Hornet's Sting

"Hornet's Sting" is a 1999 novel by Derek Robinson that takes place during the First World War. It is the final book in the trilogy containing "War Story" and "Goshawk Squadron". While the final book written, it is only the second in the chronology of the series, with the later section of the book leading up to Captain Woolley's hospitalization which is referenced in "Goshawk Squadron".Fact|date=March 2008 "Hornet's Sting" differs from "War Story" and "Goshawk Squadron" in that it is not centered on one man. The rotating membership of the squadron adds more dynamics to the story and emphasizes the impartiality and brutality of war.

In the afterword, Derek Robinson says that to some, "Hornet's Sting" may seem like "one damn thing after another", and that he wrote it that way because sometimes war is like that.

Parallels have been drawn from "Hornet's Sting" to Robinson's later work, "Piece of Cake". Especially noticeable is the similarity between the RFC pilot Mackenzie, and the Second World War RAF pilot Cattermole. Both appear superficially to be the glamorous, clean-cut pilots of propaganda, but underneath, both pilots turn out to be evil thugs who die in rather unglamorous ways.Fact|date=March 2008