Aviation books including naval aviation. Wide range of aviation historical reference books for all ages by leading book publishers available from the military bookshop a subsidiary of Cranston Fine Arts.

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Battle of Britain by Len Deighton and Max Hastings.

In his two highly acclaimed accounts - Blitzkrieg and Fighter - Len Deighton dealt in considerable detail with events leading up to the Battle of Britain and exploded the myths that have collected around that event.  In this book, he and Max Hastings add a third dimension to the story of how the Few defended Britain.  In a series of vivid snapshots they show for the first time the reality of the battle and how it was enacted by those who took part, whether in the air, on the ground, in the planning rooms or at home in the towns and villages.  So effective is the compilation of words, pictures, maps and diagrams that it is hardly less dramatic than taking part in the battle itself.  Rarely has an event in history been portrayed with such remarkable immediacy.

Illustrated paperback with 223 pages.

Book serial number W52. Price £9.99.

Fighter Pilot by Paul Richey.

Fighter Pilot grew out of a journal which the then 23-year-old Flying Officer Richey began the day he landed his Hawker Hurricane on a grass airfield in France.  Published in September 1941, it was the first such account of the war in the air and struck an immediate chord with a British public enthralled by the exploits of its young airmen: by January 1942, the book was already in its sixth impression.  Yet this brisk narrative is much more than merely a diary and logbook combined.  For Richey was not only a natural writer; he also knew by now all too well of what he wrote.  There have been innumerable first-hand accounts of the Second World War in the air, but few have so accurately depicted the thrill and terror of air fighting, and very few have matched the warmth and pathos, the immediacy and honesty of Paul Richeys.  His was the first such account, and it remains by far the best.

Illustrated hardback with 175 pages.

Order code NMP6352. Book price £18.99.

Torpedo Leader by Wing Commander Patrick Gibbs.

This book gives new insight into the often haphazard way war was waged in the Mediterranean, the daily dangers, the inevitable losses. Gibbs contribution was immense.  As Laddie Lucas has written, there were few operational efforts in World War II to compare with it.  There is not the least doubt that the success of his strike operation had a material effect upon the fortunes of our 8th Army in the Desert and the outcome of Alamein.

Illustrated hardback with 206 pages.

Order code NMP6389. Book price £16.95.

Naval Aviation in the First World War by R D Layman.

The Royal Naval Air Service in the Great War was at the cutting edge of military progress. Backed by the dynamic First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, the RNAS pioneered such tactics as strategic bombing, anti-submarine warfare, and long-range air reconnaisance as well as the development of aircraft carriers. But this fine history does not confine itself to Britain: there are sections on such subjects as the Imperial Russian Navys seaplane-carrier squadron in the Black Sea; on balloon observation at sea, and on the part played by naval aviation in the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign. This full and fascinating history is illustrated by a range of black and white photographs.

Illustrated hardback with 224 pages.

Order code NMP8203. Book price £22.50.

Fairey Swordfish and Albacore by W A Harrison.

The Fairey Swordfish General Purpose Spotter-Reconnaissance and Torpedo Aircraft was introduced into service with the Royal Navy in July 1936, was obsolete by 1939 and went on to become one of the most famous of all World War Two British aircraft. Bill Harrisons expert text looks at the history of Fairey and of British naval aviation before describing the design, evolution and operational use of the Swordfish and the Albacore. Including first-hand accounts from aircraft crews and a wealth of archive photographs, this is a book that deserves a place on the bookshelf of all enthusiasts of naval aviation

Illustrated hardback with 176 pages.

Order code NMP9161. Book price £25.00.

War in a Stringbag by Charles Lamb.

Commander Charles Lamb fought an exceptional war flying the slow and obsolete Fairey Swordfish for the Fleet Air Arm.  In this now-famous account, filled with fantastic incident and casual heroism, he tells the story of how he used this Stringbag to deadly effect against the Germans, the Italians and the Japanese during the Second World War. 

Illustrated paperback with 352 pages.

Order code NMP6217. Book price £7.99.

F-86 Sabre Fighter - Bomber Units Over Korea by Warren Thompson.

