Embark on a captivating photographic journey beyond Earth, from the dawn of human space exploration, through the untold story of the Mercury and Gemini missions'Wickedly exciting' Tom Hanks'Experience the same incredible awe as we astronauts did on those very first voyages into space' Jim Lovell, Gemini 7 & 12, Apollo 8 & 13'An unprecedented trip back in time… a vibrant, new, living record' ...

**AN INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERDiscover space as you've never seen it before, with these awe-inspiring, breathtakingly restored images of our first missions to the Moon**'The next best thing to being there' Charlie Duke, Apollo 16 astronaut'One of the best records of Apollo history ever produced' David R. Scott, Apollo 15 CommanderIn a frozen vault in Houston sits the original NASA photographic film of the Apol...

Jane was a wartime phenomenon. A sensation. She was also an important feature in the morale of Britain's fighting forces around the world and to those left behind on the "Home Front". So important, in fact, that her fame extended to the House of Commons where one wartime MP referred to our troops as "Jane's fighting men!" Until now there has been no published study of Jane or the woman who inspired her. This book fills the gap with a publication which will have a wide appeal. In a producti...

The true story of the recovery of a World War II plane shot down in France—and the effort to restore this historic aircraft.Spitfire is the fascinating story of the recovery of a Battle of France Spitfire Mk 1 from the sands of Calais during the early 1980s—and its subsequent return to the United Kingdom for rebuild and restoration to flying condition.The full history of the airframe from the factory to loss, the airplane's operational history with...

This thrilling WWII biography tells the incredible true story of one of the Royal Air Force's greatest flying aces.During the Second World War, Flight lieutenant Richard Playne Stevens had an extraordinary career as a Royal Air Force nightfighter. His contemporaries called him Cat's Eyes for his rare ability to see in the dark, but after achieving a record-breaking fourteen victories in the skies—all without the aid of radar or another crew member—he earned the mon...

On 9 August 1941, one of the greatest icons of the Second World War, Douglas Bader, was shot down, captured and later incarcerated. But by whom, and how? Was it by one of his deadly German opponents, as Douglas Bader himself maintained, or was it by one of his own side? There has been much debate and controversy among historians and in 2003 the author of this book revealed for the first time that Bader may have been victim to friendly fire. That revelation was followed by interest in the n...

An illustrated account of the challenge posed to RAF Fighter Command by the Luftwaffe's Fw 190, and the ways in which Spitfire crews adapted to this deadly new threat.The introduction of Focke-Wulf's Fw 190 to Luftwaffe service presented RAF Spitfire VB and VA pilots with a formidable new foe that could quite literally run rings around them. First encountered over France in September 1941, the Fw 190 – or 'Butcher Bird' – soon demonstrated its startling capabilitie...

The Battle of Britain was a fight for survival against a seemingly unstoppable foe. With the German army poised to invade, only the fighters of the Royal Air Force stood between Hitler and the conquest of Britain. Losses were high on both sides, but the Spitfires, Hurricanes, Havocs and Defiants of the RAF began to take their toll on the overextended, under-protected Kampfgruppen of Heinkel He 111s, Junkers Ju 87s and 88s, and Dornier Do 17s.Both sides learned and adapted as the ca...

Luftwaffe Bombers in the Blitz will comprise of some 140-150 images of German bomber aircraft during the Blitz of 1940-1941. The images will cover the entirety of the Blitz and will also depict losses across Britain during this period. Each picture will tell its own story, and will be fully captioned with historical detail. Each section will have a short introduction and the images will include those of shot down aircraft, including relatively intact machines, badly damaged/destroyed wreck...

Luftwaffe Bombers in the Battle of Britain will contains some 140-150 images of German bomber aircraft during the summer of 1940. The images will cover the entirety of the battle and will depict losses across Britain during this period. Each picture will tell its own story, and will be fully captioned with historical detail.Each section will have a short introduction and the images will include those of shot down aircraft, including relatively intact machines, badly damaged/destroyed wreck...

A follow-up to Finding the Few, this companion volume deals with the postwar discovery and recovery of wartime Luftwaffe aircrew who were downed and lost over the UK, most of them during 1940s. There is a lot of detective work involved here. Sometimes airmen have been identified with the tiniest clue, although each case has a common thread; they were all concluded by the diligent research of private individuals and researchers, many involving the author. Indeed, as a result of his work, Sa...

The Junkers 87 Stuka was an iconic weapon of World War Two and an aircraft name that was, and still is, instantly recognized worldwide. Its roles in Poland and the Battles of France and the Low Countries are almost legendary, but in the UK its import during the Battle of Britain is one that has never been covered in any specific detail.Here, Andy Saunders takes a critical look at every operation by Ju87s against British targets in 1940 – including those on land and at sea. Each rai...