Focusing on the evolution of airborne early warning (AEW) systems, the book explores their transition from maritime use since 1941 to essential components of modern military forces after the computer revolution of the late 1970s. It highlights the strategic importance of AEW aircraft as force multipliers for top-tier armed forces, providing a thorough analysis of their operational capabilities and significance in contemporary warfare.
With over 130 photographs, this book describes the evolution of the aircraft that provided the airlift capacity for Britain s armed forces wherever they served, and as the 2021 Operation Pitting showed, transport aircraft are still last out.
This book relates the history of these weapons and how Britain operates some of the finest guided weapons available today.
"After a string of commercial disappointments, in 1986 Australian rock band The Church were simultaneously dropped by Warner Brothers in the US and EMI in Australia. The future looked bleak. Seemingly from nowhere, Arista Records founder Clive Davis took a liking to the enigmatic band, flying them to LA to record with West Coast hitmakers Waddy Wachtel and Greg Ladanyi. Amid fractious sessions, and with no obvious hit song in the bag, they played Davis a demo recording of a strange leftover song. Neither a ballad nor a rocker, with mercurial lyrics, fugitive chords and a mystifying backwards bagpipe solo, "Under the Milky Way" transfixed Davis, who insisted it be included. Chris Gibson delves into the mysteries of this mercurial classic, tracing both its slippery cultural geography and its sumptuous songcraft"--
"Guitars inspire cult-like devotion: an afficionado can tell you precisely when and where their favorite instruments were made. And she will likely also tell you about the wood they were made from and its unique effects on the instruments' sound. In Following Guitars, Chris Gibson and Andrew Warren trace guitars all the way back to the tree. It is a book about musical instrument making, the timbers and trees from which guitars are made. It chronicles the authors' journeys across the world, to guitar festivals, factories, remote sawmills, Indigenous lands, and distant rainforests, in search of the behind-the-scenes stories of how guitars are made, where the much-cherished guitar timbers ultimately come from, and the people and skills involved along the way. The authors are able to unlock insights on longer arcs of world history: on the human exploitation of nature, colonialism, industrial capitalism, and cultural change. They end on a parable of wider resonance: of the incredible but unappreciated skill and care that goes into growing and felling trees, milling timber, and making enchanted musical instruments; set against the human tendency to reform our use (and abuse) of natural resources only when it appears too late"--
Modern strategists talk about “force multipliers,” and, for air operations, air-to-air refueling is without doubt the greatest force multiplier of all. In-flight refueling has allowed not only the longest bombing missions in history but also persistence in air defense, transport reach and flexibility in ground-attack tasks. Covering a range of refuelers — including the Boeing KC-97 and KC-135, Vickers Valiant, Handley Page Victor, Lockheed TriStar, Vickers VC10, McDonnell Douglas KC-10 and the Airbus MRTT Voyager — this book details the history of air-to-air refueling and celebrates the key role played by tanker aircraft in the application of air power around the world.
A key component in any armed force, helicopters operate in a range of roles. Thanks to their ability to go anywhere, the helicopter adds a flexibility unknown to armed forces in the past. This book describes the evolution of the helicopter in British service. Lavishly illustrated throughout, it includes many previously unpublished photographs.
Focusing on the transient moments that shape our identities, this illustrated collection offers a series of poetic experiments. Each poem captures the essence of life's fleeting experiences, inviting readers to reflect on the significance of these defining instances. The interplay of imagery and verse enhances the exploration of personal journeys, making it a thoughtful and evocative read.
Set in a library, this immersive poem features a unique format where each right-hand page showcases a captivating image from another book, while the left-hand page presents a line of text along with a QR code. Scanning the QR code leads readers to the complete work from which the image originates, creating a layered reading experience. This innovative approach transforms the book into a library itself, inviting exploration and discovery through each poetic line.