British Imperial Air Power: The Royal Air Forces and the Defense of Australia and New Zealand Between the World Wars

"The book does most of what it says on the jacket and a lot more besides. There is clearly a depth of research and what is noticeable is that the work is flat: in other words there is no discernible bias and no hidden agenda. It is well-written and highly readable." —Aerospace Magazine

"Military aviation is a well-covered topic, but that is not the case with the immense developments that took place in the inter-war period. Alex Spencer's British Imperial Air Power fills this gap. Beginning with the first steps towards forming an air force and following those developments and challenges to the eventual outbreak of war in 1939, Spencer offers a well-researched view of military aviation during the inter-war period." —Wartime

"Military aviation has occupied a prominent place in the literature and imagination of both world wars. What has received much less attention is its place in the interwar period, particularly within British imperial plans in the distant dominions of Australia and New Zealand. Alex Spencer's compelling study opens a window on the challenges and changing fortunes of air power in this region and within the wider imperial interests of Whitehall. Historians and members of the public who are interested in interwar air power, dominion defence policy and general imperial British military history in the first half of the twentieth century will find much of value in this book. This is a well-researched, unique and fascinating case study of imperial air power in the period." —Australian Historical Studies

"Spencer's skill as a writer means he is able to guide us through the intricacies of economic, military and diplomatic factors in a fashion that is both highly readable and not encumbered with air power jargon? For anyone with an interest in Australasian air power history and the development of the RAAF and RNZAF, this book is essential reading." —New Zealand Journal of History