Steve Darlow is a writer (books and theatre), publisher, and documentary consultant. He also had a distinguished career as a basketball player and coach, culminating in 16 England caps.
Steve is often called upon as a contributor, consultant, or researcher for documentaries, such as Britain’s Flying Past – the Lancaster, and the Smithsonian Channel ‘s Air Warriors – Spitfire. Steve also co-produced and acted as historical consultant on the recently released feature documentary Lancaster, and he is currently working on Mosquito.
To date Steve has authored/co-authored twenty-two books including the critically acclaimed Five of the Few, Five of the Many, D-Day Bombers, Flightpath to Murder, and The Bomber Command Memorial.
Steve is writing and developing five theatrical productions. Four of these are set within the Second World War, notably Spitfire the Musical (see www.tollettanddarlow.com) for which he is book writer and lyricist. Their Finest Hour, based on first-hand accounts from those who experienced the Second World War was first staged at South Hill Park, Bracknell in 2019 and 2020 and ran for three weeks in March 2023 at Waterloo East Theatre, London. See www.theirfinesthour.info
Coup de Grace, a dramatisation based on Steve’s book Flightpath to Murder is in development. The Valentine Letters, a new play based upon a book Steve published called Geprüft, is due to be performed for the first time in November 2023. He is also developing The Cormorant Tree, a tale of love, loss, deception and smuggling, set in the mid 19th century, and recently released the songs as a debut album.
In 2009 Steve founded Fighting High Publishing (www.fightinghigh.com), 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 actively supports fundraising for military charities, most notably as an Ambassador for the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund. 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. In 2021 Steve was awarded the ‘Special Recognition’ award at the RAF Benevolent Fund annual awards night.
Steve often gives talks on military aviation subjects at private events and literary festivals, and has just started to provide tours for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission at some of their cemeteries with aviation connections.
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.