Behind the Smoke Screen

Groves, Brigadier-General P.R.C.

Published by Faber and Faber, London, 1934

About this Item

No dust jacket. Original cloth with bright gilt titling on the spine. Tesrs to the cloth. A good reading copy only. Ex Libris label on front paste down. Cloth hinges exposed at front pages gutter. xiii, 352 pages clean and tight. Foxing to page tips. Preface by Major-General Sir Ernest Swinton. A fascinating book where the author argues that Britain's Air Power was very lacking. Groves retired from active service in 1922 with the rank of brigadier general.[7] Based on his experiences on active service, Groves realised that Britain needed to radically rethink its approach to air strategy.[3] Shortly after his retirement from the forces, he proceeded to campaign "for the creation of an effective striking force and for a proper regard for the patent realities of civil aviation".[3] His opinions attracted the interest of Viscount Northcliffe and in 1922 a series of articles on "Our Future in the Air" were published in The Times.[3] He remained a forceful campaigner for an immediate expansion of the RAF to parity with the largest European force within striking distance. Brigadier-General Percy Robert Clifford Groves, CB, CMG, DSO (26 May 1878 12 August 1959) was a senior British air strategist who served in the British Army and the Royal Air Force (RAF).[1][2] He was a tireless campaigner for a radical rethink of Britain s approach to air strategy following the First World War, in particular for an immediate expansion of the RAF to parity with the largest European force within striking distance.[3] He is perhaps best known as being an advocate of the aerial knock out blow : the possibility of ending a war in its early stages by launching a massive attack on the enemy s centres of gravity.[4] Size: 8vo.

Seller Inventory # 143059

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Behind the Smoke Screen
• Publisher: Faber and Faber, London
• Publication Date: 1934
• Binding: Hard Cover
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Good