“Wild Hearts” is the theme of the 34th edition of the Turin Book Fair: the Air Force tells stories of men, capability and courage, which represent a heritage for the whole country.
The participation of’Italian Air Force hello XXXIV Turin International Book Fair – SalTo22 – which saw a large turnout, with over 168,000 visitors between 19 and 23 May, the five days on which the event took place.
For the’Italian Air Force it was a special edition: less than a year after their centenary (28 March 2023), with a great many publications specially produced to look back at their past and show citizens the Armed Forces of today and their goals for the future. “Participation in the XXXIV edition of the Turin Book Fair offered us the opportunity to introduce ourselves better, explain what we do, and reiterate that we will always be there for the country, with our spirit of service, passion, and professionalism.” stated the President of the working group for the centenary celebrations A.M., Chief Inspector General (ret.) G.A. Basilio Di Martino, who was present at the event.
At the event, the [thing/place] was very popular Defence Staff stand – where the Italian Air Force's exhibition space was also present – which gave the many guests the opportunity to learn about and appreciate the commitment of the Armed Forces, both in Italy and abroad. Through the military editorial products on offer, the public came into contact not only with a past rich in history and traditions, but also with themes related to technological innovation, fundamental for facing the new challenges that characterise modern operational scenarios.
For the Blue Army, the five days of the event were characterised by a rich schedule of events to present the editorial products that are part of the A.M. Centenary Editorial Series., all of which are recognisable by the presence of the logo chosen to celebrate the centenary on the cover.
The first Panel, Thursday 19 May, saw the presentation of the book “The Educating Flight: Winged Narratives for Childhood”by two of the authors: Fabio Caffarena, Professor of Contemporary History, and Anna Antoniazzi, Professor of Children's Literature, both from the University of Genoa. A book that serves as an educational tool on flight and the dream of many young people to fly, to become pilots, or to work in the aeronautical field. A work divided into two sections. The first is rich in literature related to flight as a winged imaginary that great narratives – myths, fairy tales, legends, novels, and images for children and adults – have conveyed. The second section, on the other hand, is dedicated to exploring the sources – manuals, notebooks, diaries […] – that educational institutions have used over the last hundred years as teaching aids to train entire generations. The volume allows us to restore profoundly human connotations to the idea of flight, from which to grasp an infinite range of emotions and passions.
Friday 20 May was the day on which the two main editorial projects conceived by the Italian Air Force for the celebration of its hundredth anniversary were presented: the gift box“Italian Air Force: A Century of Future“ and the necklace“100 Years of the Italian Air Force in Comics“.
These initiatives aim, in their respective forms, to convey the modern image of the Armed Force, stemming from its origins and traditions, in order to allow the general public to grasp its contemporary spirit and possible future projections, as well as the value aspects of the men and women in blue uniforms.
During the presentation conference held at the stand Defence Staff, hosted by presenter Veronica Maya, the project was previewed “Italian Air Force: A Century of Future“ On behalf of the Head of the 5th Department “Communication” of the Air Force Staff, Air Brigadier General Giovanni Francesco Adamo. “With the presentation of this premium box set, created in collaboration with Giunti publisher – General Adamo has made his debut – in fact, the path towards the 100-year milestone begins, with an Air Force at the technological forefront, equipped with highly specialised professionals who, with the same pioneering spirit of the early years, look towards the future, to continue to be a protagonist in an increasingly complex and challenging international context.
The editorial manager of the collector's box, Col. (Ret.) Alessandro Cornacchini, has announced that the work will comprise two volumes. The first will be dedicated to the historical journey and evolution of the Armed Force, with contributions from leading figures in academia, journalists, and historians, including Paolo Mieli. The second volume, featuring evocative photographs by internationally renowned photographers, will provide a snapshot of the Air Force, highlighting the characteristics of technology, professionalism, and the human element that distinguish the Armed Force today. The collector's box will be available from early 2023, as announced by Dr. Alessandro Torrentelli, commercial director of Giunti Editore.
The presentation of the necklace“100 Years of the Italian Air Force in Comics” saw the participation in the International Book Fair of some of the designers and authors – Marco Trecalli and Vincenzo Grienti – and of the’Art Director of the necklace, Francesco Archidiacono. The editorial project, created by the Historical Office of the Italian Air Force to pay homage to aviators of yesterday and today and to spread the values of the Armed Force, has garnered considerable interest at SalTo22 just like what happened a few weeks ago at the latest edition of the Rome comic festival (ROMICS2022) and at the Naples one (COMICON2022). The series is composed of 12 Graphic novel, which will be gradually published over the coming months, with the aim of strengthening the close bond between young people and the Armed Force and spreading aeronautical culture. The series is characterised by historical consistency and attention to detail, thereby enabling the reader to better understand how the facts narrated are authentic. The aircraft, uniforms, insignia and locations have been meticulously researched and documented, precisely to make everything more truthful. Finally, particular care has been taken to best depict the characters' expressions and to emphasise everything with appropriate colour choices, certainly essential for engaging the reader on an emotional level.
