I enjoy reading about people who made a difference in the both world war and was really pleased to be asked to review this really interesting book by Nudge.
The book is so well written and gives a great account of Hugh "Boon" Trenchard and quite rightly has been described as " the father of the Royal Air Force"
With a life expectancy being weeks in the Royal Air Force and the battle of Britain this man survived and carried on in retirement as a powerful influence.
Trenchard's story begins not as the reader would expect, as he actually failed his entrance exams to both the navy and army on several occasions, but as luck would have it he managed to join the Royal Flying Corps in 1912. Two years later the first world war commenced and he rose up the ranks.
I will leave it up to the reader to decide if they did feel Trenchards position led to the terrible cost of German civilian lives with the bombings in the second world war or the fall of Singapore and base defenses- one today has to remember we are well read on aspects in history but hindsight is a great thing.
A worthwhile read and next time I am near Whitehall - I will seek out his statue.
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