Imperial Airways - The Birth of the British Airline Industry 1914-1940, Robert Bluffield, Classic Publishing, 224pp. illus, hbk, £35.00 - Several have tried to pen a 'biography' of Imperial Airways; until now, none have given it the gravitas and lavish imagery the subject deserves. Biplane airliners, high-class flying-boats, Croydon's iconography, Art Deco and inter-war aspirations all make 'Imperial's' era irresistible. The depth of detail here is astounding, but it is not heavy going. The words, tables and appendices are backed byrntasteful design and lashings of illustrations showing tickets, publicity posters, timetables, adverts, colour profiles and more. A book to be proud of.
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