis nations.
Speaking about his book’s main character, Parlier said: “Brian becomes a man immersed in the crucible of war flying Spitfire fighters through a heroic aerial battle.”
Parlier is already three-quarters through the first draft of the next volume of this military saga, tentatively titled “Victory,” which covers the events of 1945, guiding Drummond and other characters through the Korean and Vietnam wars until his retirement in 1982. Saint. Gaudens Press expects the next volume to be published in 2023.
“To So Few – Overlord” can be purchased on Amazon or directly from Saint Gaudens Press by calling 1-888-281-5170.
