Here is the fascinating story of the rise and fall of the Arrow, the legendary interceptor jet aircraft, developed by A.V. Roe Canada in the fifties.

The Arrow was an unprecedented success story for Canada's fledgling aviation industry. It was conceived by its builders as the culmination of an impressive string of world firsts. Faster than any previous aircraft, it represented the leading edge of technology and an achievement of the highest calibre. Then came the dramatic decision whose rationale was not made public at the time and which remains hard to fathom even today. The Diefenbaker government cancelled the Arrow, and everything was destroyed, including the planes themselves. Nothing was to remain.

Working from official documents, archives, interviews and a wide range of unofficial sources, James Dow presents the authoritative story of A.V. Roe Canada and its projects. He describes how the Arrow was developed and why it was killed. Dow takes us behind the scenes to the real dynamics and rivalries which were a part of the Arrow from the beginning and which explain its fate. This edition of the definitive book on the subject has been updated with a new introduction.

JAMES DOW is a former Armed Forces pilot whose professional flying experience includes a six-month tour of duty in the Middle East as a member of the United Nations peacekeeping operation. After teaching in the aviation program at Seneca College in Toronto, Dow now works with Transport Canada in Ottawa.

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"The cancellation of the Arrow was a symptom of the widespread national disease of lack of self-confidence. James Dow brings this out perfectly. His book makes sad and sober reading."

The Globe and Mail