The RAF in the Cold War 1950-1970
Title: Images of War, The Royal Airforce In The Cold War 1950-1970 by Ian Proctor
Introduction
Having seen this ‘The RAF in the Cold War 1950-1970’ advertised in Amazon and on Twitter, it is one I had to add to my ever growing collection of aviation and military books. The Royal Air Force in the Cold War, 1950-1970 (Images of War) By Ian Proctor, is a superb collection of over 150 photos.
The photos are all taken from the British Air Ministry collection, Mr Proctor must have had a hard time deciding on which photos to use, from such a collection. The photos depict RAF life and activities between 1950 and 1970. They are, for the most part, posed pictures, but this adds a typical feel of the period to the images.
The book is split into 6 chapters:
- 1. On the Front Line
- 2. The Nuclear Deterrent
- 3. The RAF Overseas
- 4. Aircraft
- 5. Recruitment and Training
- 6. Aerobatic Display Teams
The Introduction and each Chapter has a few pages describing the history and detail of the title. Then follows plenty of pages of photos, which also come with a useful and interesting description.
Pros
What’s not to like. Lots of period photos of the RAF between 1950 and 1970. I particularly liked the chapter on the Aerobatic Display Teams (that subject could fill a whole book on its own). Size and format of the book is good. Each photo is on its own page, so no photos annoyingly spread across 2 pages.
Cons
Only one very tiny niggle. The caption to the photo on page 9 mentions Coastal Command Liberators, I’m 100% sure they are Coastal Command Shackleton MR MK1’s.
Round Up
If you have the spare cash, and you like your RAF and Cold War history, then you need The Royal Air Force in the Cold War, 1950-1970 (Images of War)
I’m looking forward to seeing in the future, if we get more books based on 1970 to 1991.
Stuart Fowle is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk. This means that when you click on links to various products on this site/post and make a purchase, this can result in a commission that is credited to this Stuart Fowle. This does not impact the price you pay.