The exploits of the F-86 fighter interceptor units in Korea are legendary, the North American fighter cutting a swathe through the ranks of communist MiG-15s that threatened the United Nations aerial supremacy over the battlefield. However, the vital role played by the two fighter-bomber wings that re-equipped with the F-86F in early 1953 have received far less attention. Ironically, these aircraft were some of the most colourful Sabres of the war, as this all-colour volume dedicated to FBW Sabres, and their operations, graphically shows. The 8th and 18th FBWs had flown F-51s and F-80s during the first two years of the war, and the arrival of mud-moving Sabres greatly enhanced the capabilities of these seasoned units.The new aircraft could carry two 1000-lb bombs, two 120-gal external fuel tanks and 1800 rounds of 0.50-cal ammunition to any point in North Korea. The F-86F was also much faster than its piston-and jet engined predecessors, allowing pilots to deal with both MiG-15s and AAA far more effectively. This volume illustrates all users of the F-86F, including the South African Air Forces No 2 Sqn, which flew with the 19th FBW, in contemporary wartime colour. Accompanying the photographs are detailed caption, quotes from pilots in action and an appendices which includes a double-page cutaway and full specifications.

Order code NMP8728. 128 pages.  Book price £12.99.

F-51 Mustang Units Over Korea by Warren Thompson.

When the Korean War erupted in late June 1950, the USAFs standard fighter in the Far East was the F-80 Shooting Star. Although the aircraft soon proved the master of the North Korean Air Force, its lack of endurance resulted in the USAF rushing 145 obsolescent F-51 Mustangs to the theatre - these aircraft quickly commenced operations against the troop columns moving south. The 8th, 18th and 35th Fighter-Bomber Wings were the primary operators of the Mustang, along with the South African Air Forces No 2 Squadron, the Royal Australian Air Forces No 77 Squadron and the embryonic Republic of Korea Air Force - photo-recce RF-51Ds also served in-theatre, and by the time the war ended in 1953, some 194 Mustangs had been lost - ten to enemy fighters, twelve in operational accidents and the rest to anti-aircraft fire. This volume illustrates all the users of the F-51/RF-51 during the Korean War in contemporary colour. These aircraft were some of the most colourful Mustangs ever to see action, and the author has used his extensive contacts to accumulate the largest private collection of Korean colour material in the world. Accompanying the photographs are detailed captions, quotes from pilots in action and a full appendices listing of the various units, plus specifications and cutaways of the aircraft flown.

Order code NMP8727. 128 pages.  Book price £12.99.

B-26 Invader Units Over Korea by Warren Thompson.

Although a hangover from World War 2, the seemingly antiquated Douglas B-26 Invader bombing twin proved to be one of the hardest-worked assets employed by United Nations forces in Korea for the duration of the conflict. Capable of dropping bombs and napalm, firing off unguided rockets or simply strafing targets with its battery of up to 14 nose-mounted 0.5-in Browning M-3 machine guns, the B-26 was equally as effective either during the day or at night. Indeed, the vast percentage of Invader mission were flown during the hours of darkness, for it was the only USAF ground-attack aircraft capable of attacking truck convoys and trains with precision. Over 200 bomber and reconnaissance variants saw action in Korea, and many were adorned with some of the most colourful nose-art ever carried by American combat aircraft in any war - this volume features a gallery of this impressive artwork. Accompanying the photos are detailed captions, plus a concise text outlining the use of the Invader. Many first-hand accounts from pilots that saw action in the B-26 are also included, as is a full appendices listing of the various units that served in Korea. Finally aircraft specifications and a double-page cutaway complete this volume.

Order code NMP8730. 128 pages.  Book price £12.99.

F-80 Shooting Star Units Over Korea by Warren Thompson.

