 First edition (UK) | |
| Author | H. G. Wells |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction novel |
| Published | 1908[1] |
| Publisher | George Bell & Sons(UK) Macmillan (US) |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (Serial, Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 389 |
| Text | The War in the Air at Wikisource |
The War in the Air: And Particularly How Mr. Bert Smallways Fared While It Lasted is a military science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells and published in 1908.
The novel was written in four months[2] in 1907, and was serialized and published in 1908 in The Pall Mall Magazine.
Like many of Wells's works, the novel is notable for its prophetic ideas, images, and concepts—particularly the use of aircraft for the purpose of warfare—as well as conceptualizing and anticipating events related to World War I. The novel's hero and main character is Bert Smallways, who is described as "a forward-thinking young man" and a "kind of bicycle engineer of the let's-'ave-a-look-at-it and enamel-chipping variety."[3]
- ^ Facsimile of the original 1st edition
- ^ Arnold Bennett's diary is the source of this information, which states that the book earned 3,000 pounds for Wells. Norman and Jeanne Mackenzie, H.G. Wells: A Biography (Simon and Schuster, 1973), p. 234. Wells wrote Tono-Bungay concurrently but regarded the latter as so superior artistically that he ultimately finished up The War in the Air in order to get it out of the way, so that he could concentrate his efforts on the more important novel. David C. Smith, H.G. Wells: Desperately Mortal: A Biography (Yale UP, 1986), p. 203.
- ^ H.G. Wells, The War in the Air, Ch. 1, §2