Volume VII, The Australian Flying Corps is an essential, in detail reference which, to this day stands as the best reference on the Australian Flying Corps. The Volume is part of the Twelve Volume Official History of Australia and Australia's role and achievements in World War I. The Twelve Volume set is predominantly authored by C.E.W. Bean, the official wartime correspondant for the Australian Imperial Force. Bean was not only a collector of information, but also an avid commentator on the state of Australian affairs in relation to the British War Machine. Bean is also the orator and author that the creation of the modern day "ANZAC Myth" and "ANZAC Spirit" can be traced to through the publishing of the book, "The ANZAC Book" in 1916 after viewing the withdrawal form Gallipoli.

The Twelve Volume series was commisioned in 1919, and Bean structured the Volumes to cover, two volumes on the Gallipoli Campaign, four on the Campaign in Western Europe, a volume on the Lighthorse, another on the Australian Flying Corps, one on the Royal Australian Navy, one on the New Guinean Campaign and Administration, one volume on the social and political experience and the final volume a photographic history. Lieutenant Frederick Morley Cutlack (1886 - 1967) was chosen to author the Volume on the Australian Flying Corps. Cutlack was an Australian journalist and official war correspondant, who had been educated in Adelaide and had previously written for "The Register". When Australia declared war on Germany in 1914, Cutlack was studying for the bar in England, but promptly enlisted with the King Edwards Horse. Cutlack was to serve with the Royal Artillery before being attached to the Australian Imperial Force's Third Divisional Headquarters as an Intelligence Officer in 1917. Bean sought out Cutlack to be an Official War Corrrespondant, and in January 1918, Cutlack began recording Australian efforts and documents, including war trophies for the future Australian War Memorial. After the war Cutlack wrote for the "Sydney Morning Herald" before being commissioned in 1919 to write Volume VIII of the Official History.

Volume VIII covers the complete history of the Australian Flying Corps from the first course of Flying Instruction at Point Cook to the final Flight of O Flight, 3 Sqn AFC in 1918. The Mesopotamian Half-Flight, a little known aspect of Australian aviation receives two chapters of detailed information. Ten chapters are devoted to 1 Squadron in Palestine, and the remainder of the book covers the 3 operational squadrons on the European Front, Fourteen chapters. The final chapter is the flights and contestants in the 1919, England to Australia race. The book is completed by nine appendices covering aspects of WWI aviation from Types of Fighting Aeroplanes, to Aircraft Wireless, Training in the AFC to the use of incendiary bullets. To furthur describe and add to the narrative of the text in the 500 page book, there are 53 photos from the Australian War Memorial photographic collection and 29 Maps, photographic and sketched.