aviation

Ken Fergusson : Books : Aviation

	1.	Abbott, Patrick Airship
		Adams and Dart, Jupiter Books, 1973 The book begins with the theory of dirigibles and descritpions of the first ascents. The author then relates the design of of R.34 to this historical survey and then details its flights. Fine condition, fine DW, 74 fascinating documentary illustrations, detailed reference notes and a bibliography.
		Price: £ 20.00

	2.	Aders Gebhard History of the German Night Fighter Force 1917-1945
		Jane's Publishing Company London.Sydney 1979 First English edition 1979. Originally published in West Germany in 1978, this edition, translated and edited by Alex Vangas-Baginkis assisted by Brendan Gallagher, includes various corrections and many additional details not available at this time. Fine edition in mint dust wrapper. Based on original documents, reports and interviews with with survivors, this unbiased survey covers the developments of the German night fighter force from the earliest experiments, listing all the changes in the organisation, technology, equipment and tactics, and the steadily growing importance of electronics. 284pp. including extensive appendices and 220 illustrations including rare photgraphs from private sources.
		Price: £ 45.00

	3.	Allen, Roy Pictoriasl History of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
		Ian Allan 1978 V. good to fine condition. DW sunned on spine. Profusely illustrated. Book lists all types of aircraft operated by KLM during its history up to 1978. At the time of publication the oputcome of investigations into the Tenerife accident of March 1977 had yet to be concluded.
		Price: £ 25.00

	4.	Bekker, Cajus The Luftwaffe War Diaries
		Greenhill 1986 Reprint of 1916 edition. The adventures of five Handley Page Bombers avoiding 'green balls' (bursting anti-aircraft shells) 288pp. Soft back Fine condition.
		Price: £ 8.00

bottom	5.	Bloemertz, Gunther Heaven Next Stop - Impressions of a German Fighter Pilot
		William Kimber, London 1953 189pp. Good copy with chipped dust wrapper. Front end-paper and inside front board carry signatures of previous owners. Personal experiences of a fighter pilot in the German Air force in North West France and Belgium 1940 - 1945.
		Price: £ 12.00

	6.	Briscoe W. and Stannard H.R. Captain Ball V.C.
		Jenkins 1918 Scarce item on Ball's career and includes extracts from reports and letters. 320pp. illus. Good condition with original cloth. Crisp blocking. Shows some signs of use.
		Price: £ 42.00

	7.	Burge, C. Gordon The Annals 0f 100 squadron
		Bivouac Books Ltd., 1975 !975 reprint of 1918 original. Limited edition of 500 copies, this one number 275. Record of the war activities of the pioneer night bombing squadron in france from march 1917 - November 1918. Includes operations within the Independent Air Force of the RAF. Includes a list of all serving officers, NCOs and men. 212pp. illus. Good to fine condition with fine DW.
		Price: £ 35.00

	8.	Burn, Michael Mary and Richard - the story of Richard Hillary and Mary Booker
		Andre Deutsch 1988 Hillary, author of 'The Last Enemy' met Mary Booker soon after its publication. Their relationship was short-lived, but they were very close until Hillary's untimely death in an aircrash. Based on letters between the two, the narrative is a sensitive appreciation of Richard Hillary - Fighter Pilot and Richard Hillary - the man. 249pp. Mint condition with mint DW.
		Price: £ 9.00

	9.	Chadderton, H. Cliffprd Hanging a Legend
		The War Amputations of Canada Written in c. 1986 this book is a compliation of evidence accumulates by the author to rebuff the accusations made in the film "The Kid Who Could Not Miss" which he considers a shameful attempt tp discredit Billy Bishop VC. Contains much personal testimony and contemporaneous accounts regarding the WW1 air raids and illus. with b&w photos. A fascinating read.Large format soft-back Good condition.373pp.
top		Price: £ 15.00

bottom	10.	Clarke, D.H. Squadron Leader What They Were Like to Fly
		Ian Allen 1964. First ed. in good to fine condition in an intact though heavily chipped at top and bottom DW - Back of DW has 1" x 3" piece missing partly removing the publishers name. The author, who received both DFC and AFC, flew more than 50 different types of aeroplane during his flying career. This book describes his experience with 36 of them. Typical of his comments regarding some of the aircraft is his view of the Fairey Battle: "it was no fairy and it certainly couldn't battle." or the Hurricane IID, for example carried 2 40mm. cannon. "Attacking tanks in the desert with this contraption reduced a pilots life expectancy to about two weeks". Overall both a technical and most entertaining commentary on test flying. 128pp. with 16pp. of photographs of the individual aircraft.
		Price: £ 20.00

