The period after the 1914-1918 war saw, in both the USA and the United Kingdom, the emergence of individual daredevil pilots and, in due course, troupes of itinerant aerial artistes who, known as barnstormers, relied upon their unusual skills to earn an all-too-often meager and invariably precarious living.

To do this, the performers had to enhance the dangers of flying, not a very difficult challenge considering the frequency with which fatalities and injuries overtook both themselves and their passengers in those early years. However, as legislation controlling such aerial antics gradually came into force, the demise of the solitary flier led to the creation of more professionally organized touring groups and an increasing emphasis on safety aspects more likely to impress the general public.

In Great Britain, no entrepreneur was more dedicated to advancing the cause of aviation than Sir Alan Cobham. This he attempted to do with propaganda campaigns and major flying exhibitions throughout the United Kingdom and South Africa early in the 1930s. Whilst this book tells the story of Cobham's tours in dramatic detail, it also pays tribute to the many other leading personalities and organizations which, over the years, made such a vivid impression on both sides of the Atlantic.

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128pp; 120 photos; hardback with dust jacket