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BISHOP**, PATRICK: : AIR FORCE BLUE: THE RAF IN WORLD WAR TWO - SPEARHEAD OF VICTOY

LONDON.WILLIAM COLLINS/HarperCollinsPublishers,2017.

ISBN 9780007433131.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.[Complete number line 1.] FINE+/FINE+.No owner inscrptn and no price-clip to dw/dj.Bright,crisp,clean,matt, contemporary monochrome photographic illustrated dw/dj panels with fluorescent blue gilt,red and white lettering to front and spine; with negligible shelf-wear or creasing to edges and corners - no nicks or tears present.Top+fore-edges bright and clean; contents bright,tight, clean,solid and sound - pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corners,appears unread - apart from my own collation.Bright, crisp,clean,sharp-cornered,publisher's original plain royal blue cloth boards with bright, crisp,blocked silver gilt letters to spine/ backstrip and immaculate plain royal blue endpapers.UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn,1-410pp [paginated] includes prologue,15 chapters and epilogue,16pp contemporary b/w+colour photographs in 2 blocks of 8pp apiece,between pp138/9 and pp250/1 respectively,other relevant contemporary b/w photographs interspersed throughout the text and the book,6 b/w war theatre maps,acknowledgements,notes, illustration credits,an index; plus [unpaginated] half-title+title pages, dedication,separate contents,illustrations lists/tables,and 6 aforementioned b/w maps - 2 single page,4 double-paged. In 2018 the RAF is one hundred years old.In his new book (then 2017),destined to be a classic, Patrick Bishop examines the high point of its existence - the Second World War,when the Air Force saved the nation from defeat then led the advance to victory. Air warfare was a terrible novelty of the modern age,requiring a new military outlook.From the beginning,the RAF's identity set it apart from the traditional services.It was innovative,flexible and comparatively meritocratic,advancing the quasi-revolutionary idea that competence was more important than background. The Air Force went into the war with inadequate machines,training and tactics,and the early phase was littered with setbacks and debacles. Then,in the summer of 1940,in full view of the population,Fighter Command won one of the decisive battles of the struggle.Thereafter the RAF was gilded with an aura of success that never tarnished,going on to make a vital contribution to Allied victory in all theatres. Drawing from diaries,letters,memoirs and interviews,'Air Force Blue' captures the nature of combat in the skies over the corrugated wastes of the Atlantic,the sands of the Western Desert and the jungles of Burma.It also brings to life the intensely lived dramas,romances, friendships and fun that were as important a part of the experience as the fighting. 'Air Force Blue' portrays the spirit of the RAF - its heart and soul - during its finest hours. It is essential reading for the millions in Britain and the Commonwealth whose loved ones served,and for anyone who wants to understand the Second World War. Please contact seller,because of the weight/ value of this item for correct,insured shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! ** N.B. UK and all overseas buyers please note, stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded,after order receipt and before the order's despatch, especially if item is offered P+p included or postage free. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIR postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence,then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. between 1/2 to 2/3rds of standard AIR quote/ rate - sometimes arriving within a week or so,and sometimes before the quoted 42 days - but not always.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.
Not SIGNED.

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