From Airmen to Aslan with C. S. Lewis: How His Work with the RAF Influenced His Life and Writing

Before C. S. Lewis became one of the world's most influential Christian writers, he spent the Second World War speaking to RAF airmen facing fear, conflict, and death. These remarkable encounters helped shape the clear, compelling voice that would later reach millions through Mere Christianity and enriched the imagination that gave rise to The Chronicles of Narnia. In From Airmen to Aslan with C. S. Lewis, Bruce R. Johnson uncovers this remarkable but largely overlooked chapter of Lewis's life. Drawing on extensive archival research, he reveals how Lewis's wartime ministry, pastoral care, and conversations with ordinary servicemen shaped his apologetics, deepened his Christian vision, and left a lasting mark on his writing. The book also offers fresh insights into the origins of Narnia, viewing its beginnings through the experiences of the evacuated children who found refuge at The Kilns during the war. Beautifully researched and richly illuminating, From Airmen to Aslan with C. S. Lewis presents a compelling portrait of Lewis as speaker, pastor, storyteller, and public intellectual, while shedding new light on the experiences that helped shape one of the twentieth century's most influential Christian voices. Essential reading for admirers of C. S. Lewis, military history, Christian apologetics, and anyone interested in the enduring relationship between faith, imagination, and courage.

• Publication date: 1 October 2026
• Page count: 256
• Dimensions: Height 240 mm; Width 162 mm; Thickness 26 mm
• Publisher: SPCK Publishing
• Format: Hardback
• ISBN-13: 9780281092451