1973. The Vietnam war.

First-hand accounts from those who flew with the Allies and the Luftwaffe, combined with detailed appendices of losses and victory claims, provide a definitive history of the Intruder operations over Britain.

This is the full account of USAAF Mission 311 on 22 April 1944 when American bombers suffered their highest ever loss to German intruders. The German fighters followed the air armada home after the raid, picking individual bombers off on their return over Europe and then over England as the American force struggled to land. The book covers many famous USAAF, RAF and Luftwaffe units and describes the ferocious action over Europe when the Americans attacked Germany’s largest railway marshalling yards at Hamm. Packed with powerful human interest stories, history and technical details, it chronicles the mission fully from the initial planning stage to its bloody finale, untangling the facts behind what went so horribly wrong and why sixty bomber crewmen and ground personnel lost their lives owing to intruder action. Ian McLachlan is a renowned aviation historian and author. His other books include Final Flights and Eighth Air Force Bomber Stories. He lives in Beccles, Suffolk.

During the latter half of the 1930s, the fear of a possible aerial knock-out on Great Britain became a dominating factor in the formulation of national policy. This text examines how justified these pre-war fears were in light of the Luftwaffe's capabilities in 1939 and describes the bombing attacks on Britain during the years that followed, together with the operations of the defences to parry them. From the start, the air defences proved able to take a heavy toll on the bombers attacking Britain by day. By night it was a different matter. Initially, the fighter and gun defences were lucky if between them they were able to knock out one or two bombers out of three or four hundred involved in a night attack. From this poor beginning the defences improved out of all recognition and when the Germans launched a series of attacks on London early in 1944, it cost them one bomber and four trained crewmen for every five British civilians killed. Blitz on Britain makes compelling reading for anyone interested in the Luftwaffe's wartime raids on Britain, and how the air defences ultimately succeeded in defeating this long running aerial onslaught.

“The rich and diverse history of the British aircraft industry is captured in superb detail by the author in this weighty tome.” —Aviation News Great Britain’s aircraft industry started in 1908, with the first formally registered organization in the world to offer to design and build an aeroplane “for commercial gain.” This book tells the complete story of the 110 years since the start, all the companies formed and the aircraft they produced, highlighting the advances in aeronautical ambition and technology. It is the story of the creation, survival and decline of all one hundred and twenty-three of the aircraft design and construction companies formed between 1908 and 2018. The exhilaration of success and the magic of aviation technology are vividly illustrated by the technical and political birth stories of iconic projects, such as the Cirrus/Gypsy Moths, the Tiger Moth, the flying boats of Imperial Airways, Spitfire, Lancaster, Viscount, Vulcan, Harrier, Buccaneer and many more. The rotary wing industry is not forgotten. The birth of the jet turbine engine and the quest for supersonic speed is included. The stories of the disappointments of failure and disaster, such as the Brabazon, Comet, Princess, Rotodyne and TSR-2, and the growth of international collaboration in Concorde, Tornado, Airbus, Eurofighter Typhoon and other projects are included, in the context of the international scene and domestic politics. The conclusion highlights the prominent reminiscences and speculates on the future of the aircraft industry in Britain. “An outstanding reference book and a thoroughly enjoyable canter through the decades, from the days of wood and fabric to the modern composite structure of the wings of the A400 Atlas.” —RAF Historical Society

Now a major BBC TV show starring John Simm. Taut, menacing, sinister, gripping, intelligent, action-packed – everything you could want from a thriller.

This new volume from Martin Bowman examines the closing years of the Second World War, as the tide turned against the German and Axis forces. It includes riveting first-hand accounts from German fighter pilots caught up in some of the most dramatic night time conflicts of the latter war years.Viewing Bomber Command's operations through the eyes of the enemy, the reader is offered a fresh and intriguing perspective. Set in context by Bowman's historical narrative, these snippets of pilot testimony work to offer an authentic sense of the times at hand.

September 1940: defeated in the Battle of Britain, despite their superior numbers and better equipped aircraft, the Luftwaffe launched a new campaign of attack, their target this time the civilian population. For eight months, with hardly a night's break, Luftwaffe bombers pounded industrial cities and seaports in a concentrated attempt to smash Britain's war economy and destroy civilian morale. It was the first time a civilian population had been subject to mass attack, night after night, and important lessons were to be learned on both sides. If this campaign failed - as it did - then surely Britain could win the war.In this finely structured and consistently fascinating study of the campaign, Second World War historian John Ray assesses the strategies, weapons and defence tactics employed throughout the Night Blitz. He graphically recalls the effects of the Blitz on British cities, industry and people, month by month. This was the war at home, when terror fell indiscriminately from the skies. Yet despite all the death and destruction, the spirit of the British people remained undaunted even in their darkest hours.

An RAF pilot recounts his vital role in the development of Britain’s WWII air defense system in this fascinating military memoir. During the 1930s, the UK had no realistic defense against fast-flying bomber planes. That was before radar technology proved capable of detecting an aircraft before it even reached British soil. This was shown in dramatic fashion during the Biggin Hill Experiment, when a young Arthur McDonald led three biplanes—all directed by radar sets on the ground—to intercept incoming aircraft. McDonald was told, “the whole future of this country depends on the results which you obtain.” His success led to a new military strategy focused on modern fighter planes using a newly developed radar network—all of which proved crucial during the Battle of Britain. For his work, McDonald received the Air Force Cross. In this enlightening autobiography, Air Marshal Sir Arthur McDonald describes those early radar experiments as well his other innovation, the Duxford flare path, designed to be visible to landing aircraft but not to enemy attackers. McDonald went on to hold many senior posts in the RAF before retiring in 1962. But it his part in the development of Britain’s air defense at the most crucial time in its history for which he will always be remembered.

A corpse in a country house brings Scotland Yard to an eerily quiet English village, in this tale by a master of British mystery. Cyril Savage has inherited the home of his wealthy and estranged aunt. But before Savage has the chance to discover her fortune, he is struck dead in the cellar of this once grand country house in the strange, nearly deserted village of Plumpton Bois. The police are baffled and—unable to unearth a motive, let alone a killer—call for the assistance of Scotland Yard. Inspector Littlejohn and Inspector Cromwell arrive in Plumpton Bois and find the village, the family, and the house itself full of secrets. The door to a locked room has been bashed open. Savage’s aunt is not nearly as rich as she seemed to be. And now, another body has turned up on Littlejohn’s watch . . .