The Concorde Story

Public interest in the Concorde story shows little sign of abating, despite the aircraft having been retired from airline service in November 2003. With British Airways' Concordes now on public display at various locations around the world, including examples at Heathrow Airport, Bristol (Filton), Yeovilton (Fleet Air Arm Museum), Weybridge (Brooklands Museum), Manchester (Museum of Science and Technology) and the Museum of Flight in Scotland (East Fortune) the time is ripe for a budget-priced pocket-sized layman's chronological account of the Concorde story that will appeal to Concorde visitors and Concorde enthusiasts alike. The Concorde Story is an attractive picture-led account with a short but authoritative text supported by a comprehensive selection of 80 colour and black and white photographs showing Concorde at all stages of its life. Peter R. March's narrative covers the background (how it came about, from drawing board to first flight); testing times (development flying and proving the aircraft); the fight for survival (political and airline problems); into service (transatlantic routes with BA and Air France); success and disaster (records, passenger appeal and tragedy in Paris); and grounded (the final year and the end of the story - or is it really?)

Peter March is an aviation author, photographer and journalist. He is the editor of the RAF and USAF yearbooks for the RAF Benevolent Fund/Royal International Air Tattoo, a regular contributor to Aircraft Illustrated Magazine, editor of Ian Allan's yearly abc Military Aircraft, and author of more than 50 books in his own right on aviation subjects. He lives in Bristol.