British Aeroplanes 1914-18
London: Putnam, 1957. Quarto, original black cloth, viii, 742 pp., profusely illustrated. Near-fine copy in the slipcase (this a bit split). The benchmark reference book for British First World War aviation, compiled with admirable fidelity and accuracy.
In his preface, the author laments the loss of information relating to British aeroplane design and manufacturing during the War. The speed of innovation and pressures of wartime production were not always conducive to the preservation of good technical data, and by the fifties much of this information was already elusive. This problem was compounded by the emphasis of contemporary printed accounts on the sensational aspects of aerial warfare, often at the expense of demonstrable historical fact.
This book records almost all aircraft types and significant variants, listed in chronological order under each manufacturer's name. The specifications for each aircraft include: contractors, power units, dimensions and areas, weights and performance, armament, service use, serial numbers and notes on individual machines.
Some sense of the purpose and design of the author is given in the following excerpt from the introduction:
'In the compilation of this work, every effort has been made to achieve the highest possible degree of accuracy. This has not been an easy matter. There is astonishing conflict and error even in the official documents, and some manufacturers no longer have reliable records of their early products. All available records have been sifted, analysed, and reconciled; statements which are mutually incompatible or of doubtful authenticity (they are legion) have been rejected. Guesswork masquerading as fact has no place here – where postulates are made, the fact that they are no more than such is indicated.'
The book was issued with a dust-jacket (though this is rarely encountered extant), and a premium is placed on copies in better condition. There are two binding variants, one in plain black cloth and the other in gilt decorated blue cloth. This copy is an instance of the former variant in black cloth. Myron Smith 237; Noffsinger 370. Item #3354
Price (AUD): $375.00