Father of the Spitfire: The Untold Story of R.J. Mitchell

*‘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 lead