Although serving pre-war as the USAFs first successful jet fighter interceptor, the F-80 actually made a name for itself in combat as a strike bomber during the Korean War. Indeed, during the first four months of the conflict, F-80Cs bore the brunt of the fighting against a numerically superior communist force, flying 15,000 sorties. A Shooting Star also shot down the first MiG-15 claimed during the campaign in what is believed to have been the worlds first ever jet-versus-jet engagement. Flown principally by the 8th and 49th Fighter Bomber Wings in Korea, F-80Cs completed an amazing 98,515 combat sorties, shot down 17 aircraft (including three MiG-15s) dropped 33,266 tons of bombs and fired off 80,935 air-to-ground rockets. Aside from the fighter-bomber F-80C, the ultra rare, but heavily used photo-reconnaissance RF-80A is also featured within this all-colour volume - the first in print devoted exclusively to the Lockheed Shooting Star in Korea.

Order code NMP8729. 128 pages.  Book price £12.99.

Focke-Wulf Fw190 by Malcolm V Lowe.

Arguably Germanys best piston-engined fighter of the war, the Fw190 remained in the vanguard of the German war effort from late 1941 until VE-Day. With in excess of 20,000 examples being constructed in dedicated factories and dispersed sites across Germany and eastern Europe, the Fw190 proved its worth both as a fighter interceptor and a fighter-bomber. This volume describes the production processes involved in constructing the legendary Focke-Wulf fighter, tracing the airframe from factory floor to the frontline on the Channel coast and the Crimean plains. Chapters on the aircrafts powerplant, armament and late war development into the superlative Fw190D and Ta152 are all included, as is a detailed appendices listing the various production batches. Profusely illustrated with a hand-picked selection of both official company photographs and wartime archival imagery, this book is a must for Luftwaffe enthusiasts, hobbyists and historians alike.

Order code NMP8731. 144 pages.  Book price £12.99.

Lockheed P-38 Lightning by Michael OLeary..

The Cadillac of USAAF fighters in World War 2, the Lightning was a highly innovative design produced by Lockheed of Burbank, California, in response to a challenging requirement for a long range, high speed and high altitude fighter to escort the AAFs rapidly expanding B17 and B24 Heavy bomber fleets. To meet the criterion laid down in the requirement, the company adopted a revolutionary twin boom layout and supercharged Allison engines. The latter initially proved troublesome but the gremlins were eventually sorted out and the type went on to see much action in Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean, the Pacific and the CBI. Using the best Lockheed official and private archival black and white photographs available, combined with period colour advertisements, a double-page cutaway drawing and scale plans, this volume reveals all facets of the Lightnings construction and frontline use.

Order code NMP8726. 144 pages.  Book price £12.99.

Aces and Pilots of the US 8th/9th Air Forces by Jerry Scutts.

When the US Air Force joined the allied bomber offensive against Germany from August 1942, their Flying Fortress and Liberator bombers, flying by day, took a terrible punishment at the hands of the Luftwaffe. It rapidly became clear that the USAAFs reliance on the bombers own defences was not enough. A US fighter capacity would have to be developed - and fast. This book tells the story of what followed. By 1943 the P-51 Mustang long-range fighter had arrived, which, along with the P-38 Lightning and P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bombers, turned the tide of the air war in favour of the allies. This illustrated history tells the full story of these aircraft, and their part in such historic operations as D-day and the 1944/45 battle of the Bulge. The text is supported by an appendix listing the top 100 American air aces, participating air units and their squadron codes.

Order code NMP8179.  160 pages.  Hardback book price £19.99.

Tail Gunner by R C Rivaz DFC.

Originally published in 1943, this is aclassic account of the early years of Bomber Command’s offensive over Germany from August 1940 to December 1941. The author, Dick Rivaz, was ‘tail-end Charlie’ to the legendary bomber pilot Leonard Cheshire VC, who contributes a foreword to the book. Rivaz and Cheshire flew Whitley’s in 102 Squadron, and Halifaxes in 35 Squadron. Written within weeks of the events he describes, ‘Tail Gunner’ gives Dick Rivaz’s accounts of early night raids on such heavily defended industrial cities as Duisberg, Essen, and Dusseldorf. The author’s other dramatic experiences include a brad daylight dog-fight with German fighers over La Rochelle in France in 1941. Hailed by the ‘Observer’ as a ‘brave and heartening tale’ and by the Sunday Express as ‘one of the outstanding books of the war’ ‘Tail Gunner’ is a must for all enthusiasts of the air war. Sadly the author, who survived the war, was killed in October 1945 in a flying accident.