	11.	Cobham, Alan A Time to Fly
		Shepheard Walwyn 1978 1978 first edition. Very good - both DW and internally. printed on relatively poor quality paper resulting in page edges yellowing. Many illustrations. Major periods of interest 1920s and 1930s.
		Price: £ 20.00

	12.	Coffey, Thomas Decision over Schweinfurt
		Robert Hale 1978. V. good condition throughout including DW. Illus. with photographs 373pp. Describes moment by moment the raid on August17th. 1943 as well as the second Schweinfurt mission October 14th. 1943 which orived to be the two most savage battles in the history of air warfare. The book documents day by day, the lives and deaths of the men on both sides who faced each other - not only in these but in other epic battles. it also is the story of the development of the US Eightht Air Force in Englan and the most crucial combat tests of the American daylight precision bombing strategy.
		Price: £ 18.00

	13.	Coppens, Willy Days on the Wing
		Aviation Book Club, London First Aviation Book Club edition. V. good copy. Dark green boards, spine sl. sun-faded, red lettering. 291pp. illus. by Leonard Bridgman - b&w frontis and 7 b&w plates. Being the war memoirs of Major the Chevalier Willy Coppens de Houthulst, translated from the Franch by A.J. Insall with a foreword by Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John M. Salmond.
		Price: £ 20.00

	14.	Cynk, Jerzy B. Polish Aircraft 1893-1939
top		Putnam, London 1971 1971 first edition. Fine copy in v. good DW (some v. slight chipping to top edge. 760pp. well illus. with photos. and line drawings. The book contains the history, detailed structural description and technical data of every type of aircraft evolved by Polish designers prior to WWII. The book is divided into four large sections :- Early Pioneers (1893-1918), Main Aircraft Establishments (1918-1939), Individual and Amateur Aeroplane Designs (1918-1939), and Gliders and Sailplanes (1918-1939).
		Price: £ 55.00
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	15.	Earle, William Mossyface
		John Trendler, Norman Wright1994 Number 86 of 300 copies of a limited edition published privately. Captain WE Johns, the creator of Biggles probably wrote this romantic flying adventure in during a short break of unemployment following his discharge from the RAF in 1919. First pub. as a paperback in 1922 of which few survive. Fine condition. pristine bright black boards and gilt lettering.
		Price: £ 45.00

	16.	Eckener, Hugo My Zeppelins
		Putnam 1958. First English Edition. Good to v. good condition with sim. DW although rear panel of DW a little sunned. 216pp. illus. This is Dr. Eckener's own account of his airships and the history making flights that he made in them across the Atlantic to New York, Rio de Janeiro, around the world and on Arctic exploration. Also describes his srtiggle in early years trying to raise funds for what was considered then a fantastic idea. Eckener's son Knut addds a technicial chapter on the development of airships which puts Eckener's ships in their correct perspective and ecxplains the theory and practice of lighter than air flight.
		Price: £ 85.00

	17.	Eddy Paul, Potter Elaine, Page Bruce Destination Disaster
		Harte-Davis, MacGibbon London 1976 1976 first edition, v. good condition with v. ggod DW, 434pp, profusely illus. with photos. This investigation by the Sunday Times Insight team tells the whole story of the planning, building and selling of the DC 10 airliner which fell from the sky on March 1974 to crash in a forest outside Paris, killing 346 people the majority of them British.
		Price: £ 7.50

	18.	Ethell, J and Price,A Target Berlin: Mission 250 - 6 March 1944
		Book Club Edition 1981 of Jane's Publishing Original Very good condition in similar dust wrapper. Documents the first large scale American daylight raid on Berlin. Includes table of aircraft, combat units and Luftwaffe Defence Aircraft Units. Also listed Combat losses of both US and German aircraft. 212pp. and many photographs.
		Price: £ 12.00

