Bøker av Keith Wilson

RAF Coastal Command was founded in 1936 when the Royal Air Force restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands. During the preceding inter-war years, maritime aviation had been seriously neglected due to the disagreements between the Royal Navy and the RAF over the ownership, roles and investment in maritime air power. Consequently, the new Command quickly became known as the 'Cinderella Service'. However, the Command played a key role in the Allied Victory during the Second World War, particularly during the Battle of the Atlantic. From a modest beginning, the Command blossomed into a powerful anti-submarine force when protecting Allied convoys from the German submarine force, while also protecting that shipping from attacks by the Luftwaffe. Equipped with legendary aircraft such as the Sunderland, Wellington, Catalina and Liberator, along with advances in radar technology such as the new Mark III ASV (Air-to-surface vessel), it was able to locate, attack and destroy an increasing number of U-boats that had fast become the scourge of the convoys. By the end of the Second World War, Coastal Command had flown more than a million flying hours, completed 240,000 operations and destroyed 212 U-boats - but suffered an ever higher loss rate than Bomber Command with 2,060 aircraft lost, along with the lives of 5,866 personnel. Post-war, Coastal Command saw a significant rundown but still made a contribution to the Berlin Airlift. When equipped with the new Shackleton aircraft, their activities shifted to anti-submarine patrols against the Soviet Navy and other fleets of the Warsaw Pact, particularly in the Atlantic. In 1969, Coastal Command was absorbed into the newly formed Strike Command. Illustrated with images from the Air Historical Branch - many of which have never previously been published.

The 1980s transformed Britain with Thatcher's leadership, technological innovations, and key RAF aircraft developments amidst economic challenges.Britain changed more in the 1980s than in almost any recent decade, as readers will recall with differing emotions. A decade dominated by the rise of the City and the fall of the Unions, the wider retreat of the left and the return of military confidence, it also featured an energy of entrepreneurialism, but with entrenched unemployment - more than twice as high in the mid-1980s boom as when Margaret Thatcher took office in 1979. Innovation and technology reigned in the decade that spawned mobile telephones and the World Wide Web: where would the younger generation be without these items in their lives today?To many, it was more simply seen as the decade of Margaret Thatcher, yuppies, chunky mobile telephones, and BMX bikes - although in reality it featured so much more, including the little matter of not one, but two royal weddings, and the Argentinian invasion of the Falkland Islands in 1982. With little apparent diplomatic alternative, Britain set about creating a task force to recover the islands - effectively declaring war on Argentina.During the 1980s, only a few aircraft types were completely withdrawn from the RAF, most of them hardly creating a whimper. These included the Whirlwind HAR.10 helicopter, the Devon C.1, the Pembroke C.1, and some of the earlier Jet Provost T.3, T.4 and T.5 aircraft. However, during the decade, the RAF said farewell to a pair of military icons - the Avro Vulcan in 1984, and the English Electric Lightning in 1988.Aircraft arriving into RAF service included the Tornado GR.1 in the strike/attack role, an aircraft that had been developed as the Multi-role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) by a multi-national organisation from Italy, Germany, and the UK. It was soon followed into service by the Tornado F.2 and F.3 interceptor variants in the Air Defence role. Other new aircraft and helicopters to enter service during the decade included the Chinook HC.1, the Harrier GR.5, the British Aerospace BAe 146 CC.1, and the Tucano T.1.The 1980s was something of a decade of 'mend and make do: the RAF purchased a batch of former US Navy F-4J Phantom aircraft as an air defence stop-gap, converted six Vulcan B.2 aircraft into AAR tanker platforms, and later, converted six Hercules C.1 aircraft into single-point C.1K tankers, initially for use on the Falklands Air Bridge. Further second-hand purchases included a number of former airline Lockheed Tristar and Vickers VC10 aircraft; once converted, these aircraft would later provide the backbone of the RAF's strategic and tactical tanking force for the foreseeable future.Keith Wilson takes up from where he left off with RAF in Camera 1970s, continuing the journey through another significant decade. All of the landmark events are covered in this thorough, well-researched and image-packed publication.Each chapter focuses on a specific year, detailing all of the highlights and events that characterised it. As with previous volumes in this series, this new addition to the In Camera series is sure to be regarded as a collector's edition and a real enthusiast's favourite.

These are the unforgettable highlights from the latest Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, the most famous and prestigious event of its kind in the world. Drawn annually from around 40,000 entries from scores of countries, it provides both an inspiring annual catalogue of the wonders of nature and a thought-provoking look at our complex relationship with the natural world. This book includes each of the category winners and incorporates all aspects of wildlife photography, from animal portraits to Earth's environments. For each photograph there is a caption that reveals the memorable story behind the picture and, for some, members of the international jury share their insightful thoughts. Twenty five striking photographs from the competition's People's Choice vote are also included.

Matt Strong, a high school biology teacher in a small New Hampshire town is stunned when people from the town start dying of a mysterious ailment. They''re fine when in the town, but get sick and soon die horribly when they venture away.As more deaths occur, he gets the CDC and other government agencies involved in his investigation. Meanwhile clandestine government forces are using deadly force to stop Matt, and his friends, from reaching the truth.

Dr. Brett Carson, Epidemic Intelligence Service agent for the Centers for Disease Control, rushes to Guatemala to investigate the sourceof a mysterious and deadly Ebola-like virus that is sweeping through jungle villages.Can he stop the spread to the outside world?

When the expansion of the RAF began in 1934, Air Commodore Tedder observed that the established order of school training not only failed to produce operational competence, but left so much to be done by the operational squadrons that they could only attain passable military efficiency after an uphill struggle. He proposed to raise the standards of school instruction so that pilots would leave the facility as operationally competent pilots, although it would mean lengthening the period of instruction as well as revising the syllabus. It was against this somewhat sorry background of training and logistical problems, as well as having the clouds of war firmly visible on the horizon, that the decision was taken to form a new RAF Training Command on 1 May 1936; an organisation derived from the ashes of the former RAF Inland Area. This book will tell the story - in words and pictures - of RAF Training Command from 1 May 1936 until it was separated into Flying Training Command and Technical Training Command on 27 May 1940. Both commands were then transferred into the newly re-established RAF Training Command on 1 June 1968, until it was then absorbed into RAF Support Command on 13 June 1977.

An alternative insight into what has really impacted on the RAF in its first century. Profusely illustrated with images from the Air Historical Branch.

The idea of a Channel tunnel has been supported in Britain by those wanting closer links with Europe but opposed by believers in the island's identity. The French have been almost unanimously in favour. This account covers historical attempts to build a link with France.

Granted extensive official access to the RAF and their archives, the author has been able to create a comprehensive, consolidated history of the Royal Air Force during the 1950s, a dynamic decade of expansion and technological development. This is the first release in a major new series.

Provides a unique photographic portrait of the Royal Air Force during one of the most significant and interesting decades in aviation history. This is the second volume in a major new series that seeks to explore a wide variety of aspects of the Royal Air Force's history over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries.