FATHER OF THE SPITFIRE

A triumph of historical narrative JAMES HOLLAND author of Victory 45The gripping story of the pioneer behind the Spitfire told in a major new biography Britain s leading aviation historian Daily Mail Reginald Mitchell is one of the greatest names in aviation history A visionary engineer with a passion for speed his legacy is the most iconic fighter aircraft of all time the Spitfire During the uneasy peace of the 1920s he was a trailblazing innovator working at the cutting edge of technology As Europe s politics darkened in the 1930s the work of Mitchell and his team at Supermarine became crucial to a nation preparing for war Though he did not live to see the Spitfire in action his work led to triumph at the Battle of Britain and to a legendary aircraft that still inspires awe to this day In this exhilarating biography Paul Beaver takes us behind the scenes exploring the creative genius of a man devoted to pushing the boundaries of technology We see his flair for leadership and collaboration with Rolls Royce the pinnacle of British engineering we learn of Mitchell s other innovative designs that could have changed the course of the war had he not died in 1937 and at last we hear the real story behind the Spitfire Drawing on new interviews pr