	19.	Freeman, Roger The Mighty Eighth - A History fo the US 8th Army Air Force
top		Macdonald London 1970 1970 first edition. Fine condition in fine DW. The first detailed and well-illustrated reference history of the United States 8th. Army Air Force from its inception in January 1942 to its departure from the UK after the end of hostilities in Europe, with emphasis on the combat units, their men and aircraft.
		Price: £ 25.00
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	20.	Gardiner, Leslie Lunardi
		Air-Life Publishing Ltd. 1984 Reprint of the first edition pub. 1963 under the title 'Man in the Clouds'. Lunardi was the mist colourful of the early balloon pioneers and in spite of his Italian nationality spent most of his career in and around Britain. 192pp. No frontis. 10 half-tone plates. Fine with fine DW.
		Price: £ 9.00

	21.	Gardiner, Leslie Man in the Clouds - the Story of Vincent Lunardi
		W & R Chambers 1963 The most colourful of the early balloon pioneers, who in spite of his Italian nationality, spent most of his career in and around Britain.. 184pp. illus. with coloured frontis and 10 half-tone plates. V. good condition with v. good DW.
		Price: £ 10.00

	22.	Gibbs-Smith C. H. Clement Ader - His flight claims and his place in History
		Science Museum London 1968 Fine condition. 213pp. Although opinion is divided, some believe Ader's claim that he made a flight of 300m. in 1897 six years before the Wright brothers' historic flight. The author discusses the evidence. Illustrated by line drawings and some photographs.
		Price: £ 25.00

	23.	Gibbs-Smith C. H. Sir George Cayley's Aeronautics 1796-1855
		Her Majesty's Stationer Office, London 1962 Very good to fine condition. Detailed abstracts of all scientific papers written by George Cayley from his first man carrying glider to proposals for powered aircraft including the helicopter.
		Price: £ 35.00

	24.	Gibbs Smith, Charles H. The Rebirth of European Aviation
top		Science Museum, London Fine to mint condition with fine DW. 388pp. well illus. with photographs and some drawings. Drawn from contemporary sources, Gibbs Smith examines in detail the influence of the Wright brothers on the European development of aviation.
		Price: £ 12.00
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	25.	Gotch, A.F' 'Bill' Playground in the Sky : The Art and Joys of Gliding
		Hutchinson, London 1955. The book is good to very good condition, blue cloth. Title blocking crisp on spine. DW- chipped top and bottm, slight tear to bottom of front panel, large 2x4" missing from rear panel 151pp.34 photographs and 26 line drawings. Discusses the principles of flight in the context of gliding. Readable accounts of navigation and meteorology and cross-country flying.
		Price: £ 10.00

	26.	Hall, James Norman and Nordhoff, Charles Bernard The Lafayette Flying Corps
		Kennikat Press 1964 Limited (500 copies) ecition of the 1964 Kennikat Press from the first edition of 1924. The classic history on two volumes of the American Volunteer flyers on the Western Front. Volume 1 gives a detailed operational history and Volume 2 contains biographical accounts of all the pilots. 514pp. and 362pp. respectively. Illustrations include colour plates. Very good condition in original blue cloth.
		Price: £ 525.00

	27.	Hart, Clive The Dream of Flight - Aeronautics from classical times to the Renaissance
		Faber 1972 1972 first edition. V. good condition and v. good DW. Front end-paper carries name of previous owner in ink. 200pp. Useful chronology of the early history of "flights of fancy" culminating in contributions of Leonardo da Vinci. Illus. with photgraphs and drawings. Most of material covers the period from 1250 -1600AD.
		Price: £ 15.00

	28.	Hansbro, W.A Air Feud
		John Hamilton Ltd. London. ?1936 first edition. In the famous "Ace" series. Good condition, Dulled blue boards with black titling on spine + black sundial logo. Internally v. sound, nice tight binding. Minimal foxing on prelims. Ink inscription on front fly-leaf. Four B&W plates including frontis. by Howard Leigh
		Price: £ 20.00

