The North American P-51 Mustang was one of history's most successful and effective fighter aircraft. During the last eighteen months of the war in Europe escorting American bomber formations, it hounded the Luftwaffe to destruction in the very heart of Germany. In the Pacific, operating from advance bases, it ranged over the Japanese Home Islands, bringing the Allies massive air superiority. The story of the Mustang did not end with World War Two. It performed sterling service in Korea, proving more effective in the ground attack role than the jet fighter bombers that were then entering USAF service, and in the Arab-Israeli war of 1956 it proved decisive in smashing the Egyptian forces in Sinai. Around the world, dozens of Mustangs are still flying today in the hands of racing pilots or private owners who respond to the thrill of a high-performance fighter. Yet the Mustang story began almost by accident. Produced originally to meet a Royal Air Force requirement it began life as a sketch in a London hotel room. The original Mustang I, though suffering from a poor engine, rendered excellent service with the RAF's tactical squadrons from Dieppe to D-Day. It was when the Mustang airframe was married to a Packard-built Rolls-Royce Merlin engine that the aircraft's true excellence became apparent. Possessing greater range than any other Allied single-engined fighter, it became synonymous with the Allied victory in the air. In this book Robert Jackson gives a full and dramatic account of the Mustang's amazing development and combat career - a saga that deserves pride of place in the annals of aviation history.