I found the format of this big book rather odd, for it is arranged in an A to Z way with self indexing entries. Therefore if you want to learn about the Hon CS Rolls (half of Rolls Royce), you look under 'Rolls' and also 'Bournemouth Crashes', where a lot of the information is duplicated. He incidentally was the first fatal casualty in Britain resulting from a powered flight accident. Dorset has a lot of aviation firsts, from the first flight off a moving ship to the first and so far only MP to disappear in a balloon.

Some of the entries are rather strange: for example (and I quote in full) 'Dru Drury - Purbeck flyer: Group Captain Edward Stephen Dru Drury (1910-1948) was the son of Corfe Castle's doctor'. Nevertheless it is a lively story, graced with many wonderful photographs, including many of flying boats which are highly photogenic, and they of course played a large part in the story of aviation in Dorset.

Our War is well represented: a quick look reveals the names of Rhodes-Moorhouse (two entries) and Strange who was one of the first to fly to France in 1914, was still in front line combat in 1918, and then flew a Hurricane back from France in 1940. There is also a lovely picture of a Zero Airship on its mooring, lurking amongst some trees at Upton Near Poole. Lots of fascinating stuff in a marvellous book to browse through.