'Fifty Extraordinary and Little-Known Vignettes of British and Commonwealth Airmen in Action since 1914'. RAF Navigator Andrew Thomas had a career which was almost exactly bisected by the end of the Cold War and saw operational service in the Balkans, West Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan. He has chosen 50 fascinating cameos of individual actions or incidents across major and minor campaigns and scenarios ranging from the First World War to the present day. They include the RFC's first bombing attack in March 1915, the Zeppelin killer, a schoolboy pilot, the raid on Fort Alexandrovsk May 1919. In World War Two we see an Eritrean adventure, outnumbered over Rangoon, smoking over Dieppe, an Aleutian dogfight, Nuremburg nightmare, and the first sea fire over Japan. Post World War we see Kashmir rocketeers, Mau Mau, Cyprus mare's nest, ambush over Angola, curbing Saddam. We meet World War Two Timor Ace 'Butch' Gordon in his Beaufighter in 1943, Halifaxes over Nuremburg in 1944, to SAAF fighters over Angola in September 1985 and many more in between. 192pp packed with colour and other photos.

Sub-titled 'True Tales from the RAF, Indian and Finnish Pilots Who Flew the Single-Seat Fighter and Two-Seat Trainer'. The Folland Gnat was used by the RAF mainly in the advanced training role in the 1960s and 70s, and was an ideal lead-in trainer for high-performance aircraft such as the iconic Lightning, the first RAF supersonic fighter. It was also used by the famous Yellowjacks formation aerobatic team, formed in 1964, the forerunner of the world-famous Red Arrows team which was equipped with the Gnat for over a decade before being replaced by the Hawk in 1980. Lesser known, the Gnat was also used as a lightweight fighter by both the Indian and Finnish air forces. Later called the Ajeet (Midge), it saw combat experience in the Indo-Pakistani wars, most notably in the Battle of Boyra. Today over 60 years since the aircraft first flew, several Gnats continue to be operated from North Weald Airfield in Essex under the brand the Gnat Display Team. Gnat Boys has become one of the most sought-after books about aviation covering a very special era in history, and this book relates the history of the aircraft and untold stories by those who flew in them. They include well-known and distinguished aviators including those from Indian and Finnish air forces and there is also a focus on the civilian life of the Gnat into the 21st century with accounts from those who continue to fly the aircraft with the Heritage Aircraft Trust. Smoke on, go! 254pp, very well illustrated with colour and other photos.

Sub-titled 'True Tales from the Operators of the Jet Provost and Strikemaster', the book is written with all the know-how of an ex-RAF officer. As a versatile and undemanding aircraft, the Jet Provost established itself as the basic trainer for the RAF from the late 1950s until its retirement in September 1993. This magnificent flying machine is explored through the vivid memories of former air crew from the RAF and foreign air forces. The aircraft had relative success within the civilian and military display flying circuit in the 1960s and 70s. It was also part of the prestige Golden Eagle Flight at RAF Cranwell which taught the then Prince of Wales how to fly. When the Mk.5 model became the BAC 167 Strikemaster after some modifications, it assumed a counter-insurgency and light-attack role and allowed it to be sold to air forces including Ceylon, Nigeria, New Zealand, Sudan and Venezuela where it played an effective role in many border disputes and internal warfare. It was crucial to the Sultan of Oman Air Force during the Dhofar War. The book includes a foreword by Squadron Leader Terry Lloyd who was leader of the 1964-65 Red Pelicans display team and is one of the 'Boys' series not to be missed for all aviation fans. 176 large pages, packed with colour and other photos and advertising.

Sub-titled 'True Tales from Operators of the RAF's First Single-Engined Jet' and written by an aviator who helps crew for the last airworthy ex-RAF Vampire in the world, the T.11 WZ507. Sliding out of the shadows of WWII, the de Havilland Vampire with the distinctive whine of its Goblin engine, quickly proved itself an effective alternative to piston-powered fighters. It entered service with the RAF in 1946 and held a number of notable records - the first fighter to exceed 500mph, the first to set a world altitude record of almost 60,000ft, the first to take off and land from an aircraft carrier, and the first jet to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Not bad for something built partly of wood. The book brings to life the trials and tribulations of operating a first-generation jet across the globe and their insightful anecdotes and exceptional experiences on every page. We follow squadrons across the dusty deserts of Iraq to exercises in West Germany, tales of aerial handling, incidents and accidents including the much-maligned spin characteristics, and squadron life. Together they paint a portrait of a pioneering time in aviation advancement right up to the T.11 still flying from Coventry Airport. With unique images throughout in both colour and sepia and mono. 208 large pages.

Sub-titled 'One SAS Trooper's Extraordinary Account of the Falklands War', Tony Hoare always knew he wanted to be in the SAS. Both his grandfather and father had been soldiers and Tony signed up for the Cadets at the age of 13, then the Infantry at 17, and enlisted into the Royal Green Jackets before passing arduous SAS selection in 1978. Less than four years later, Tony and his team were sent to a collection of islands just off the coast of Argentina called the Falklands, where tensions were rising and war was on the horizon. No amount of training could prepare Tony for what happened over the course of the next 12 weeks, as the Falkland Islands became a battleground between British and Argentinian forces. As helicopters crashed, and ships sank, Tony, at the centre of the action, battled across treacherous terrain and against a fearsome enemy, doing whatever it took to retake the islands. This is the full, explosive, boots-on-the-ground story from a soldier at the heart of the action, who was on the frontline throughout the entire conflict and 'all soldiers would have wanted him alongside them when things got brutal. This is a no-hold account of the Falklands War from a man who was in the fight.' - Andy McNab. The book is especially poignant on what it was like to lose friends and dealing with PTSD. Tony concludes that they 'did alright, didn't we?' 306pp.