{"title":"Ian Smith Watson","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"fading-eagle-book-ian-smith-watson-9781781551172","title":"Fading Eagle","description":"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.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49505693368593,"sku":"GOR006608631","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50481158095121,"sku":"GOR008777810","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1781551170.jpg?v=1751247827"},{"product_id":"royal-air-force-at-home-the-history-of-raf-air-displays-from-1920-book-ian-smith-watson-9781848841574","title":"Royal Air Force \"at Home\": the History of RAF  Air Displays from 1920","description":"Military public relations endeavours ultimately seek to build a sense of common interests and aims, and so generally foster good relations with the people they defend, and there in ensure a stable society.  The armed forces when engaging on any public relations exercise, have traditionally sought to provide an entertaining spectacle. For years this has been typified by parades, bands, mock battles, drill displays and other relevant feats of military prowess which have captured the imagination of the public and inspired potential recruits.The 20th Century brought a new dimension to the field of warfare and subsequently added a new strand to the fabric of public ceremony and displays by the armed forces.  That new dimension was the arrival of powered flight. Display flying began within five years of the Wright Brothers making their milestone first flight.  The first events staged in Britain which centred on demonstrations by flying machines, were organised by the town councils of Blackpool and Doncaster and were held within days of each other in October 1909.1 920 was the year that the first of the famed and legendary Hendon Air Pageants was staged, and this is where military air shows traditionally began.  The Hendon Displays were organised and staged by the still fledging Royal Air Force and it was probably due in no small part to the prestige and spectacle of this fresh new dimension of military pageantry, together with other like events held at RAF airfields through the next two decades, that the very existence of the RAF was saved from the threat of abolition. The history of the RAF's commitment (one that compares almost uniquely with other air forces) toward display flying through the years after World War Two has now come of age. This account of their record in this often overlooked but then again traditional field of military customs, describes and illustrates the major public RAF events since 1920.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49531435581713,"sku":"GOR007303861","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49559577788689,"sku":"GOR006582732","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49653948219665,"sku":"GOR013438456","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1848841574.jpg?v=1750995678"},{"product_id":"northern-q-book-ian-smith-watson-9781781556092","title":"Northern 'Q'","description":"Northern 'Q':  The History of Royal Air Force, Leuchars takes its title from the long standing primary role as one of the oldest airfields in the UK. Leuchars began its links with military aviation as far back as 1911 with the arrival of the Royal Engineers who established a balloon squadron for reconnaissance training. Following the outbreak of war in 1939, the station was identified as an ideal location to launch maritime operations under Coastal Command. By the end of the war, Leuchars, like so many other airfields, was under the threat of redundancy as many airfields were rendered surplus to requirements. The developing international situation placed a shift in defence with the Cold War and Leuchars was once more deemed to be in an ideal and vital position. From 1950, this corner of north-east Fife has been on permanent guard with every type of operational interceptor in RAF service. Now politics from austerity to Scottish independence, rather than sound judgement, is setting the agenda as the RAF leave for Lossiemouth in Moray.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49736162640145,"sku":"NGR9781781556092","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50455243194641,"sku":"GOR010334011","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53190468206865,"sku":"GOR014797307","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1781556091.jpg?v=1750723300"},{"product_id":"hundred-years-of-the-raf-air-display-book-ian-smith-watson-9781781558430","title":"A Hundred Years of the RAF Air Display","description":"For 100 years, the world's oldest independent air force, the RAF, forged a distinguished record in military air operations from the First World War through to recent operations over Iraq and Syria. There is, however, a field of endeavour in which the Royal Air Force has excelled: selling its public image. Of the three armed services, the air force is the one perfectly placed to advertise its wares 'at home' with the facilities to accommodate large audiences, through scintillating flying displays with ever more impressive aircraft and large airfields with readily available facilities. Originally centred on the RAF station at Hendon in North London, the RAF held its first public 'Air Pageant' in 1920. A grand affair, it continued as an annual event until 1937 when it was succeeded by the widespread 'Empire Air Day' held at several RAF stations until war intervened in 1939. The RAF came to true military prominence during the Second World War, particularly the 'Battle of Britain'; this then became the focus of the celebration and commemoration. However, the Battle of Britain Displays constantly contracted, eventually to zero, but for much of their existence were the most impressive air shows around the globe.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49741838221585,"sku":"NGR9781781558430","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51080774320401,"sku":"GOR014171784","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1781558434.jpg?v=1751431409"},{"product_id":"raf-in-cold-war-germany-book-ian-smith-watson-9781781558423","title":"The RAF in Cold War Germany","description":"In May 1945 with the war in Europe at an end, Britain had to play her part in the occupation of the defeated Germany. The near-bankrupt country was hard-pressed to maintain such a military presence on the continent and still manage our other out commitments across the Mediterranean, Middle and Far East. As the immediate post-war years came to pass, Britain and other western powers found themselves reviewing their relationship with the key victor in the east: the USSR. A defining moment came in 1948 when the Soviet Union attempted to starve the people of West Berlin to the point of being relinquished to their fate by the Western allies. Following a sterling and stubborn effort to keep the city supplied with the minimum materials and food the Soviet exercise ended in 1949. But the parameters were now set, the Iron Curtain had descended across the continent, and the RAF were to maintain a constant vigil with nuclear-armed aircraft on station ready to respond to Soviet aggression for the next four decades while politicians tried desperately to preserve the peace.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49741849821457,"sku":"NGR9781781558423","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51278307000593,"sku":"GOR012621589","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1781558426.jpg?v=1751435883"},{"product_id":"northern-q-book-ian-smith-watson-9781781551929","title":"Northern \"Q\"","description":"Northern 'Q':  The History of Royal Air Force, Leuchars takes its title from the long standing primary role as one of the oldest airfields in the UK. Leuchars began its links with military aviation as far back as 1911 with the arrival of the Royal Engineers who established a balloon squadron for reconnaissance training. Following the outbreak of war in 1939, the station was identified as an ideal location to launch maritime operations under Coastal Command. By the end of the war, Leuchars, like so many other airfields, was under the threat of redundancy as many airfields were rendered surplus to requirements. The developing international situation placed a shift in defence with the Cold War and Leuchars was once more deemed to be in an ideal and vital position. From 1950, this corner of north-east Fife has been on permanent guard with every type of operational interceptor in RAF service. Now politics from austerity to Scottish independence, rather than sound judgement, is setting the agenda as the RAF leave for Lossiemouth in Moray.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50555035091217,"sku":"GOR009036706","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1781551928.jpg?v=1751247828"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-au\/collections\/author-books-by-ian-smith-watson.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}