{"title":"John Swinfield","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelve into the captivating world of John Swinfield, where gripping narratives and compelling characters await. Perfect for fans of thrilling mysteries and suspenseful dramas, discover his works and prepare to be enthralled.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"airship-book-john-swinfield-9781844861385","title":"Airship","description":"Airship charts the history of lighter-than-air craft from the continental pioneers of the late 19th century through to European airship stations in the Great War, Germany's pre-eminent commercial and military zeppelins, the construction of British behemoths R100 and its sister ship R101 and the calamitous losses of USS Akron in 1933 and LZ129 Hindenburg in 1937, events which ultimately heralded the end of large-scale airship production.   The historical development of airships was protracted and fractious, as the armed forces of leading European and US powers toyed with commercial propositions while trying to bend them to military uses. John Swinfield examines the axial role of Count Zeppelin, the development of the Zeppelin in Germany as bomber and reconnaissance craft, and the way the British Admiralty, French, Italian and American engineers attempted to imitate German design.   The airship coincided with a time of international strife: mass unemployment, general strikes, the Wall Street Crash and the growing shadow of fascist tumult. Airship draws on original sources, official documents and private letters including interviews with figures like Mary Stopes-Roe, daughter of the airship builder Barnes Wallis. It identifies and analyses the central themes and bold personalities of the era: forming a text that is readable, entertaining and authoritative. The book is fully referenced with newly discovered first-hand material and a detailed bibliography.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49526308471057,"sku":"GOR005402016","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49635943022865,"sku":"GOR007950927","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1844861384.jpg?v=1751249067"},{"product_id":"sea-devils-book-john-swinfield-9780750953566","title":"Sea Devils","description":"Sea Devils is a compelling account of pioneer submariners and their astonishing underwater contraptions. Some made perilous voyages. Others sank like stones. Craft were propelled by muscle-power or had steam engines with chimneys. Some had wheels to trundle along the seabed. Others were used as underwater aircraft carriers. Here John Swinfield traces the history of early submarines and the personalities who built and sailed them. From a plethora of madcap inventors emerged a bizarre machine that navies of the world reluctantly acquired but viewed with distaste. It matured into a weapon that would usurp the mighty battleship, which had for centuries enjoyed an unchallenged command of the oceans. In its long and perilous history the submarine became subject to fierce business, military and political shenanigans. It won eventual acceptance amidst the chaos and carnage of the First World War, in which pathfinder submariners achieved an extraordinarily high tally of five Victoria Crosses, Britain’s highest military decoration. Sea Devils brims with daring characters and their unflinching determination to make hazardous underwater voyages: an immensely readable, entertaining and authoritative chronicle of low cunning, high politics, wondrous heroism and appalling tragedy.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49571328262417,"sku":"GOR008134299","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49652029391121,"sku":"GOR012938118","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/075095356X.jpg?v=1751137834"},{"product_id":"airship-book-john-swinfield-9781591140344","title":"Airship","description":"Airship charts the history of lighter-than-air craft from the continental pioneers of the late 19th century through to European airship stationsin the Great War, Germany's pre-eminent commercial and military zeppelins, the construction of British behemoths R100 and its sistership R101 and the calamitous losses of US Akron in 1933 and LZ129 Hindenburg in 1937, events which ultimately heralded the end of largescale airship production. The historical development of airships is seen to be protracted and fractious, as the armed forces of leading European countries and the U.S. explored commercial applications while trying to develop them for military use.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50300969419025,"sku":"CIN159114034XG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":50893124665617,"sku":"NGR9781591140344","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51038796742929,"sku":"NIN9781591140344","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/159114034X.jpg?v=1750799491"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-john-swinfield.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}