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Official website of Fonthill Media brings us three new titles of aviation related books. In this report you can find few details about each of them.

Unshackled Spirit: Prisoners of War and The Secret Spitfire

Author: Colin Pateman
ISBN: 9781781551912
Format: 234 x 156 mm
Hardback
320 pages, 30 illustrations
We did not find any sample pages yet.

Only those who have been prisoners have any concept of the horrors of being a prisoner, or the ineffable joy of release, of the terrible rise and fall of spirit.
In mid-1943, a British pilot imprisoned in Germany commenced cryptic communication back to England. He had just one goal in mind: to establish a secret trust fund that prisoners of war could use in order to purchase their very own spitfire to soar above them in the skies over occupied Europe. The Spitfire was to be named Unshackled Spirit, and this aircraft, along with this man's selfless act, epitomised the courage and strength of the thousands of men experiencing the horror of the Second World War.
Alongside the story of this unique Spitfire, Colin Pateman records the lives of many prisoners of war, detailing their repeated escape attempts, the strain of daily life in the PoW camps, and the hardships endured during their organised moves across Europe. Pateman's study of these experiences is supported by extracts from prisoners’ treasured wartime logs, including poems, artwork, letters home and personal thoughts, and an examination of the vital committees and institutions that strove to support the plight of these men.
At times heartbreaking, inspirational, and uplifting, Unshackled Spirit reveals the hope and bravery of those forced to endure the trauma of the war while never losing sight of freedom.



Fading Eagle: Politics and Decline of Britain’s Post-War Air Force

Author: Ian Smith Watson
ISBN: 9781781551172
Format: 248 x 172 mm
Hardback
288 pages, 60 black and white

Fading Eagle – Politics and Decline of Britain’s Post-War Air Force looks at the rise and fall of British air power from a more critical than usual angle, in particular the impact of political ineptitude. The Royal Air Force, following a troubled start as a result of resentful contention by the other services, rose to prominence during the Second World War countering imminent invasion and striking at Hitler’s army and industrial complex before the Normandy landings. Air power also proved a vital factor in support of both land and sea operations.
Post-war, the RAF continued its newfound prominence among the armed forces, again as the principal defender of the United Kingdom from likely Soviet air attack and as the principal means of delivering the nuclear deterrent, countering the submarine threat and providing rapid comprehensive air support across the globe. Despite this, the change in political aspirations and priorities led to decisions and policies which resulted in unintended and unnecessary weakening of the RAF and other services.
When the Cold War ended in 1991, many western nations, Britain not least among them, were determined that modern warfare as understood was at an end, air power quickly became sidelined despite being relied upon extensively since. In an era of high demand on the armed forces in tandem with less and incompetently managed funding, there have been calls for the RAF to be disbanded, as had been so during the early years of its existence.



Britain’s Cold War Bombers

Author: Tim McLelland
ISBN 9781781550526
Format: 248x 172 mm
Hardback
336 pages, 200 black and white, 50 colour

Britain’s Cold War Bombers explores the creation and development of the jet bomber, tracing the emergence of the first jet designs (the Valiant and Vulcan) through to the first-generation jets which entered service with the R.A.F. and Fleet Air Arm. Each aircraft type will be examined, looking at how the design was created and how this translated into an operational aircraft.
The basic development and service history of each type will be examined, with a narrative which links the linear appearance of each new design, leading to the present day and the latest generation of Typhoon aircraft.
Other aircraft types explored will include the Canberra, Sperrin, Victor, Scimitar, Buccaneer, Nimrod, Phantom, Sea Harrier, Jaguar, Tornado GR1/4 and Typhoon.


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