Scott's Book The Life and Mildenhall - Melbourne Flight of C. W. A. Scott
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1934. Octavo, polished blue calf with gilt lettering, 264 pp., frontispiece and 15 plates, folding map bound at the rear. Some foxing of the edges, binding a little rubbed and worn, but overall a handsome copy. Finely bound association copy of the autobiography of the legendary English aviator Charles William Anderson Scott (1903-1946), winner of the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race from Mildenhall in Suffolk to Melbourne. Charles Scott completed the epic flight in 2 days, 22 hours and 54 minutes, obliterating previous flight records for England to Australia.
In this book, Scott describes his early life and introduction to aviation, his decision to move to Australia and reminiscences of meeting Amy Johnson at Darwin in 1930 (and flying with her to Brisbane).
This copy is bound in polished blue calf by London bookbinders Sangorski & Sutcliffe. Significantly, the front endpaper bears the details of John Leggitt, who effectively served as ghostwriter (Scott dictated his life story to Leggitt who compiled it into the narrative published in this book). Given it was rushed to press in London following the MacPherson Air Race, it is probable that the publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, commissioned this binding for Leggitt in gratitude for his role in expediting the book from inception to print. McLaren Australian Civil Aviation 1527. Item #4285
Price (AUD): $650.00