Steve Darlow is an accomplished author with 22 published books, and in recent years, he has turned his creative focus to theatre. He is currently writing and developing five stage productions: Their Finest Hour, Coup de Grace, The Cormorant Tree, Attagirl: The Musical, and The Valentine Letters.
A recognised authority on the Second World War, Steve is frequently invited to contribute as a consultant, researcher, or commentator on related documentaries. His recent work includes the Smithsonian Channel’s Air Warriors – Spitfire and the feature-length documentary Lancaster.
Before his writing career, Steve was a successful basketball player, earning 16 caps for England. He later established himself as both an author and a publisher, and now brings his storytelling skills to the theatrical stage.
Four of his five current productions are set during the Second World War:
- Attagirl: The Musical – a powerful story of love and female resilience, for which Steve is both book writer and lyricist. Attagirl the Musical
- Their Finest Hour – based on first-hand wartime accounts; first staged at South Hill Park, Bracknell (2019), and more recently at Waterloo East Theatre, London, where it received widespread acclaim. Their Finest Hour
- Coup de Grace – a gripping drama adapted from Steve’s own book, Flightpath to Murder. Coup de Grace
- The Valentine Letters – inspired by the real-life wartime correspondence between Bomber Command airman and POW John Valentine and his wife Ursula. The Valentine Letters
His latest work, The Cormorant Tree, created in collaboration with composer Glenn Tollett, is set in the mid-19th century. This musical explores themes of love, loss, deception, and smuggling. The Cormorant Tree
You can find more information on Steve’s work at his personal website here.
As an author Steve has twenty-two books to his name, including the critically acclaimed Five of the Few, Five of the Many, D-Day Bombers, Flightpath to Murder, and The Bomber Command Memorial. (More details of Steve’s books can be found on stevedarlow.com)
In 2009 Steve founded Fighting High Publishing, which has now published over sixty books predominantly dealing with military aviation in the Second World War. Steve was asked to write and produce the official books for the Bomber Command Memorial, London, and the International Bomber Command Centre, Lincoln.
Steve’s grandfather served as a Pathfinder pilot with Bomber Command during the Second World War, flying on 32 operations and becoming a prisoner-of-war. Steve has been writing, researching and publishing books on Second World War aviation for 20 years, and has met, interviewed and corresponded with more than one hundred Second World War RAF veterans. Steve is regarded as one of the most knowledgeable and respected experts on the subject of the RAF in the Second World War.
Steve actively supports fundraising for military charities, most notably as an Ambassador for the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, and Steve was given the prestigious Special Recognition Award at the 2021 RAFBF Awards night. The RAFBF often call on Steve as a historical consultant, to appear on television, radio and podcasts, and provide website content for any RAF related anniversaries.