Born in India into a family of soldiers and diplomats, Slessor made the first aerial attack on a Zeppelin and went on to serve in the Middle East over the Western Front in World War I; and postwar on the North-West Frontier in India. Rated an exceptional staff officer, in the inter-war years, under the influence of Sir Hugh Trenchard, he became a devout proponent of strategic bombing and a strong advocate of the importance of air support for ground...