"Reading this reprint will remind many what navies used to be like, but I hipe it will also create a picture of world naval power as it was at the end of that titanic struggle." Luqa Aerodrome, Malta This is a big book, in every dimension. And, within its pages it manages to cram hundreds of beautiful pictures depicting the history of the RAF from its earliest times through to 1990. I have found this to be an invaluable pictorial resource which holds all sorts of rare, unusual and delightful photographs. I particularly enjoyed seeing some of the interwar years, it is a period that is often lost between all of the coverage that swamps the media concerning the World Wars. There were some really beautiful planes in this experimental and daring time in aviation history. The written text is definitely the poorer relation in this book, but it still manages to provide a meaningful narrative and context. Although, it can be a little on the kind side to the RAF at times, but you would expect this from a book commissioned as the 50th anniversary publication of the Battle of Britain. This should not be allowed to detract you from the value of the photographs, posters and pictures that you will find in this book. It calls itself the illustrated history and as such it does a magnificent job.