More than thirty Allied Forces' WWII aircraft types are illustrated in many rare and previously unpublished black and white and color photographs. Each type is described giving vital data on development history, combat record, famous pilots and significant air battles. Performance, range and weapon loads are also included. The unique color photographs are from the collection of the late William B. Slate, an aviation photographer who strove to capture the thrilling perspective that can only...

"An evocative and insightful look at the history of flight written from the perspective of the history-makers themselves." --Dr. Richard P. Hallion, Verville Fellow, Smithsonian InstitutionPresenting the lives of more than twenty aviation luminaries from throughout history, this middle reader is a captivating celebration of man's aspirations for the skies. From the story of the Wright brothers to that of Alan Shepard, Jr., the author, himself an experienced pilot, introduces young ...

Showcasing the twentieth centurys best writing on the topic of air combat from World War I through the Gulf War, Brasseys Air Combat Reader examines the evolution of air combat strategy and tactics. It includes extracts from memoirs by such legends as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, hair-raising third-person accounts by such great pilots as Douglas Bader and by such heroic leaders as Pete Mitscher, and one compelling work of fiction by best-selling novelist Walter Boyne. Classic writings on the ...

The valiant fight for freedom in the air and dignity on the groundHe had to sit in a segregated rail car on the journey to army basic training in Mississippi in 1943. But two years later, the twenty-year-old African American from New York was at the controls of a P-51, prowling for Luftwaffe aircraft at 5,000 feet over the Austrian countryside. By the end of World War II, he had done something that nobody could take away from him: He had become an American hero.