Books by Alec Brew

Wolverhampton was a Staffordshire market town in the Middle Ages but became a major industrial town during the Industrial Revolution, renowned for coal mining, metalworking and steel making. The prosperity brought to the town from this era is in evidence in many buildings in the city, and the growing population required a large programme of public housing in the early twentieth century. The development of Wolverhampton continued post-war, with much of the centre being rebuilt in the 1960s and 1970s. Granted city status in 2000, Wolverhampton continues to be redeveloped but despite the many changes, it has retained its strong identity in the West Midlands. Wolverhampton Reflections features an exciting collection of historic and modern pictures that are individually merged to reveal how the area has changed over the decades. Each of the 180 pictures in this book combines a recent colour view of Wolverhampton with the matching sepia archive scene. Through the split-image effect, readers can see how streets, buildings and everyday life have transformed with the passing of time. Local author Alec Brew presents this fascinating visual chronicle that ingeniously reflects past and present glimpses of Wolverhampton. This book will be of interest to residents, visitors, local historians and all those with links to the area.

Looking at the fascinating history behind the airfields of Shropshire, which was particularly popular during the Second World War.

Boulton Paul has been one of the great innovators of British aviation. They built more Camels than Sopwiths, the first all-steel airframe, the largest aircraft ever built in Britain, the first with a power-operated gun turret, the famous Defiant, the first single-engine turboprop, and are now world leaders in power control units and fly-by-wire.

Over 200 rare and previously unpublished illustrations of this iconic aircraft - the Boulton Paul Defiant.

The history of Willenhall and Horseley Fields

Development of a Market Town

The Boulton Paul Balliol was the last Merlin-powered aircraft although it started life as the world's first turbo-trainer

RAF Cosford was built as part of the pre-war RAF Expansion Plan in 1937 and in 1938 it was designated as a site for one of the new Technical Training Schools, aimed at strengthening the knowledge and manpower of the air force. RAF Cosford (now DCAE Cosford) continues to train numerous new recruits and houses a major RAF Museum.