Hugh Montague ‘Boom’ Trenchard was one of the most outstanding British military commanders of the twentieth century – a unique figure, perhaps the only one who can be clearly identified as a founder of one of the services, in his case the Royal Air Force. This biography explores his military life. It follows his career from his early experiences in India and the Boer War, and in Africa. The book explores how he came to join the Royal Flying Corps, and his rapid rise to its command in the First World War. It follows him through the battles of the inter-war years, how he successfully fought to preserve the independence of the RAF, and how he developed his controversial doctrine of strategic bombing. This is the first major biography of Trenchard since Andrew Boyle’s book in 1962, and reveals many fresh and important insights. The resulting study will appeal to all those interested in British military history, particularly those focusing on the First World War and the development of the RAF. Moreover, while it deals specifically with Boom’s military career it is written in an approachable and open style thereby accessible to the general reader.