Aces High: The War in the Air over the Western Front 1914-18

by Alan Clark

First published in 1973, Aces High is the vivid chronicle of aerial warfare during World War One. Clark gives a gripping account of the flying aces - Manfred von Richthofen (the Red Baron), Mick Mannock, Rene Fonck, Georges Guynemer, Albert Ball - whose life expectancy was measured in days: they were forbidden to carry parachutes; they lived in dread of being shot down in flames.

Genres: History, World War I, Nonfiction, Military History, Military Fiction, War

170 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 1973

About the author

Alan Clark was an English Conservative MP, historian and diarist.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Billy Leon · Rating 3 out of 5]

To accurately tell the story of even the most important aces of the first world war in 140 some odd pages is an impossibility. To be fair to the author, he does a good job of relating to the reader an attention holding account of the battles he does cover. I think this book really should have had a more detailed account of the exploits of Manfred von Richtofen. It kind of misses the mark on that aspect alone. If you are looking for a deeper and more detailed read this book will probably not do it for you, and another source would be recommended. But if the reader is looking for a rather easy read or a quick synopsis on the air war over Western France 1914-1918 then this might be just what you wished for. It is a good book, just not a great book.

[BT James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm attending a WWI commemorative weekend, and I thought this would be a way to refresh my knowledge. Clark combines a well-encapsulated general history with compelling stories about the pilots on both sides. Readers who are familiar with the subject will find it a detailed read. Conversely, it is an excellent way to introduce the subject to new readers. While it may be somewhat difficult to locate here in the US (I received my copy from a friend in NZ), it would be worth tracking down.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little book (140 pages) about the war in the air during WW1. It was one of the few areas where individuals still had the chance to stand out, and the book is full of stories about the aces and their bravery and gallantry.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written book that keeps your interest throughout.

[TalkingFish · Rating 2 out of 5]

A generic and slightly biased but decent general overview of the Western air war of WWI. I would have given it a solid 3-stars as a fine broad introduction book, but errors in image captions in the 1999 edition makes me weary. For example, a DH11 was labeled as a DH2, and a Bristol F2B as an FE2B.

Given as the author went over these aircraft a decent bit I imagine that the 1999 "redesign and revision" (as said by the folks at TheAerodrome) had some poor lackey at the publisher tasked with adding new photos to it and bungled it. So take my review as for the 1999 edition.

A fairly solid and easy to read introduction to the subject, but try to avoid the 1999 edition. Hopefully the original 1973/1974 edition is void of such errors.

[Richard Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of the aerial combat over the Western Front in WWI. You are introduced to the advancements in airplanes, notable pilots on both sides of the conflict and the development of tactics to take advantage of the increasing advances made in light of faster speeds, greater maneuverability and firepower.

[Simon Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good overview of the air war over the Western Front.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but well written.