Author John Boyes has completed four books covering the UK’s efforts to develop nuclear missiles in the 1950s and 60s. Well received, these titles bring to life these fascinating projects in a thorough but readable form.
This website is designed to be used in conjunction with the books. The layout of the books leads to certain compromises when it comes to the line drawings, plans and colour profiles. You can view the the supporting illustrations for each book by clicking on the relevant thumbnail image. (Best viewed on a large screens.)
Thanks to Mark Burgess (Acute Concepts) for the time and effort he put into creating them.
The book is very clearly written and enjoyable to read. There are few, if any, other books on this subject, and I congratulate the author for producing this definitive study.
Amazon review of ‘Project Emily’ by ‘Koba’
In the late 1950s, sixty American Thor ballistic missiles were operated by twenty RAF squadrons on the east coast of England. This is the story and background to this brief period of largely unknown RAF history.
Training RAF crews to operate the Thor missiles took place at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. A number of crews completed their training with live launches.
Hoping to maintain a UK independent deterrent, Britain embarked on a programme to develop its own ballistic missile. Overtaken by the rapid advances in rocket technology, the project was eventually cancelled.
The story of the development of the Polaris Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile and its operations by the US Navy and the Royal Navy.