	29.	Hartney, Harold E. Wings over France
top		Bailey Brothers and Swinfen 1974 Autobiographical account of this Canandian airman who flew with the RFC. He was put out of action by von Richthofen. On return to duties he returned to Canada to command an American aero. squadron to train the first American fliers to be posted officially to France. 360pp. V. good condition with v. good DW.
		Price: £ 10.00
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	30.	Heydemarck, Haupt Double-Decker C666
		Hamilton 1935 Experiences on the Western Front as a German observer. 208pp. + 4 page catalogue. Illus. by German author. Good condition, original blue cloth somewhat faded.
		Price: £ 20.00

	31.	Hooper, Meredith Kangaroo Route
		Angus & Robertson 1985 1985 first edition 216pp. with photographs. Strongly sewn binding with card covers which show some handling but otherwise, internally in very good condition. Discusses the development of the England to Australia air route from the beginings of commercial aviation to April 1935 when the first scheduled passenger service was open to the public. Relates the acheivments of Ross Smith, Bert Hinkler, Alan Cobham, Amy Johnson and Charles Kingsford Smith.
		Price: £ 15.00

	32.	Imrie, Alex Pictorial History of the German Army Air Service 1914-1918
		Ian Allan, London 1971 1971 first edition. Fine condition with fine DW. A picture story of the birth and death of the first Luftwaffe and an account of its acheivements during its short life-span during the first World War.
		Price: £ 15.00

	33.	Joy, William The Aviators
		Shakespeare Head Press 1971. Second ed. 210pp. with many photographs. Lower third of all page edges carry a slight coffee-stain - this does not affect the content and is not apparent when the book is opened. Becuase of its comparative isolation, Australia was one the first countries to realise what a boon the flying machine could be. Practical visionaries foresaw the day when the Island continent would not be half a world away, but half a week or even half a day from the great centres of population. For this reason it is not surprising that some of the great names in aviation are those of Australians. This is the authentic story of aviation in Australia- high drama and heartbreak for those who played the leading roles.
		Price: £ 6.00

	34.	Landau Rom The Wing
top		Faber & Faber London Very good copy in very dust wrapper. Book produced "in complete conformity with the authorised economy standards" - which means the pages are slihhtly browned. Subtitled 'The Confessions of an RAF Officer', this book is the fruit of daily writings by the author and tells of his comprehensive training in most branches of a Bomber squadron, from Flying to Intelligence and his participation in the reborn Polish Air Force. 331pp.
		Price: £ 12.00
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	35.	Lawrence, WJ No. 5 Bomer Group RAF 1939-1945
		Faber and Faber 1951. Ex-lib. first ed. library rebind. In good condition nevertheless. Carries library indicators and stamps which do not interfere with the content. 253pp. some photographs. Describes operations of the group from pre-war planning through early reconnaissance and leaflet raids and laying of magnetic mines. Each chapter douments the various stages of the group's operations throughout Europe eg. canal raids, interventions in the battle of the Atlantic, daylight attack on Augsberg factory and first thousand bomber attack on Cologne Essen and Bremen. Also describes attacks on Berlin, the Ruhr, Friedrickshafen, V weapon sites and Tirptiz amongst others.
		Price: £ 10.00

	36.	Longstreet, Stephen The Canvas Falcons - the story of the Men and Planes of World War One
		WH Allen 1971 Very readable account of the more well-known personalities on both sides. Ex lib. with new front end-papers although very clean with DW - classed as good+.
		Price: £ 8.00

	37.	Lunardi, Vincent An Account of Five Aerial Voyages in Scotland
		Friends of Edinburgh University Library 1976. Limited edition No. 93 of 400 copies. An account of 5 aerial voyages in Scotland conducted by Vincent Lunardi. Concists of facsimiles of Lunardi's letters and diairies in respect of his stay and flights in Scotland. A foreward by Alexander Law describes briefly Lunardi's other experiences South of the border.
		Price: £ 35.00

	38.	Macmillan, Norman Offensive Patrol - the story of the RNAS, RFC and RAF in Italy 1917-1918
		Jarrolds 1973 1973 first edition. Very good condition with v.good DW. 264pp. illus. with photographs. Operations in Piave and Capporetto. references to "Billy" and Barker and Link-Crawford (Austrian Ace, also Bert Hinkler war service.
		Price: £ 18.00

