Derek James wrote Gloster Aircraft Company reviewed in Vol 31 No 2 which I enjoyed. This book has come out at the same time as Sir Robert Wall's, reviewed in Vol 32 No 2, and demonstrates again what an important company the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and its successor, BAE Systems Airbus UK, was and is.

James worked for Glosters all his life, but has known all the main Bristol characters on a personal basis, and this comes through in this well written and illustrated work. Reading through the book, which I enjoyed, I was again impressed with the sheer scale of the technical ability of the Company to make a success of anything they turned their hands to, for the best part of 100 years. It must be because they always hired and succeeded in keeping, the very best brains around.

I cannot recommend one of these excellent books over the other. This one has more script, but does not take the story as near to the present time as the other one. This one has many splendid pictures and drawings, but no index. The answer is to have both. The Company and the authors deserve no less.