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PER ARDUA: The Rise of British Air Power 1911—1939
PRE-ISBN
The first paragraph of the author’s (Hilary St. George Saunders) Preface, dated 25 March 1944:
"This will, I hope, be the first volume of a short history of the Royal Air Forces from its beginning as an air battalion in 1911 to its apotheosis in 19–? When this war ends. The present volume takes the story to the 3rd September 1939. I did not feel it possible to go further at this moment, for many reasons. One will suffice. While we are still fighting it is not possible to obtain sufficient material to write with full knowledge of the facts; our own strategic plans must remain secret and moreover, the enemy’s side of the picture is not available.”
53 b/w photographic plates + 7 b/w photo-reproduced original documents (Crown copyright reserved). Plus 9 b/w line maps.
Appendices (5), Bibliography, Index.
The first paragraph of the author’s (Hilary St. George Saunders) Preface, dated 25 March 1944:
"This will, I hope, be the first volume of a short history of the Royal Air Forces from its beginning as an air battalion in 1911 to its apotheosis in 19–? When this war ends. The present volume takes the story to the 3rd September 1939. I did not feel it possible to go further at this moment, for many reasons. One will suffice. While we are still fighting it is not possible to obtain sufficient material to write with full knowledge of the facts; our own strategic plans must remain secret and moreover, the enemy’s side of the picture is not available.”
53 b/w photographic plates + 7 b/w photo-reproduced original documents (Crown copyright reserved). Plus 9 b/w line maps.
Appendices (5), Bibliography, Index.
356 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1944
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February 4, 2015
Enthralling. Hilary St George Saunders tells the story of heavier-than-air flight from the pioneers in early years of the twentieth century to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), and the subsequent beginnings of the Royal Air Force (RAF) extremely well. He tells a good ‘yarn’ (but this time it’s true).
St George Saunders is a master in the art of writing in the manner of a Boys’ Own adventure (here indeed is Biggles in the flesh); yet simultaneously packing in the fact and detail. The result is a book which is so breathtakingly good to read that it is very difficult to put down. Don’t miss the description (pg. 168) of how on the 27 March 1918, 2nd Lieut. AA McLeod was attacked by eight enemy aircraft, being personally wounded in five places. Though his Armstrong-Whitworth was set on fire, he saved the life of his Observer who was thus enabled to shoot three of their attackers down. They landed in No-Man’s land, under heavy machine-gun fire; McLeod pulling his Observer to safety before collapsing from loss of blood himself.
It is equally as good a reference book; not just for the sheer breadth and depth of St George Saunders’ research, but also because of his presentation: index, bibliography, chronology, list of RFC VCs and other documents, etc. Every page bears a header relating to that page; which makes it relatively quick and easy to find something of interest read a number of pages back.
This is the first book I’ve read on the subject of the air war in WW1 from which I’ve felt that I’ve come away with a genuine in-depth comprehension of the scope of the theatre of war (France & the Western Front, Gallipoli, Palestine, the Red Sea & the Near East, Mesopotamia). It’s also the first book I’ve read which describes with clarity the political thinking action behind the subsequent peacetime rationalisation of the RAF, and the subsequent reactions as the dark clouds gather prior to WW2.
St George Saunders is a master in the art of writing in the manner of a Boys’ Own adventure (here indeed is Biggles in the flesh); yet simultaneously packing in the fact and detail. The result is a book which is so breathtakingly good to read that it is very difficult to put down. Don’t miss the description (pg. 168) of how on the 27 March 1918, 2nd Lieut. AA McLeod was attacked by eight enemy aircraft, being personally wounded in five places. Though his Armstrong-Whitworth was set on fire, he saved the life of his Observer who was thus enabled to shoot three of their attackers down. They landed in No-Man’s land, under heavy machine-gun fire; McLeod pulling his Observer to safety before collapsing from loss of blood himself.
It is equally as good a reference book; not just for the sheer breadth and depth of St George Saunders’ research, but also because of his presentation: index, bibliography, chronology, list of RFC VCs and other documents, etc. Every page bears a header relating to that page; which makes it relatively quick and easy to find something of interest read a number of pages back.
This is the first book I’ve read on the subject of the air war in WW1 from which I’ve felt that I’ve come away with a genuine in-depth comprehension of the scope of the theatre of war (France & the Western Front, Gallipoli, Palestine, the Red Sea & the Near East, Mesopotamia). It’s also the first book I’ve read which describes with clarity the political thinking action behind the subsequent peacetime rationalisation of the RAF, and the subsequent reactions as the dark clouds gather prior to WW2.
Displaying 1 of 1 review