The war in North Africa saw the development of tactical air support by the RAF as well as standard interdiction and bombing operations. This is the first os a series of volumes covering RAF operations in the area, and looks at operations in Libya and the western desert from September 1939 tp June 1940. The rest of this series will follow. The Italians were the first enemy and their dispositions and operations are described, as well as the British conquest of Cyrenaica, the retreat from Agheila to the Egyptian frontier, the encirclement of Torbruk and Operation Battleaxe. This was 'pure' warfare in the sense that few civilians were involved, and bombing was tactical, and this account is a first class work on the period and the theatre.