Order code NMP8101. 128 pages.  Book price £7.99.

Order number BK8022. Book Price £19.95.

Hardback book with 222 pages.

Bomber Barons by Chaz Bowyer

By the end of the Second World War, a grim total of 55,000 air crew of Bomber Command had lost their lives.  This figure comprised no less than seventy percent of RAF fatalities.  Yet, unlike their more glamorous fighter pilot colleagues, very few bomber pilots or crewmen were familiar household names to the general public.  However, within the ranks of the RAF itself, some individuals stood out gaining high reputations for their courage and leadership, a respect achieved regardless of the decorations they had won or the number of sorties flown.  These were the Bomber Barons.   In this authoritative book , aviation historian Chaz Bowyer chooses a selection of these men.  Some like Leonard Cheshire, Guy Gibson and Hughie Edwards, are today well known but others such as Nick Knilans, Syd Clayton and Jo Lancaster, are familiar only to those known 'in the know'.  For each, the author details their careers and relates episodes that reflect the qualities that made them outstanding.  At the same time, the reader learns of the unfolding dramatic development of Bomber Command from the comparatively uncoordinated, non-cohesive raids of the early part of the war to the highly trained and deadly offensive weapon it became under Sir Arthur Harris, from 1942 AOC-in-C of Bomber Command, and the greatest Baron of them all.

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Order number BK2438. Book Price £11.95.

Paperback  with 340 pages.

Brassey's Air Combat Reader : Historic Feats and Aviation Legends.  Edited by Walter J Boyne and Philip Handleman

Brassey's Air Combat Reader is an exciting anthology of some of the twentieth century's best writing on the topic of air combat, collected by noted aviation writers Walter J Boyne and Philip Handleman.  The chapters span the history of military aviation, from World War I through the Persian Gulf War, and examine the evolution of air combat strategy and tactics.  This fascinating collection contains first-person memoirs by aviation legends such as Antoine de Sain-Exupery, hair raising third-person accounts of heroic feats by great pilots such as Douglas Bader and heroic leaders such as Pete Mitscher, and one compelling work of fiction by best-selling novelist Boyne.  Classic chapters on the art and science of air warfare, written by visionaries Billy Mitchell, Giulio Douhet, and others trace the evolution of military aviation.  Philip Handleman concludes the book with an insightful chapter about the future of air warfare in the twenty-first century.  It is, in effect, the complete history of combat aviation distilled into one thrilling volume.

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Order number BK5039. Book Price £16.50.

Hardback  with 350 pages.

Royal Flying Corps.  Communiques 1915 - 1916.  Edited by Christopher Cole

Packed with valuable information, Royal Flying Corps Communiques 1915 - 1916 is an important cornerstone work on the air war over the Western Front in the First World War.  It comprises the entire texts of the weekly Communiques (which were produced for internal consumption in the air arm) from June 1915 until the end of 1916.  Each Communique is provided with explanatory notes and the text is supported with illustrations of the types of aircraft employed.  The comprehensive coverage includes observation and bombing sorties, damage inflicted and incurred in clashes with enemy machines, intelligence gathered etc.  Aircrew are frequently mentioned by name, and the book will be indispensable for researching individuals or squadrons' history.  There is no comparable source of such day-to-day operational detail and no aviation enthusiast or student of the First World War can afford to be without it.

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Order number BN4786. Book Price £19.99.

Hardback book fully illustrated with 200 pages.

Buccaneer by Tim Laming

The Blackburn Buccaneer was developed specifically for operation from the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers to deliver nuclear weapons to Soviet navy targets. the later S2 variant with Rolls-Royce Spey engines was highly regarded as a capable and potent strike aircraft and served with the Fleet Air Arm until a change in defence policy saw the demise of large aircraft carriers.

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Order number BN0393. Book Price £20.99.

Hardback book fully illustrated with 159 pages.

