Flying up the Edgware Road

Lavishly illustrated throughout, this is the fascinating story behind this oft-forgotten London industry.

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Flying up the Edgware Road tells the story of how an area of what is now north-west London became a hub of the British aircraft industry in the very early years of the twentieth century. From the Edwardian suburb of Cricklewood out towards the semi-rural hamlets of Colindale and Kingsbury, a collection of factories were established to produce some of the most important warplanes that served in the First World War.

The author takes the reader through the early days of flying at Hendon, introduces the owners and workers of once-mighty companies, such as Airco, Handley Page and de Havilland, and chronicles the decline and reuse of the factories for a new post-war economy. It is a book that will appeal to those keen to know more about London’s industrial, social and economic past, as well as those with an interest in early aviation history.