Speedbird ─ The Complete History of B.O.A.C

Between 1939 and 1946 BOAC (the British Overseas Airways Corporation) was the nationalized airline of Great Britain – and between 1946 and 1974 as such it exclusively operated all long-haul British flights. With its iconic 'Speedbird' logo and its central role in the glamorous 'jet age' of the 1950s and 1960s, BOAC achieved a near cult-status. Yet, to date there has been no comprehensive history of the organization, covering its structure, fleet and the role it played in the critical events of the age – from World War II to the end of empire, a period when BOAC played a pivotal part in projecting British political power, even as that power was waning. Acclaimed historian Robin Higham here presents a complete study of BOAC from the early days before jet travel to the de Havilland Comet and the Vickers VC10 to the dawn of supersonic passenger aviation. Highly illustrated and meticulously researched, this book will be essential reading for all aviation enthusiasts and anyone interested in the history of modern Britain and the Empire.

Robin Higham is Emeritus Professor of History at Kansas State University, USA. He is a renowned expert on military and aviation history. His publications include A Military History of China (with David Graff), Why Air Forces Fail: The Anatomy of Defeat (with Stephen J. Harris), Two Roads to War: The French and British Air Arms from Versailles to Dunkirk, The Writing of Official Military History, Russian Aviation and Air Power in the Twentieth Century, The Military History of Tsarist Russia, The Military History of the Soviet Union (with Fredrick W. Kagan), and Britain's Imperial Air Routes, 1918-39: The Story of Britain's Overseas Airlines.