Bidspirit auction | RAF Centenary Anthology 1918-2018. Rare

RAF Centenary Anthology 1918-2018. Rare hardback book with box cover. 39 x 27 cm, 10kg. The RAF Commemorative Anthology consists of over 650 pages of documents, orders, operational reports, maps, air diagrams, diaries, letters and ephemera, recording RAF life over its first 100 years. It measures an impressive 39 x 27 cm, in order that original documentation can be reproduced full size. A team based at the RAF Museum spent over two years identifying and assessing material and photographs from the RAF Museum archives and the Air Historical Branch in order to create the ultimate documentary history of the service. There is a specially written introduction to each chapter and extensive footnotes throughout to guide the reader. From General Smut’s memorandum on the need for an air force to the latest air actions, the book presents both a history of the Service and a series of fascinating glimpses into RAF life, operations and policy. Among the many extraordinary documents included in the book are the leaflet dropped over German lines telling them of Von Richthofen’s death, the tragic last written note from Arthur Aaron VC and the secret clandestine letters from an imprisoned Douglas Bader. All the documents and images were scanned at ultra-high resolution to ensure the best possible reproduction and the book is printed on a specially made, acid free, archival quality paper at our award-winning printers in the UK. hand bound on nickel posts in dark blue quarter leather over reinforced boards, with a library buckram book cloth in RAF blue for the cover. The cover itself is embossed and blocked with the roundel and a pattern of rivets reminiscent of a wing section, which extends over the binding. Each copy is then embossed on the spine and cover in silver and presented in a bespoke, die cut slipcase revealing the roundel. The Centenary Edition is strictly limited to just 1250 copies worldwide. Sold out. Copies can be found for prices ranging from £975 to £1,500. A STUNNING BOOK.