In the Teeth of the Wind by Sqn Ldr CPO Bartlett DSC

Philip Bartlett's account is a unique and fascinating record of a pilot's life in the dawn of aerial warfare and, as history, of the first use of the bomber in war, strangely by the Navy's aircraft. Flying by day and night alone, without navigational aids, the author moves from attacks on the U-boat bases to bombing the German Gothas as they prepared to raid London.

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Sky Warriors, Classic Air War Battles by Alfred Price

Sky Warriors is a superb collection of thrilling air war stories, expertly told by the accomplished historian Alfred Price. He offers selected examples of air actions fought during the past eight decades and uses detailed descriptions of these to illustrate the multi-faceted nature of air warfare.

Taken together these accounts portray the nature of aerial warfare and the huge advances that have occurred in the eight decades since military aviation took its first hesitating steps. Throughout that period some factors have remained almost constant, however: the daring, tenacity and ingenuity of those who take to the air to do battle.

Book serial number AA91921.  Price £16.99. 

Fully illustrated hard back with 176 pages.

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America's First Air War by Terry C Treadwell

The early part of the book explains the reasons why the United States entered the war and the violations by Germany that exacerbated the situation.

The final part of the book contains a number of escape reports from USAS pilots and observers, that give a detailed insight into the conditions under which these and other Allied soldiers were kept imprisoned.

This book is about the part played by United States aviators and aircraft in the First World War. It includes over 200 photographs, many of which have never been published before.

Book serial number A71137. Price £22.95. 

Fully illustrated hard back with 176 pages.

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The RAF in Camera 1946-1995 by Roy Conyers Nesbit

For many decades a fascinating and sizeable archive of photographs, depicting the operational and ground activities of the RAF, has remained unrecorded and largely unseen in thousands of documents held at the Public Record Office at Kew. Other equally important images can be found in the official archives of the Ministry of Defence in London. Together these two important collections cover a period from 1903, when the RAF's predecessors became interested in the possibilities of military aviation, through to the high-technology application of air power in the Gulf War of 1991.

This is the third volume in a series which has brought a representative selection of these two collections to the attention of a wider audience. Many of the photographs are published here for the first time and offer to the reader a fascinating kaleidoscope of images depicting the vast range of operations in which the RAF has been involved from  the end of the Second World War right up to the Gulf War.

This third volume covers the Berlin Airlift, the 'bush' wars in Kenya, Malaysia and Indonesia, atom-bomb tests in Australia and the Pacific, the Korean, Falklands and Gulf Wars, and the Suez and Cyprus crises.

Book serial number BSPL2. Price £9.99. Fully illustrated paperback with 182 pages.

Book serial number BK63. Price £15. Paperback with 571 pages.

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Air War Europa. America's Air War Against Germany in Europe and North Africa Chronology 1942-1945 by Eric Hammel

The great aerial crusade of World War II: There was never a military campaign like it, and there never will be another. Here is an opportunity to follow the great crusade as it unfolded in the air over the Nazi empire in North Africa and Europe. This comprehensive chronology sheds a fascinating light on the course of America's air war against Germany and her allies.

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The Day of the Typhoon, Flying with the RAF Tankbusters in Normandy by John Golley

Reading more like fiction than fact, and a fast moving action packed novel of war at that, this account of rocket Typhoon operations over Normandy in the weeks immediately following the D-Day Invasion of Europe is all the more enthralling for its authenticity. Written by a fomrer ground attack pilot who flew 73 missions with 245 Squadron over Northern France in 1944-45, the book has all the immediacy of a first-hand account of the action, excitement, terror and the camaraderie experienced by a close ground support squadron 'moving up the line'. In those few dramatic weeks when the fate of Europe hung in the balance, when Allied forces struggled to establish the crucial foothold on the bloody beaches and fields of Normandy, it was the daring and courage of the pilots who fought the vital air-to-ground battles which guaranteed the success of the invasion.

Book serial number BK64.  Price £16.95  Hard back with 215 pages.

