Blueprint for Victory: Britain'S First World War Blitzkrieg Air Force - Hardcover

'Scholarly...detailed. The account covers the work of the Royal Flying Corps in the defence of England ...and the flow of the air war on the Continent as lessons were learned (or not). The influence of key players ...is recounted in some depth. Also evident is the paranoia that had been induced by the Zeppelin and Gotha attacks on London. The later chapters of the book give detailed accounts of the efforts made by fighter units in ground attack work against tactical targets...foretelling what would come to pass in Normandy during the campaigns of 1944. This reviewer enjoyed this thought-provoking book and looks forward to others that are in preparation to carry the story into more recent campaigns.' Air-Britain Aeromilitaria --Air-Britain Aeromilitaria

In this radical reappraisal, Greg Baughen has used archive material to build up an intriguingly different picture of how air power developed in Britain before and during the First World War. Gone are the archetypal conservative army commanders stubbornly refusing to accept the new aerial weapon. Instead, Baughen reveals how even before the outbreak of war, the British Army had appreciated the potential of the aeroplane and describes in detail how during the war, air support evolved to a level of efficiency that would not be attained again by the RAF until the closing stages of the Second World War. The speed with which military aviation developed led to designs for warplanes that would leave a fateful and lasting legacy. The author also explains how social and political factors distorted air strategy, leading to a rival strategic bombing policy. Baughen reveals the fundamental flaws that emerged and questions the thinking behind the creation of an independent RAF. Blueprint for Victory: Britain's First World War Blitzkrieg Air Force details the fierce battles as the rival factions fought for control. Many crucial lessons were learned.Little more than twenty years later, they would be applied with ruthless efficiency by the Luftwaffe.