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It is almost forgotten that it was an Andalusian inventor, physician and engineer who was the first person to undertake experiments in flying with any degree of success back in the 9th century AD. Nigh on a thousand years later, the Arab World's critical strategic location made it almost inevitable that these regions would be drawn into the imperial rivalries of the leading European powers, while the Ottoman Empire struggled to maintain its existing position in the area. This in turn meant that the first bombs to be dropped by military aircraft fell on Arab soil and as Arab countries slowly achieved their independence, they too wanted to have air forces. In 1948 the first such Arab air forces were thrown into battle in an ill-fated attempt to keep Palestine as a primarily Arab country. Chapters cover all of the colonial nations - Britain, France, Spain and the Ottoman Empire and the fledgeling Italians who had fought and taken control of Libya in 1912; he French invent aerial policing (1909-1914) and the Spaniards over the Rif (1909-1914) plus the First World War in Arab lands. There are aircraft used in war, airships and armoured cars and the chapter on Spain covers their part in combat with the local tribes during the period as they were neutral in the First World War. A concise expert text, colour illustrations and maps plus black and white photographs and high quality colour artworks providing fresh accounts of both well known and more esoteric aspects of the conflict in this part of the world since 1945. 88 large pages, 20.3 x 29.5cm.