In a couple of months, on April Fool's Day, it will be the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force. This makes it one of the longest running military air arms in the world. A lot has changed over the years as the fortunes of the United Kingdom have changed. At one time, during the two world wars, the RAF was one of the largest military air arms in the world, but the world has changed. Today, it is a considerably smaller, but still effective force, basically used for defense of the nation instead of defense of 1/4 of the world.

it is not surprising that there would be a book marking this anniversary and I dare say there will be others. Rather than provide an extensive, in depth look at the RAF over the decades, this one takes a more brief approach and divides the history into five distinct chapters covering the beginning, the interwar period, WWII, the post WWII period and the current air force. A good way to do things and one that will ensure that readers not familiar with the RAF will find both interesting to read and something on which they can base further study.

Due to the nature of this book, the author has chosen wisely from the huge number of photo taken over the years. Those familiar with the subject will find some are old favorites with enough new images to keep one interested. It all combines to be a superb primer on the subject and one that would be perfect as a gift to the young enthusiast or those who simply want a pleasant read.

February 2018

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