Between 1939 & 1946 BOAC (the British Overseas Airways Corporation) was the nationalised airline of Great Britain
- & between 1946 & 1974 as such it exclusively operated all long-haul British flights. With its iconic ' Speedbird' logo & its central role in the glamorous 'jet age' of the 1950s & 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 & 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 & prepared for the return of commercial flight in the postwar era. But it was in the service of Britain's colonies
- & latterly the process of decolonisation
- that BOAC achieved its most pivotal role. The development of flight technology enabled much faster connections between Britain & her imperial possessions
- as the colonies prepared for independence BOAC ferried diplomats politicians & colonial administrators between London & the far-flung corners of Africa & Asia in much faster times than had previously been possible. In this book acclaimed historian Robin Higham presents a unique comprehensive study of BOAC from the early jet travel of the de Havilland Comet & the Vickers VC10 to the dawn of supersonic passenger aviation. Highly illustrated & meticulously researched using previously unseen sources this book will be essential reading for all aviation enthusiasts & anyone interested in the history of modern Britain.