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Air Battle of the Ruhr by Alan Cooper

This is the first full account of this major offensvie by the Royal Air Force's Bomber Command against the German industry in the Ruhr during World War II. The author begins by describing the role of Bomber Command and goes on to define the Ruhr area and its great importance in terms of industrial output to the Germans. The first real assault on the Ruhr took place in March 1942 but the results were disappointing. It was not until the following year that the RAF was to have more success and Alan Cooper describes in detail individual raids, their targets, the aircraft used and the German defences. Throughout, the author has used personal accounts and anecdotes and he gives vivid descriptions of the fearful effect of German searchlight skilld and the strain of flying on raids of up to six hours duration, three hours of which was over enemy territory.

Book serial number BK65.  Price £16.95  Hard back with 228 pages.

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Book serial number bk62. Price £20. Fully illustrated hard back with 171 pages.

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Classic RAF Battles from World War One to the Present by Michael Armitage

Forty superb full colour paintings, accompanied by detailed background narratives, show the RAF in action, from the dogfights of the First World War to missions in the Gulf. The Royal Air Force has earned its celebrated reputation for excellence and courage over seven decades of service to Britain, through two world wars and many small incidents, events and flashpoints the world over. In compiling this superb visual testament to the RAF, the general aim has been to capture the very reason for the RAF's existence - the combat actions which have given it such an historic tradition of defence to the nation. Some scenes are of general campaigns or aspects of the RAF's history; most, however, are of specific raids, operations or incidents; but they all demonstrate the variety of locations, tasks and aircraft types that feature in the RAF's reputation.

Air force history is well documented through archive contemporary photography, but the aviation art collected within these pages offers a further viewpoint on war in the air. For the artist chooses to capture just one moment in an often confused and high-speed action, and creates a virtual snapshot of air warfare. Landscape, cloudscape and aircraft are all accurately recreated with attention to the smallest detail, and the result is often a unique glimpse of the true nature of war in the air.

The forty paintings in this book come from a variety of sources - RAF stations, squadron messes, artists' own collections, private archives, plus some commissioned solely to hang on a study or living room wall and which are thus seen here for the first time. They all represent work of some of the very finest aviation artists working today, and would make a fine book by themselves. To describe and comment on art, however, Michael Armitage has assembled a first-class team of RAF veterans, historians and aviation experts with the brief to write the background history of the action depicted in the painting. The result is a unique visual and written history of the RAF in action.

Book serial number bk49. Price £20. Fully illustrated paperback with 287 pages.

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RAF Fighter Squadrons in the Battle of Britain by Anthony Robinson

The Battle of Britain - the first great battle between nations to be decided entirely in the air - was a struggle between very unequal opponents. The RAF's trained fighter pilots were inexperienced and in short supply; its fighter tactics were outmoded; and its most numerous fighter was inferior in both performance and number to that of the Luftwaffe. To overcome such handicaps in the heat of battle, the burden of responsibility fell upon the pilots and their squadron commander.

Many books have been written about the battle of Britain; few have examined the course of the conflict from the point of view of the fighter squadrons themselves. Squadrons were the basic combat units in RAF Fighter Command; their combat effectiveness was a factor of crucial importance - transcending even the abilities of the brilliant individual pilots within the squadrons and the tactical and strategic skills of the senior commanders who deployed them.

That the Battle of Britain was not won by courage alone emerges from the pages of this book, which examines the problems of tactics and leadership encountered by the RAF's fighter force when thrown into a battle for which it was less than adequately prepared. In an opening, wide-ranging chapter, the author, Anthony Robinson, considers the general course of the battle and the organisation, tactics and equipment with which the RAF went to war. Thereafter he concentrates on the operations and experiences of eight squadrons heavily engaged in the battle, describing and analysing events, decisions and circumstances of the daily encounters with German intruders. Meticulously researched from official documents and by consultation with many of the survivors of 'the few', RAF Fighter Squadron in the Battle of Britain provides an illuminating new perspective on the greatest air battle of the Second World War.

