Historian Lee Kennett takes on the vital task of detailing the World War I aviator in this complete overview of the first air war, that Richard P. Hallion calls, "A welcome and long overdue addition to the literature of military aviation.""The whole subject of the first air war is like some imperfectly explored country: there are areas that have been crisscrossed by several generations of historians; there are regions where only writers of dissertations and abstrus...

From the author of The First Air War, a realistic portrait of a solider during World War II.Lee Kennett provides a vivid portrait of the American soldier, or G.I., in World War II, from his registration in the draft, training in boot camp, combat in Europe and the Pacific, and to his final role as conqueror and occupier. It is all here: the "greetings" from Uncle Sam; endless lines in induction centers across the country; the unfamiliar and demanding world...

A biography of one of Germany's pioneers in aerial combat: "a great read" ( Internet Modeler).Max Immelmann was born in Dresden, the son of a container factory owner. When World War I started, Immelmann was recalled to active service, transferred to the Luftstreitkäfte, and sent for pilot training in November 1914. He was on his way to becoming a legendary flying ace.Initially stationed in northern France as a reconnaissance aviator, he was shot do...

The true story of the daredevil flying ace who rivaled the Red Baron, with photos included.This is the first full-length biography of nineteen-year-old Werner Voss, a legend in his lifetime and the youngest recipient of the Pour le Mérite, Germany's highest award for bravery in WWI. At the time of his death he was considered by many, friend and foe alike, to be Germany's greatest ace—and, had he lived, Voss would almost certainly have overtaken Manfred von Richthof...

The story of the World War I fighter pilot the Red Baron himself sought to emulate . . .German air ace Oswald Boelcke was a national hero during World War I. He was the youngest captain in the German air force, decorated with the Pour le Mérite while still only a lieutenant, and credited with forty aerial victories at the time of his death.Becoming a pilot shortly before the outbreak of the war, Boelcke established his reputation on the Western front first in...

Illustrated Edition – contains 30 photosThe highest scoring British Air Ace reveals his daily life at the front, in the air and in combat with the Germans above the Western Front.In the muddy trenches of the Western front few rankers would have considered that they would achieve field rank of major and international celebrity. In the skies above the shell-torn landscape, any man with enough talent, daring and skill could hope to become a 'Flying Ace' by claiming five or more ...

This biography of the WWI fighter pilot offers "an intimate portrait of the last recipient of the 'Blue Max'" (Barrett Tillman).One of the most noteworthy German fighter pilots of World War I was Leutnant der Reserve Carl Degelow, whose squadron of mostly black Fokker D.VII fighters posed a formidable threat to some of Britain's most celebrated air units on the Western Front.Black Fokker Leader, filled with new information and original photos, is b...

'I half rolled, and there before my eyes was as perfect a target as I had ever seen in my life. A pressure of a thumb, a short burst, a puff of smoke, a flash of flame, a hole on the clouds-and it was over.'Lieutenant Robert McKenzie, No. 2 Squadron Australian Flying Corps.When the First World War began in August 1914, aeroplanes were a novelty, barely a decade old. Despite this, Australia was one of just a few nations outside Europe to establish a military flying school an...

"The enemy bomber grew larger in my sights and the rear gunner was sprayed by my guns just as he opened fire. The rest was merely a matter of seconds. The bomber fell like a stone out of the sky and exploded on the ground. The nightmare came to an end."In this enthralling memoir, the author recounts his experiences of the war years and traces the story of the ace fighter pilots from the German development of radar to the Battle of Britain.Johnen flew his first operational mission in July 1...

Includes Aerial Warfare During World War I Illustrations Pack with 115 maps, plans, and photos.Captain Rickenbacker, originally from Ohio, was best known as one of the Commanders of the 94th "Hat-in-the-Ring" Squadron, a crack unit of pilots which included many former members of the famed Lafayette Escadrille. The 94th ended the war in France with the highest number of air victories of any American squadron. Captain Rickenbacker himself was credited with 26 aerial victories all with...

The author of The Yompers details the history of Great Britain's innovation in combatting the German Zeppelin during World War I.Our vision of aviation in the First World War is dominated by images of gallant fighter pilots dueling with each other high over the Western Front. But it was the threat of the Zeppelin thatspurred the British government into creating the Royal Flying Corps, and it was this menace, which no aircraft could match in the air at the b...

A military history analyzing the evolution of sniper warfare during WWI by the firearms expert and author of Eastern Front Sniper.From the sharpshooters of the American Civil War to Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, military snipers are legendary for their marksmanship and effectiveness in battle. The specialized role of the sniper developed among the ranks of the British Army over the course of World War I. As Martin Pegler shows in this wide-ranging study, the techn...