At the Book Fair, the first two volumes of the comic book series were available to the public: “Ali at El Alamein“, already on sale since February and created by Marco Trecalli, and “Flying for life“, the second volume of the series, available for fans as a preview at SalTo22. This latter Graphic novel, It tells the story of three characters: two pilots and a search and rescue technician from the Air Force on the front line saving lives, narrated by journalist Vincenzo Grienti and illustrated by comic artist Katia Ranalli.
Also on Friday, 20 May, another fine volume published by the Air Force was presented to the public at SalTo22: “Palazzo Aeronautica: 1931-2021“The volume, produced for the Palazzo's 90th anniversary, illustrates, with a wealth of arguments and a comprehensive array of images, an architecture that is thought before it is matter, as explained by Professor Dimitri Ticconi, co-author of the volume. Designed by engineer Marino, built in just two years and inaugurated in Rome in 1931, Palazzo Aeronautica was equipped with absolutely cutting-edge technical solutions for the time, including pneumatic mail, the “Paternoster” lift, and the 'aeromensa” (which could accommodate up to 1500 people).
Saturday 20th May was a day dedicated to the presentation of editorial products with a strong historical connotation for the Italian Air Force.
In the morning, the presentation of the work “South of the Tropic of Cancer – Italian military air-land explorations in the Libyan Desert 1930-1939”by Roberto Chiarvetto and Michele Soffiantini. The title of the volume is evocative enough to capture the reader's attention with the allure of distant horizons, but it is also specific enough to immediately bring them face-to-face with the true protagonist of the story told, which is Geography.
Geography thus created the stage for a sort of Great Saharan Game on which, driven by these impulses, Italians, Britons, and French confronted each other in the decade preceding the outbreak of the Second World War. Of those distant events, reconstructed by the authors through meticulous archival research, detailed reports compiled by the protagonists of the exploration missions remain, from which the importance of the aircraft emerges forcefully.
In the late afternoon, the volume was then presented, “The Royal Air Force in the Dodecanese”by the same author, Chief Inspector General (ret.) G.A. Basilio Di Martino. The work recounts the period after the Great War, when the peace treaties gave Italy possession of a large part of the Southern Sporades archipelago. The Dodecanese, as it was otherwise known, offered the possibility of developing a control action over the Aegean Sea and, with the increasing development of air power, also of acting offensively against the oil terminals on the Syrian and Palestinian coasts, the port of Alexandria in Egypt and especially the Suez Canal. The Dodecanese remained an eccentric reality, an opportunity missed both strategically and operationally, which ended up rendering the efforts made at the tactical level meaningless and nullifying the sacrifice of the fighters.
Friday, 20 May has ended with a Panel dedicated to the publication of the Air Force “Music and flight“. The author, Enrica Donisi, present at the event, told the audience how the first half of the 20th century was a period of excitement for aviation in Italy; figures like D'Annunzio, Baracca, De Pinedo, and Nobile were making history and causing a stir with their exploits, which were duly set to music and words, enriching the repertoire of band ensembles. From the investigation and critical considerations of music dedicated to aviation and the genesis of the Italian Air Force Band, a culturally valuable snapshot emerged. The author's research extended to the United States and Japan, but especially to Latin America, where the documentary material, largely unpublished, allowed for the discovery of foreign composers and poets, as well as shedding light on lesser-known aspects of more famous figures, such as Pietro Mascagni.
On Sunday 20 May, the publishing project “Last satellite to the Equator“ curated by Dr Giovanni Caprara, science columnist for Corriere della Sera and author of numerous books on space.
The volume, through accurate archival research at the Historical Office of the Air Force and the support provided by SMA UGS, will retrace the history of General Luigi Broglio of the Air Force Engineering Corps and his commitment, in particular, to astronautics studies (re-entry of spacecraft into the atmosphere, launch of artificial satellites from mobile bases, etc.). Broglio is credited with the “Project St. Mark“..., which consists of launching Italian satellites into equatorial orbit from a mobile ocean range, carried out in collaboration with NASA. Italy boasts a significant space tradition and is capable of delivering all those capacities that are part of the entire life cycle of a space mission.
Monday 21st May, the final day of the Turin International Book Fair, “ the latest volume of the Aeronautica Militare, in collaboration with Giunti Editore, "Frecce Tricolori: The Art of Aerobatic Flight“.
In the presence of the Commander of the National Acrobatics Patrol, Lt. Col. Stefano Vit, the reprint of this prestigious volume was presented, conceived to celebrate the first 60 years of history of one of the most popular symbols of national unity. The book, whose first edition sold out in a few months, tells how the extraordinary spectacle of the Frecce Tricolori's performances is born from unparalleled technical expertise, from that spirit of corps, generosity, and deep understanding without which there can be no victory.
