Air Marshal G.A. 'Black' Robertson

Air Marshal G. A. 'Black' Robertson picked up his nickname when he entered the RAF College in 1963. Three years at Cranwell were followed by a further thirty-three in flying, staff, and command appointments, including tours of duty in Bahrain, the USA, Germany, and the Falklands. He flew all the RAF's front line fighter aircraft and later qualified as a helicopter pilot. On retirement, he spent some five years with British Aerospace (subsequently BAE Systems) before setting up his own consultancy business.

After a period as clerk and company secretary to The Honourable Company of Gloucestershire, the unearthing of copious family memorabilia led to the publication in 2020 of Fighters in the Blood. Afterwards, concerned that he hadn't done his father, a decorated Spitfire ace, full justice he began work on a prequel. Drawing on new material—letters, documents, and his father's log book—A Spitfire Named Connie paints an intimate and authentic picture of life, love, and loss in a bygone era. A third book followed: From Spitfires to Vampires and Beyond, the edited story Wg Cdr Owen Hardy, a New Zealander with whom his father served in 1942. His most recent book, Flying Through the Ranks, is a collection of fascinating stories from nearly forty contributors, from a marshal of the RAF to a junior technician.

A Cranfield Trust mentor and a David Vaisey trustee (the annual Vaisey Awards reward Gloucestershire libraries for initiatives that encourage more book reading), he regularly gives talks both on his books and a personal fascination: the Battle of Britain.