	39.	Macmillan, Norman Sir Sefton Brancker
top		Heinemann, William 1935 1935 first edition. Slightly grubby and faded boards and spine titling, slight foxing to page edges, front end-papers show handling - however book in well bound condition in original blue cloth. 491pp. Covers Branckers experiences from his army days with the Royal Artillery and involvement in balloon experiments for observation. Career developed with the Royal Flying Corps and in post-war years closely involved with development of the British Rigid Airship.
		Price: £ 20.00
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	40.	McInnes L. & Webb J.V, A Contemptible Little Flying Corps
		The London Stamp Exchange 1991 1991 first edition. Excellent codntion with fine DW. A detailed study of the the regular NCOs, and airmen whose it was to support the man in the air. The authors have located all of the regular non-commissioned airmen who enlisted in the Corps prior to the outbreak of war in August 1914 and for each of the 1,400 men have provided a mini-biography, together with photographs of many. The appendices contain details of the establishment of the Corps at various times and a list of non-commissioned ranks. For the many who became pilots, details of their certificates are included. There is a full record of works consulted at the Public Record office and an excellent bibliography.
		Price: £ 25.00

	41.	McKimy, Alec The Father of British Airships
		William Kimber 1972. Ex-library first ed. the library stamp is on the title page over-printed with cancelled 2.5 x 2.5" and one small library stamp appears bottom of page 75 - a little one circle. Good to v. good condntion with similar DW. 160pp. Illus. Willows was Britain's foremost pioneer, designing five airships and the first man to fly an airship from England to France. The author reveals that there was a sixth airship designed secretly during the First World War but Willow's ideas were never fully appreciated by the government. Finally he lost his life in a balloon accident.
		Price: £ 7.50

	42.	Mikula, Valentin Stuka
		Eduard Kaiser Verlag 1965 First German edition. 431pp. with photographs. Very good condition. Dust wrapper slightly chipped with minor foxing to rear panel. Stuka operations in World War II.
		Price: £ 25.00

	43.	Pearcy, Arthur Jnr. The Dakota
		Ian Allan 1972 A History of the Douglas Dakota in RAF and RCAF service. Very good to fine condition book and dust wrapper. 320pp. including 60pp. photographs. Includes post-war operations eg.Berlin air-lift. Personal inscription by author to friend on half-title page dated 26 May 1973.
		Price: £ 30.00

	44.	Popham, Hugh Sea Flight
top		William Kimber, London 1954 200pp. Good copy of a scarce book in chipped dust wrapper. Some foxing to pages and rear panel DW. Describes carrier-borne operations 1941 - 1944. Hawker Hurricanes and Supermarine Seafires.
		Price: £ 15.00
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	45.	Pritchard Sir George Cayley - the Inventor of the Aeroplane
		Max Parrish, London 1961 Very good throughout with similar DW. Sl. foxing to front and rear end-papers and top edge of pages. It is the definitive biography of the life and aeronautical achievements of this pioneer of aviation written by a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society of Great Britain. Contains photographs and line drawings.
		Price: £ 75.00

	46.	Rawlings John Fighter Squadrons of the R.A.F. and their Aircraft
		Macdonald & Co. 1969 1969 first edition. Fine condition with fine DW. This book records the salient features of the fighter histories of the 141 squadrons of the RAF and its predecessors the RFC and RNAS., the RAuxAF and the Dominion and European Fighter sqadrons which came under the RAF during world War Two. Factual details include the bases used by the squadrons, their aircraft types with individual serial numbers quoted, Commanding Officers and insignia carried by the by their aircraft. In addition each unit has a brief history of its activities to cover the bare bones of the facts, with the atmosphere of the operations as they were carried out , with highlights and shortcomings as they arose. 555 pages, many photographs, Companion volume to Bomber Squadrons of the RAF.
		Price: £ 40.00

	47.	Rawlings John D. R. Coastal Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft
		Janes 1982 1982 first ed. 270pp. Well illus. with photographs.Fine condition with fine DW. Includes anti-submarine operations and other shipping interception through to troop transport and Berlin Airlift. Quite scarce.
		Price: £ 45.00

