Aircraft, a picture history (discounted price, faded cover)

This source book covers the story of aircraft from the historic Wright Flyer of 1903 to the supersonic Concorde of today. The pictures—all types of aircraft from all countries, provide a unique guide to the way aircraft have developed, and clearly show the big impetus to development given by the two world wars. At the beginning of the First World War, aircraft were frail machines, unarmed and suitable only for reconnaissance duties. By its end pilots in swift, heavily armed fighters were shooting each other out of the sky over the Western Front, bombers were showering high-explosive and incendiary bombs on battlefield and town alike; the first dive-bombers had attacked pinpoint targets; at sea, torpedo-planes had scored their first victories.

Lavishly illustrated with more than 150 photographs, it tells the unique story of how aircraft have developed from Wilbur and Orville Wright's Flyer 1 to the supersonic Concorde which is taking aviation to the limits of present day techniques. Maurice Allaward (1923-2011) was deputy manager of technical publications at de Havilland had an expensive knowledge of aircraft design and technology. He wrote in excess of 70 books, both factual and fiction, on not only aviation, but also rocket and space travel.