Farnborough is renowned for its International Air Show, but few of the many visitors know how it achieved that fame. A hundred years ago, in 1905, the army moved their Balloon Factory from Aldershot to government land in South Farnborough, beginning an era of experimental flying and research that took Britain to the forefront of aviation development.

The Balloon Factory evolved into the Royal Aircraft Establishment, which was the major employer in the town for nearly half a century. So far little research into the local people who have lived with flying has been undertaken. This new book fills that gap, showing how a town, its people and the evolution of flight have developed and changed together in a stunning pictorial record of everyday life.

Numerous superb images of early 20th-century Farnborough show the progression from carriage to car, from trains to planes, and from war to peace. This charming and beautifully presented book will be of interest to both inhabitants and visitors, and will fascinate aviation historians.