There is a 700 page book with 450 pictures with a foreword by The Duke of Edinburgh called 'On a Cushion of Air', (www.amazon.com, www.thebookdepository.com, Kindle), which tells the story of Cockerell's discovery that heavy weights could be supported by a cushion of low pressure air and the development of the hovercraft from the early days to the heyday of the giant 165-ton SRN.4, which crossed the English Channel starting in 1968 carrying 30 cars and 254 passengers at speeds in excess of 75 knots. The service ended on 1st October 2000. Six SR.4s were built. The book also covers the development of military hovercraft. See www.onacushionofair.com