From the Stage to the Stars

Robert Bilcliffe Loraine was born in 1876 to parents who were travelling actors. Robert followed in their footsteps and, by the turn of the century and up to the start of the First World War, had become a renowned actor in his own right in London's West End theatres. Introduced to the thrill of flight by his good friend, the playwright George Bernard Shaw, Loraine achieved considerable fame as a pioneer aviator. He came agonisingly close to completing the first aeroplane crossing of the Irish Sea, coined the term 'joystick', and made the first wireless transmission from an aeroplane in Britain. After distinguished service in the RFC during the Great War, Loraine returned to the stage and appeared in plays and early films. Oliver Clutton-Brock's detailed biography of Robert Loraine details both areas of his life, but with much detail on his flying exploits. It is illustrated throughout with photographs of the era and forms an invaluable record of early British aviation.