Flying with the Navy

During five years of research for the four volumes of the Fleet Air Arm Boys book series covering the post-war FAA, former personnel not only contributed a huge quantity of stories but also sent many thousands of photographs, largely taken by themselves, and mostly never previously seen. It soon became clear that what was needed was a stand-alone photograph-heavy book, showing off many of these superb photos to best effect by giving them up to a full page or more with high quality reproduction.

Whereas the ‘Boys’ books are all about fascinating stories supported by photos, here you have fascinating photos supported by some explanation and the occasional short supporting story. The opportunity has also been taken to expand the coverage to cover the whole history from the start of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) before the First World War to today, illustrating the changing equipment and roles of the service. Coverage is not limited to just a large representative group of aircraft, but also includes many ships and air stations. Most importantly, air and ground crew are highlighted throughout, both at work and at play, and those who lost their lives are suitably remembered.

Flying with the Navy is a once-in-a-lifetime publication and a must-have for all devotees of this truly astounding branch of the armed forces.