	48.	Raymond, Robert L. A Yank in Bomber Command
		David and Charles 1977 159pp. including photographs.Very good to fine condition, bith dust wrapper and book. "The letters and diary are an authentic and primary document of an American in Bomber Command and they express their meaning with an unusual clarity."
		Price: £ 24.00

	49.	Samson, Charles Rumney Fights and Flights
top		Battery Press 1990 This mint reprint of the original 1930 autobiography of one of the foremost Commanders in the Royal naval Air Service whose war-time career extended from the use of armoured cars in Belgium in 1914 to aerial operations in the Dardenelles.372pp. with photographs.
		Price: £ 35.00
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	50.	Schaffer, Ronald Wings of Judgment
		Oxford University Press, New York, 1985 Fine copy in fine DW. 272pp. The author looks closely at the people responsible for how the United States carried out its Air War and describes the bombing of Dresden and Berlin and other cities in Germany and discusses the preservation of Rome and Florence, the incineration of Tokyo and the sparing of Kyoto. it sheds fresh light on how major decisions were made.
		Price: £ 12.00

	51.	Smith JR & Kay, Anthony German Aircraft of the Second World War
		London, Putnam 1978 Third impression of 1972 edition. V good condition, with v good DW. 744pp. This book traces the development of the German aircraft industry and the re-birth of German military aviation together with the details of the organisations responsible. Includes all categories of aircraft inservice during the war, - operational and trainers, rotary wing aircraft and guided and unguided missiles including V1 flying bombs and V2 rockets.
		Price: £ 30.00

	52.	Taylor, Eric Operation Millenium
		Robert Hale 1987 1987 first edition. Fine condition, only slight sunning of dust wrapper spine. Describes 'Bomber' Harris' raid on Cologne May 1942. 218pp. with many photographs.
		Price: £ 15.00

	53.	Tredrey F. D. Pioneer Pilot
top		Peter Davis 1976 Good to very good in similar DW. Inside front board carries rubber stamp of a previous book dealer. Being a biography of Smith-Barry "who taught the world how to fly". A flying instructor in the First World War he formulated the basis of the flight training programmes which were then developed up to WW2.
		Price: £ 18.00
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	54.	Udet, Ernst Ace of the Iron Cross
		Arco Publishing Incorporated, New York 1981 Translation of 1930s publication "Mein Flieger Leiben" ed. by Ullanoff S.M. translated by Riehm R.K. Being mainly an account of Udet's experiences as a fighter pilot in the First World War. The documenatary develops into the between-ar years and film making, culminating with its involvement in aircraft production for the Luftwaffe in World War Two.215pp. illus. with photographs, line drawings of aircraft and lists of victories. Suspect last chapter 'ghosted' by anonymous oficial on or about the time of Udet's suicide. very good condition and v. good DW.
		Price: £ 16.00

	55.	Wakefield Kenneth The First Pathfinders
		William Kimber London 1981 Fine condition with fine dust wrapper. First edition. The vital role of 'pathfinding - the illumination of target areas for night bombing by the delivery of incendiary bombs was undertaken by Germany's best known bomber unit Kampfgruppe 100. this book gives a detailed history of this unit from 1939 to 1941 and a fascinating account of its operations over Britain. 256pp. profusely illustrated with photographs.
		Price: £ 20.00

	56.	Walker, Percy B. Early Aviation at Farnborough - Balloons, Kites and Airships
		Macdonald 1971 1971 first edition. very good to fine. First of a two volume history of the Royal Aircraft Establishment. Many illustrations.
		Price: £ 40.00

	57.	Whitehouse Arch The Fledgling
		Nicholas Vane 1965 First English edition. Very good to fine condition including DW. The author was an aerial gunner in the Royal Flying Corps in World War One with No. 22 squadron. A very readable account by this prolific writer of aviation history.
		Price: £ 18.00

	58.	Whitehouse, Arch The Years of the Sky Kings
top		Macdonald 1959 From one of the most prolific commentators on early flying, this book is a particularly readable account of the development of the war in the air, and the many and varied personalities involved. 334pp. illus. Good to v. good condition with good DW.
		Price: £ 12.50

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