Jet Man

The Making and Breaking of Frank Whittle, Genius of the Jet Revolution

By: Duncan Campbell-Smith

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Paperback | 5 August 2021

At a Glance

Paperback
560 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
3.8 x 13 x 19.8

Paperback

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The story of Frank Whittle – RAF pilot, mathematician of genius, inventor of the jet engine and British hero.

In 1938, a thirty-one-year-old RAF pilot and engineer named Frank Whittle – given special leave to pursue his own startlingly original concept of flight – presented the Air Ministry with a written proposal for a revolutionary jet-powered fighter aircraft. A ready response might have changed the course of history, but Whittle got no reply.

In this gripping and insightful biography, Duncan Campbell-Smith charts Whittle's success at building a pre-war jet engine against all the odds – and tracks his desperate struggle to have it launched into active service against Hitler's Luftwaffe. It arrived too late – but nonetheless transformed the future of aviation.

About the Author

Duncan Campbell-Smith is a former Financial Times and Economist journalist whose career has also included working in the City, consulting with McKinsey & Co and a short stint in the world of corporate communications. His previous books include Struggle for Take-Off, A History of British Airways (1986). He won the Wadsworth Business History Prize for his authorised history of the Royal Mail, Masters of the Post (2011).

Industry Reviews

'Wonderful'
David Edgerton TLS

'Fascinating'
Aeroplane Monthly

'Casts new light on the intense, heroic character of Frank Whittle'
Leo McKinstry

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