At the beginning of the Second World War, RAF Acklington was the most important fighter station in north-east England. It started life in 1938 as a training base for RAF aircrew, but after the outbreak of hostilities it was given the role of protecting the skies over Newcastle and its important industrial hinterland. Acklinton's Spitfires and Hurricanes were soon in action against German bombers, as many of the earliest air raids of the war took place over this part of Britain. Due to the importance of this region, with its major ports and industries, it continued to attract the attention of enemy bombers long after the Battle of Britain had been won. By late 1940, most of the attacks took place after dark and RAF Acklington became the host for night fighter squadrons. Unlike many military airfields, it did not close when hostilities ceased, reverting first to its training role, and then becoming the base for fighter aircraft, before closing in the early 1970s.

A comprehensive history of the Second World War Fighter Command airfield at RAF Drem located near Edinburgh. It was one of Scotland's most important airfields in this conflict. Its predecessor, the Royal Flying Corps Gullane air station is included in the account. When war broke out in 1939 among the first targets attacked by the Luftwaffe was the Royal Navy base at Rosyth. The Spitfires at RAF Drem were scrambled to protect this vital installation and were engaged in some of the first air battles over Britain. The exploits of its pilots received much attention from the press at the time. By mid-1940, much of the fighting had gravitated to the south of England. Spitfires and Hurricanes based at Drem would, however, continue to patrol the skies over the Firth of Forth until the end of the war. Night fighter squadrons were also based here, first flying the Blenheim and later the Mosquito. Appropriately the Drem lighting system for assisting the landing of aircraft at nightwas invented here. The Fleet Air Arm also had a presence at RAF Drem, with a squadron for the training of night fighter pilots. The airfield ended the war on a high note when three white painted Ju 52s arrived with German generals to surrender their forces in Norway. Like many other military airfields, Drem closed shortly after the end of hostilities and the runways were ploughed up and returned to agriculture.

Numerous books have been written on airships, but few concentrate on the bases and infrastructure which supported their operations. British Airship Bases of the Twentieth Century documents the development of airship facilities, beginning with their primitive arrangement prior to the First World War. The outbreak of hostilities in 1914 resulted in the adoption of airships for military purposes: ambitious bases and mooring-out stations were established across Britain, operated chiefly by the Royal Naval Air Service for the protection of shipping against U-boats. Finally, Malcolm Fife also relates the aeronautical developments, airship accidents, and post-war vacuum which led to the closure and dismemberment of most British bases. In the 1920s, the Government tried to refashion these giants of the sky into a means of transport, to link together the far-flung regions of the Empire-a scheme that never came to fruition. This did not, however, bring an end to their fascination for certain private enthusiasts or communities marked by this industry.This is an enthralling chronicle of the birth and transitions of airships and their bases, from an experimental, to military, to commercial, to private purpose. The construction, accommodation, and individual service history of each airship station are researched and described in detail, as well as proposed passenger terminals overseas. Malcolm Fife pays equal attention to the attempts to revive the airship in the closing decade of the twentieth century, and the locations associated with them. This is a beautifully illustrated, informative, and moving read, essential to an understanding of Britain's aeronautical history.

The end of the First World War brought with it the closure most of the military aerodromes in Scotland. It, however, retained its links with naval aviation with aircraft carriers frequently exercising off the coast. In the latter part of the decade Auxiliary Air Force squadrons were formed at Edinburgh and Glasgow manned by civilians. With the rise of the Nazis in Germany, the RAF responded by building new airfields or re-opening former First World War sites. They included armament practice camps at Evanton and West Freugh where pilots could practice their skills in bombing and firing their weapons. RAF flying boats also visited various coastal locations around Scotland in the years leading up to the War. The inter-war services also saw the development of scheduled airline services within the country. They were, however, not between major towns but linked remote islands with major towns of the mainland. An air ambulance service was also created to serve isolated communities. All of these developments are covered as well as private flying and gliding. There is also a section on aerodromes that were planned but never built.

