Document Type: Book (Historical Study). Purpose: Informational. Authority: Author Expertise. Series: This is the first of three books in the history.

Scope: Historical study of Rolls-Royce aeronautical engines, written by Bill Gunston, a former RAF pilot and flying instructor, and one of the top aviation writers in Great Britain.

From the dust jacket: "Although formed in 1906 as a motor car manufacturer, by 1914 Rolls-Royce was urgently developing an aeroplane engine. The company's products soon became a byword for quality and reliability, and its Merlin engine proved a vital factor in winning the Battle of Britain and the air war against Nazi Germany.

Despite great technical achievements after the war, in 1971 Rolls-Royce faced the trauma of receivership, but the story of the company's recovery and the re-emergence from state ownership in 1987 is as fascinating as anything that went before.

This detailed technical survey of the aero engine heritage of Rolls-Royce not only forms an essential reference source for the aviation historian, but also never loses sight of the human dimension. It provides a unique perspective on the development of one of the world's greatest engineering enterprises."

Contents (from the Table of Contents): "Foreword by Sir Ralph Robins Introduction

Chapter 1 - The 200-horsepower engine Chapter 2 - Hawk, Falcon and Condor Chapter 3 - Kestrel, Goshawk and Peregrine Chapter 4 - Buzzard and R Chapter 5 - Merlin and Griffon Chapter 6 - The last piston engines Chapter 7 - The first jets Chapter 8 - The first turboprops Chapter 9 - The first axial jets Chapter 10 - Jet lift Chapter 11 - The RB.211 Chapter 12 - The de Havilland engines Chapter 13 - The Armstrong Siddeley engines Chapter 14 - The Blackburn and Napier engines Chapter 15 - The Bristol engines Chapter 16 - The Bristol Siddeley engines Chapter 17 - The new turbofans Chapter 18 - Today's shaft engines Chapter 19 - Today's military jets Chapter 20 - The future

Appendices and data tables"