Just Finished Reading: The Great Airship by Captain F S Brereton (FP: 1914)

When offered it was a challenge that young engineer Joe Gresson just couldn’t refuse. As German businessman Carl Reitberg sang the praises of a Zeppelin flying overhead Joe stated in the clearest terms that British engineering could build a better, faster and much more luxurious craft. Outraged at the very thought Reitberg demanded proof. Given time, Joe responded, and sufficient funds he himself could build such a craft. With his pride stung as never before Reitberg offered a wager. If Joe could build his airship and sail it safely around the world in the next 8 months he would hand over a considerable sum of money. But if he failed then the airship, in whatever state it was in, would be the property of the German businessman to do with however he decided. Sure of a safe bet the deed was signed and the smug German began counting his winnings.

Little did he know that young Gresson, only 27 years of age, had already developed a revolutionary new material both lighter and much stronger than aircraft aluminium. Along with radical designs for the aircraft itself all Joe needed was an investor. Luckily one was at hand in the shape of his rich uncle recently returned from Canada and in receipt of a considerable fortune due to the sale of a flourishing business empire. Within months the great airship was built and crewed by British naval officers and men sets off across the world. Diverted at the request of the British government to a Balkan city under siege the crew is asked to pick up a spy who has acquired information of vital interest to the Empire. So begins a series of adventures that move across the deserts of Arabia, the heights of the Himalayas and the jungles of Borneo. But as they begin their return journey home to England the German, in fear of losing his bet, makes plans to ensure that the great airship will never reach English shores in one piece!

I discovered this book (and the author) completely by accident whilst searching on Amazon for books on real airships after reading a book of steampunk short stories. As I presently have a hankering for classic ‘Boys Own’ adventure stories – and the copy on offer was very cheap – I thought I’d give it a try. I actually found this book to be delightful in so many ways. Despite a slight tinge of racism here and there it was the innocent enthusiasm which capture my attention. Aimed squarely at teenage boys (what would today no doubt be called the Young Adult demographic) this would I feel have been supremely exciting to the young Middle Class children who had already grown up on ideas of King, Country and Empire. The exuberant writing never really degenerated into farce though keeping in mind the age of the book and the culture it was written in certainly helped to maintain the right mind-set whilst reading it. More than anything else the confidence, optimism and breeziness of the book reminded me quite a lot of Jules Verne. It definitely had that feel to it. Taken in the context it was produced in and the audience it was aimed at this is a lovely nostalgic read from a bygone, simpler and far more naïve time. Reading it with a cynical 21st Century head on will ruin the whole experience as the whole thing will seem laughable in the extreme. But if you want to make the effort to track down a copy you’re going to have to put your cynicism to one side for a few days and read like a child of the early 20th Century who knows nothing of the massacre of the Somme, concentration camps or atomic bombs. Read this book as an innocent would – as a ripping yarn of daring-do and as an adventure just for the fun of it.

Oh, interestingly the cover (the same as pictured above) shows the author as Captain Brereton while the inside cover shows him as a Lt-Colonel. I’m not sure how many editions are between this increase in rank but as he fought in WW1 I’m guessing not all that many. Promotion was fast back then when officers fell as often as the men around them!