The 1970s were a decade of great change for Britain's military air arms. The RAF handed over the role of operating Britain's nuclear deterrent to the Royal Navy in 1969. Its primary role once again became that of providing battlefield and tactical support. For this, new aircraft in the form of Jageurs and Harriers joined the ranks of the RAF. Nimrods replaced Shackletons in guarding Britain's seaways. Several older types were phased out of service including the Belfast, Britannia and Comet. Many other aircraft, however, which were in service in the 1960s lingered on throughout the following decades. The world of the RAF also grew smaller with the withdrawal of the forces east of Suez. The Royal Navy also had its wings clipped in the 1970s with the retirement of its last large aircraft carrier for fixed wing aircraft. In its place the vertical take-off and landing Sea Harrier was delivered to the Fleet Air Arm. Helicopters now had a more dominant role. Sea Kings and Wasps operated from nearly all the Royal Navy's warships. Unlike the other two air arms, the Army Air Corps saw its role expanded in the 1970s. It changed from purely providing support to a role of an offensive nature. Large numbers of new helicopters equipped in squadrons in the form of the Lynx and Gazelle which were capable of being armed. A small number of fixed wing aircraft were also on strength. The Americans who first established air bases in Britain in the Second World War still retained a large number of combat aircraft in the country. Phantoms and the larger F-111 countered a potential Russian threat when the Cold War was at its height. In this book, Malcolm Fife uses his wonderful collection of photographs to display many of the military aircraft types that could be seen in British skies during the 1970s.

Located a short distance from Edinburgh's Princes Street, the castellated design of Calton Prison was often mistaken by nineteenth-century visitors to the city for Edinburgh Castle. Occupying a prominent site on the rocky slope of Calton Hill, the then largest jail in Scotland was constructed to replace the ageing tolbooth and soon became the region's main correction facility, housing prisoners awaiting trial and those facing execution, including murderers, political agitators, fraudsters, terrorists and even the notorious bodysnatchers Burke and Hare. For the inmates- the first of whom arrived in 1817- life inside the prison was initially wretched: conditions were squalid and discipline harsh, food was basic and the cells cold, but by the latter part of the nineteenth century it was well run compared with some other prisons. In this, the first long-overdue history of the prison, Malcolm Fife tells the story of Calton Jail, the staff and prisoners, the escapes and executions, and the crimes and punishments. Richly illustrated, it offers an absorbing insight into the Scottish criminal justice system of yesteryear.

Scotland's role in the Second World War aerial conflict is well documented, but its involvement in this field in the First World War has been largely ignored and few physical remains of First World War aerodromes survive today. Seeking to redress the balance, Malcolm Fife's detailed history charts many important bases and fields around the country. Beginning in the pre-war period, he discusses seaplane stations, airship stations, Naval, defence, training and manufacturing sites, before documenting the changes in the post-war years. From Turnhouse, near Edinburgh, and Turnberry, to Royal Naval Air Service aerodromes such as East Fortune and Donibristle, this illustrated guide will appeal to both military and aviation enthusiasts and interested locals.

In the decades leading up to the 1970s, passenger air transport was the preserve of the well-to-do who flew on airliners driven by propellers. Over the next few years all this was about to change. The passenger air transport industry underwent a great transformation with the introduction of many innovations that established the foundations for today. The state airlines, BEA and BOAC, were merged to form British Airways in 1974. Throughout the decade they were far and away the most important operator of scheduled services in the country. To provide competition, however, the independent carrier British Caledonian was created. The first Boeing 747 jumbo jet was delivered to BOAC in 1970. This wide-body airliner enabled fares to be reduced and opened up air travel to many people who could not previously afford it. Laker Airways pioneered the concept of the low-cost airline. It was the first British independent airline to operate wide-bodied jets in the form of DC-10s, which entered service in 1972. Most of the other British independent airlines had to make do with a motley collection of old airliners, many of them turboprops. The charter and holiday market was the main market for a large number of these carriers. They were regular visitors to the main airports throughout Britain, particularly at weekends. There were, however, few scheduled passenger air services to foreign countries from airports other than Heathrow and Gatwick. Almost all were either flown by British Airways or a state-owned carrier from another country. Overseas independent airlines, like their British equivalents, generally only served the holiday market. In this book, Malcolm Fife uses his excellent collection of colour photographs to illustrate the airliners in commercial use that could be seen at airports during the 1970s.