The Thirty Days’ War

Kubaiyah is an isolated RAF airstrip between a desert plain and a steep ridge, vulnerable to a concentrated Axis assault. Flying Officer Anthony Boumphrey is given forty obsolete trainers and biplanes with which to defend it. He turns the improvised force into a fighting squadron and attempts to hold the base against modern aircraft and artillery.

The defence of Kubaiyah reflects the improvised character of air operations in the Middle Eastern theatre, where limited aircraft and isolated bases could become strategically important. The novel emphasises adaptation and leadership rather than technological superiority.