rwmarth 0 Posted November 2, 2009 What do you guys think the best single book there is for covering aviation in WWI? Even better if the book contains prints of the planes (and especially preferable for color plates....) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bullethead 12 Posted November 2, 2009 What do you guys think the best single book there is for covering aviation in WWI? Even better if the book contains prints of the planes (and especially preferable for color plates....) Hehehe, they didn't call it the Great War for nothing. Even such a relatively small aspect of it as aviation requires a library to get a handle on. All you can get out of a single-volume treatment is the bibliography, which you use to get the the bibliographies of the books it cites, which themselves are still within 2 or 3 removes from what will really tell you something useful. So I suggest you search this forum for previous threads on books (which IMHO need to be compiled and stickied in a recommended reading list). There are way too many good ones to list them all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rwmarth 0 Posted November 2, 2009 A bibliography.... Ha, good one! Though I get the feeling you're probably right about that if I'm limiting myself to a single volume. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Polovski 460 Posted November 2, 2009 For the overview of events with good detail too I can recommend The First Air War: 1914-1918 ~ Lee Kennett http://www.amazon.com/First-Air-War-1914-1918/dp/0684871203 If you want aircraft descriptions instead with pictures etc, then there are many good ones. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rwmarth 0 Posted November 2, 2009 Thanks for the recommendation Pol, I'll have to check that one out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kingkat 1 Posted November 2, 2009 Thanks for the recommendation Pol, I'll have to check that one out. I recommend the Osprey Military Series. Very detailed and very informative about specific airplanes and their aces. However for single volumes I recommend two: Over The Battlefronts, by Peter Kilduff and Aces And Airmen of World War 1, by Alan C. Wood. Both are excellent reads. It really depends on interest and taste. Enjoy the journey. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bullethead 12 Posted November 2, 2009 A good start can be made for FREE, by meerely checking out the STICKY in our Knowledge Base. They're on the INTERNET, and they're Free Thanks. I didn't know about this . Lou needs to put that "winter reading list of his" in that thread, too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RAF_Louvert 101 Posted November 2, 2009 (edited) . rwmarth, as has been mentioned, there is no single source, but there are many outstanding books on the Great Air War. If you want an historical one from the British perspective you might look for Raleigh and Jones 9-volume set, "The War in the Air". It is likely the most comprehensive single work on the subject, but is hard to locate and VERY expensive if you wanted to buy it. Aaron Norman's "The Great Air War" is a nice concise little work and available online used for about $20 or so. "The Lafayette Flying Corps", by James Hall and Charles Nordhoff is an outstanding two-volume work, (but can also be a bit hard to locate). However, as uncleal pointed out, there are many free books you can read online as well. And since BH mentioned it, here is the zip file I put together with a few titles you could start with if you like: WWI Books Download Zip This download contains the following titles: Biogrophies, Diaries, Personal Writings “A Flying Fighter”, by E.M. Roberts, c.1918 ”A Happy Warrior”, the letters of William M. Russel, c.1918 ”Above the Battle”, by Vivian Drake, c.1918 “Air Men O'War”, by Boyd Cable, c.1918 ”An Aviator’s Field Book”, the field notes of Oswald Bolcke, English Edition c.1917 ”Cavalry of the Clouds”, by Alan Bott, c.1918 ”En l'air!”, by Bert Hall, c.1918 ”Fighting the Flying Circus”, by Eddie Rickenbacker, c.1919 ”Flying For France”, by James R. McConnell, c.1917 ”Go Get 'Em!”, by William Wellman, c.1918 ”Green Balls: The Adventures Of a Night-Bomber”, by Paul Bewsher, c.1919 ”High Adventure”, by James Norman Hall, c.1918 ”Night Bombing With the Bedouins”, by Robert H. Reece, c.1919 ”The Flying Poilu”, by Marcel Nadaud, c.1918 “The Red Battle Flyer”, by Manfred von Richthofen, English Edition c.1918 ”The Way of the Eagle”, by Charles J. Biddle, c.1919 ”Winged Warfare”, by William A. Bishop, c.1918 References: “Aircraft Mechanics Handbook”, c.1918 ”Heroes Of Aviation”, by Laurence La Tourette Driggs, c.1918 ”How To Fly”, by A. Frederick Collins, c.1918 “Learning To Fly in the U.S. Army”, by E.N. Fales, c.1917 “Practical Flying”, by W.G. McMinnies, c.1918 “The Aero Manual”, c.1909 “The German Air Force in the Great War”, by Georg Paul Neumann, c.1920 ”The Romance Of Aircraft”, by Laurence Smith, c.1919 Cheers! Lou . Edited November 2, 2009 by RAF_Louvert Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dej 17 Posted November 2, 2009 Well, the one book that whet my whistle for WW1 aviation (aside from avidly reading Biggles as a boy) is Alan C. Clark's 'Aces High'. Clark's credentials are pretty good but I wouldn't take it all as gospel. Nevertheless, if you want a good read that is a kinda synopsis of other sources and genuinely leaves you wanting to read more... I'd recommend it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sittingbison 0 Posted November 3, 2009 what a shame when simouthouse crashed and all that history was lost. There was an excellent thread on this very topic which ended up greatly enhancing my library (and denuding bank account). Two of the best are Winged Victory by VM Yeates and Sagittarius Rising by Cecil Lewis - hard to beat. cheers bison Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boelcke 0 Posted November 3, 2009 what a shame when simouthouse crashed and all that history was lost. There was an excellent thread on this very topic which ended up greatly enhancing my library (and denuding bank account). Two of the best are Winged Victory by VM Yeates and Sagittarius Rising by Cecil Lewis - hard to beat. cheers bison "Aces falling" and "Bloody April" from Peter Hart are very good reads Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
