The British Airman of the First World War

by David Hadaway

Among the many firsts of World War I, the widespread use of aeroplanes was a momentous tactical turning point and it was that heroic generation of airmen who charted an entirely experimental course on how to use aircraft in warfare. First used for reconnaissance, the role of aircraft changed as pilots became more experienced in handling their aeroplanes and ventured out onto new missions to coordinate and support ground forces and eventually planes went on the offense as bombers or fighters with legendary epic air-to-air combat engagements. This is the story of the airmen, how they were officially trained and how they learned from real world experience and how their courage and daring in rudimentary aircraft, often unreliable and made of wood and canvas, ushered in a new era in strategic warfare.

Genres: World War I, History

64 pages, Paperback

First published March 18, 2014

Reviews

[Rosie]

a good introduction to the topic for me, someone who only recently became interested in early aviation and enjoys looking at big colourful pictures of planes

[Gerry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick read on, well, that. It covers a lot of ground in just sixty-four pages with plenty of illustrations, a decent enough introduction. I liked the color photos of reconstructed great planes. This I chanced upon at a gaming convention; I wouldn’t spend a lot of my time searching for it, as there are likely many other books who can cover the subject in greater depth.