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The Bader Wing by John Frayn Turner

Douglas Bader, the indomitable legless air ace, became a legend in his own lifetime, and is today remembered as one of the greatest air combatants to emerge during World War II. But less is known about the Bader Wing and its crucial contribution to the Battle of Britain. For the first time this book reveals the fascinating story of the charismatic Wing Commander and the five squadrons which he led: the Bader Wing, consisting of some sixty pilots in all.

The book highlights the dramatic aerial actions of the Canadian aces in Bader's own 242 Squadron - Stan Turner, Willis McKnight and G E Ball. It describes in absorbing detail their many successes, and also the inevitable moments of disaster and death. Moreover, the story is set against the broader canvas and controversy of the Big Wing. The tactics and strategy favouring the Wing are forcibly argued by the author, who comes down heavily on the side of Douglas Bader, the man whose outspoken views and forceful personality made the Wing possible. In The Bader Wing, some of the greatest names of World War II testify to Bader's leadership qualities, including Johnnie Johnson, Laddie Lucas, Sholto Douglas, Hugh Dundas and Alan Deere. Their opinions lend great weight to a book which blends the best of aviation action with a cool reappraisal of the Battle of Britain.

Book serial number BK41. Hard back with 156 pages. Price £20.

Book serial number BK39. Price £19.99. Hard back with 192 pages.

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Above All Unseen by Edward

Visual reconnaissance has always been an important aspect of military intelligence, particularly so for the RAF during the Second World War. Using a variety of specially modified unarmed aircraft, the RAF consistently provided an accurate and timely flow of strategic information in the form of aerial photographs of unsurpassed quality.

This is the story of the RAF's PRU from their birth , amidst inter-departmental wrangling, as the Soviet Intelligence Service Flight in November 1938, right up to 1945. During this period more than 15,000 sorties in all operational theatres of war were undertaken, with the RAF having no less than nine squadrons spread across Europe, the Mediterranean and the Far East.

As well as describing the aircraft and the cameras used by the PRU's, details of daring operations are include, such as the hunt for the Bismarck and the planning for the Dambusters raid. Using personal recollections of those actually involved, combined with extensive research, the book also covers some of the highly secret operations flown in support of the Secret Intelligence Service, the Special Operations Executive, the Special Air Service and the RAF's Special Duty Squadrons. It is illustrated with contemporary photographs, many of them aerial views of enemy territory.

Edward Leaf served as a photographic interpreter during the 1980's and here, provides a unique insight into the role and organisation of one of the RAF's most successful units in the Second World War.

Book serial number BK37. Price £22.50. Hard Back with 224 pages.

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This superbly researched book gives a complete overview of all aspects of naval aviation in the First World War; its significant influence on operations and strategy, which has never before been properly explained, is detailed by R D Layman in this far-reaching survey. Furthermore, Britain's Royal Naval Air Service, sponsored by the pro-aviation First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill, pioneered many aspects of aerial warfare, including strategic bombing, anti-submarine warfare and the development of long-range aircraft, and the development of ships to carry aircraft, from the seaplane carriers of 1914 to HMS Argus, the first flat-top aircraft carrier.

And finally this book lays to rest the myth of the 'Battleship Admirals', whose conservatism and dislike of aircraft were said to have prevented naval aviation achieving its full potential. On the contrary, the naval high commands on all sides were very keen to exploit the possibilities offered by aviation, and indeed made demands of their fledgling naval air arms that were beyond the capabilities of the available technology.

New light is shed on little-known aspects of the naval war in the air, including the operations of the Imperial Russian Navy's seaplane carrier squadron in the Black Sea, the world's first 'carrier strike force', the Royal Navy's use of observation balloons tethered to ships, and the vital role played by aviation in the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign.

This unparalleled history details the origins of the forces that were later to dominate naval warfare, and shows that in spite of the state of aeronautical technology at the time, they were able to exert real influence on the war at sea.

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The Air VCs by Peter G Cooksley

Of more than 600 Victoria Crosses awarded to British and Empire servicemen during the First World War, nineteen were awarded to airmen of the newly formed Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. Of these, four were posthumous awards and all but one of the total were officers.

