The Age of Invincible: The Ship That Defined the Modern Royal Navy by Nick Childs

The Age of Invincible: The Ship That Defined the Modern Royal Navy by Nick Childs lands on the shelves of my shop.

Pen & Sword Maritime, 2009, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black and White Photographs;

From the cover: The Age Of Invincible tells the story of a ship that defined a difficult era of change for the modern Royal Navy. It is also the story of many key people who played parts in that. HMS Invincible emerged from a period of national upheaval in the 1960s that forced a painful alteration of course on the Navy. Her early career, including her crucial role in the Falklands War, was eventful to say the least, and certainly put her in the public eye. She evolved too as the Cold War ended, the world changed, and the Royal Navy began to redefine itself again for a new age in a way that would not have been possible without HMS Invincible.

Introduction by: Admiral Sir Jonathon Band

Very Good+ in Very Good+ Dust Wrapper.

Black boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. [XVI] 189 pages. Index. Bibliography. 9½” x 6¼”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!

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Air Battle for Malta: The Diaries of a Spitfire Pilot by James Douglas-Hamilton

Air Battle for Malta: The Diaries of a Spitfire Pilot by James Douglas-Hamilton lands on the shelves of my shop.

Airlife, 1990, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Jacket illustration: A Spitfire sees off a Bf109 over the Grand Harbour, Valletta in a specially commissioned painting by Michael Turner. Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs;

From the cover: For both the Axis and the Allied Powers, Malta was a vital key to victory not only in the Mediterranean, but in North Africa and the Middle East as well. In this new edition of his highly-praised book, The Air Battle For Malta, James Douglas-Hamilton provides one of the most intriguing and realistic accounts of the struggle for possession of the island, a fight to the death which lasted two-and-a-half years, during which time 14,000 tons of bombs were dropped on a defiant population. The book is based largely on the diaries of Lord David Douglas-Hamilton, the authors uncle, who was sent out to Malta as a Spitfire Squadron Leader at a time when the island was sustaining heavier bombing than London at the height of the Blitz, and the Axis forces were preparing for invasion. The authors scrupulous research, combined with his uncles uniquely authoritative viewpoint, vividly recreates the period, the comradeship and the grimness of life on the beleaguered island.

The air battle, which was the second largest of the entire war, involved some of the most famous fighter aces of World War II, including screwball Beurling and Laddie Lucas. They all played a vital part in what proved to be one of the greatest defensive and strategic operations of all time, and their exploits, along with those of many others, are recorded here, a reminder of their indomitable spirit in the face of appalling odds.

Introduction by: Laddie Lucas

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Gently bruised at the head of the spine and the top corners of the boards with commensurate wear to the dust wrapper. Text complete, clean and tight.

Blue boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 150 pages. Index. Bibliography. 9¾” x 7¼”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!

Flights of Terror: Aerial Hijack and Sabotage Since 1930 by David Gero

Flights of Terror: Aerial Hijack and Sabotage Since 1930 by David Gero lands on the shelves of my shop.

Patrick Stephens Limited, 1997, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Jacket illustration: A BOAC Super VC-10 and a TWA Boeing 707 are blown up in the Jordanian desert, along with a Swissair DC-8 that is hidden by the flames and smoke. Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Diagrams; Maps;

From the cover: The mere thought of a ticking bomb hidden in a suitcase, or a gun- or knife-wielding assailant commandeering a commercial flight is enough to send a chill down the back of the most seasoned air traveller. Yet terrorism, like mid-air collisions, adverse weather conditions, and mechanical failure, remains a real threat to the safety of air travel. Here David Gero, author of the best-selling Aviation Disasters, chronicles the various types of hostile actions committed against commercial aircraft from the earliest days of air travel, in the first reference book to cover this subject comprehensively.

The hundreds of events described are presented in logical categories, including the early years of aerial terrorism, acts spawned in the Middle East, the shooting down of commercial transports (which have not necessarily been by terrorists but sometimes by democratic government forces) and the many different varieties of hijacking, from those that took flights to Cuba to the unique cases that involved skyjackers parachuting from aircraft.

Although many acts of aerial terrorism have gone virtually unmentioned by the media, other, more dramatic events have hit the headlines and become major news stories. Among these, perhaps the best known is that at Lockerbie when a Pan American Boeing 747 was brought down over Scotland by a terrorist bomb, killing 270 persons. A more recent highly publicised incident, also resulting in great loss of life, was the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767 which crashed in the sea off the Comoro Islands when the hijackers forced the crew to fly beyond the aircrafts fuel range.

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Price Clipped.

Black boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 172 pages. Index. 10″ x 7¾”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!