I heard an interview with the author on Radio 4 a while back and immediately put the book on my wish-list; I may now have to move it up in priority...

Have you read any of (Imperial historian of technology) David Edgerton's stuff? His _England and the Aeroplane_ is available online (he released it for free after it went out of print) and his _Warfare State_ is good on the wider context of lavish military support for R&D up until the late 70s.