Book Review: India’s Wars: A Military History 1947 -1971 by Arjun Subramaniam

which the control system continued to evolve. The final version for the London Air Defence Area, with its plotting rooms and W/T communications with fighters, was the true precursor of Fighter Command’s system in the Second World War, though the RNAS did lay some of the groundwork. Zeppelins and, later, Gotha and Giant bombers approaching at high altitudes were difficult to intercept but they were more vulnerable on their return to RNAS fighters based on either side of the Narrow Seas. Howlett has ensured that this direct contribution of RNAS squadrons to home air defence will not be forgotten. As already indicated, some of Howlett’s conclusions seem contradictory or in need of significant qualification. A further case is the apparent criticism that: ‘The RNAS [technical] practitioners always seemed to be playing catch-up’ (p. 206). Yet surely, especially with conflicting wartime priorities, this was inevitable. Howlett has successfully revealed many aspects of RNAS organisation and administration, but he offers little insight into how critical priority decisions were reached. Nonetheless, his book will be a valuable reference source for further research into the history of the RNAS.