Some of these valourous airmen were from humble backgrounds and with limited education, others were collegiate men from wealthy families, but in the words of one senior officer they all had in common 'the guts of a lion'. The aircraft they flew were as varied as their individual character and social backgrounds, ranging from the BE2 and Morane 'L', to the SE5 and Nieuport Scout.

The first and the last VC's of the First World War were awarded posthumously: Second Lieutenant William Rhodes-Moorhouse RFC won the first air VC of the war in April 1915 flying a BE2c; Major Edward Mannock RFC died in action in July 1918 flying an SE5a before he could be invested with the prestigious award. But not all the air VCs were awarded for actions over the Western Front and several recipients, like Lieutenant Richard Bell-Davies RNAS and Major W A 'Bill' Bishop RFC survived the war to rise to high office in their chosen services.

Book serial number BK54. Price £19.99. Hardback with 204 pages.

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Coastal Command in Action 1939-1945 by Roy Conyers Nesbit

During the second world war the aircraft and crews of RAF Coastal Command played the vital role of patrolling and defending the waters around Great Britain against enemy air and naval forces. These included everything from long-range fighters and patrol aircraft, like the Junker Ju88 and Focke Wulf Fw200 Kondor, to marauding U-boats, E-boats and warships.

The aircraft of the Command ranged far and wide, attacking coastal targets in Scandinavia, Germany and enemy-occupied Europe. Many of these strikes were captured on film, providing vivid evidence of the devastating firepower brought to bear against enemy targets by the Command's Mosquito's, Beaufighter's and Sunderland's.

Using extensive archives held at the Public Record Office, author Roy Nesbit has brought to light a series of remarkable photographs taken by RAF Coastal Command crews in action during the Second World War, illustrating in vivid detail the aircraft and actions fought by the Command over six years of war. Illustrated with more than 180 photographs, each accompanied by an exhaustively researched caption, this fascinating book brings to the attention of a wider audience the wartime exploits of RAF Coastal Command.

Book serial number BK29. Price £19.99. Hardback with 182 pages. Special price £17.99.

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Spitfire Mark I/II Aces 1939-41 by Dr Alfred Price

Spitfire Mk I's and II's served only briefly in the frontline with the RAF, but their pilots were responsible for achieving impressive scores against the Luftwaffe during 1940/41. This volume details the RAF's first aces of World War 2 who helped stem the German tide during Britain's struggle for survival in the bitter years between 1939 and 1941. Early mark Spitfires were notorious for their light armament, overheating engines and short range, but during the dogfights over Dunkirk and south-east England, then the first tentative sweeps across France, many pilots achieved scores of note. The exploits of names like Malan, Tuck and Bader are covered, as are some of the perhaps less celebrated aces like Australian Des Sheen and leading Spitfire NCO ace George Unwin.

Book serial number ACE12. Book price £12.99. Paperback with 94 pages. Fully illustrated.

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Typhoon and Tempest Aces of World War 2 by Chris Thomas

Hawker Typhoon and Tempest - two aircraft types with widely differing reputations. The former was a technical nightmare redeemed as a ground attack machine, whilst the latter proved to be the most superlative low and medium level fighter to see service with the RAF, and arguably any air force, during the latter stages of World War 2. Yet what of their air combat successes? Strange to relate, both types were credited with almost identical totals of enemy aircraft destroyed in the air - 246 by the Typhoon and 239 by the Tempest. The success of both aircraft in the pure fighter role was restricted not so much by their technical limitations, but by the circumstances of the air war during their respective periods of service. By the time the Typhoon was in widespread use, it was largely restricted to a defensive role as the most effective counter to marauding Luftwaffe fighter-bombers that threatened English coastal towns. When the Tempest  entered service, its air combat potential was enormous. However, its entry into this field was delayed, perversely, by the aircraft's own excellence, for soon after its first air-to-air successes, it was withdrawn from Normandy air war to spearhead defences against the V1. Nevertheless, over 40 aces flew one or both types in combat, and men like 'Foob' Fairbanks and Johnny Baldwin attained double-figure scores with the Hawker fighters.

Book serial number ACE27. Book price £12.99. Paperback with 96 pages. Fully illustrated.