Speedbird: The Complete History of BOAC Contributor(s): Higham, Robin (Author) |
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ISBN: 1780764626 ISBN-13: 9781780764627 Publisher: I. B. Tauris & Company OUR PRICE: $79.20 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: May 2013 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Transportation | Aviation - History |
Dewey: 387.706 |
Physical Information: 2" H x 6.2" W x 9.2" (2.05 lbs) 512 pages |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: Between 1939 and 1946 BOAC (the British Overseas Airways Corporation) was the nationalised 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 with admirers around the globe. Yet, to date there has been no comprehensive history of the organisation, 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. During World War II, BOAC operated a limited wartime service and prepared for the return of commercial flight in the postwar era. But it was in the service of Britain's colonies - and latterly the process of decolonisation - that BOAC achieved its most pivotal role. |