"The War in the Air" by H.G. Wells and ill. by A.C. Michael - George Bell, London - 1908 first UK edition first issue, third red binding variant (rarer than the more common blue variant) - 18cmx15cm - condition: very good, original red binding with mounted plate to cover, some rubbing to edges, name to ffep, all plates by Michael present 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.