The Canvas Falcons: The Men and Planes of WW1

by Stephen Longstreet

Documents the Great War's aerial combat, from machine inventors, to death-dealing bombers, to the flying aces…short profiles of all the aces; Max Immelmann, the first German; von Richthofen, and Boelcke. America had its Rickenbacker, the French four of lesser stature, Belgium a great balloon killer; etc., etc. Longstreet has worked in contemporary material, memoirs. There is also a certain indiscriminate he refers twice in short succession to the long distance affair between Shaw and Ellen Terry which seems wide of the target to begin with. Nothing very alluring except for the congenital devotee -- and spotty notes, no index.

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

365 pages, Hardcover

First published March 28, 1995

About the author

Stephen Longstreet was a prolific novelist, screenwriter, cartoonist, and artist whose work ranged in subject from gourmet cookbooks to potboiler detective novels to portraits of American jazz greats. He published over 100 books in his lifetime, including the novel The Sisters Liked them Handsome, which was turned into a successful Broadway musical. Longstreet also wrote screenplays that would go on to star Hollywood greats from Ronald Reagan to Errol Flynn.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a work born of a long-burning passion for the subject. In his introduction, Stephen Longstreet describes how as a youth he collected newspaper articles and spoke with pilots of the First World War about their experiences. As an adult he spent a quarter of a century accumulating materials about the air war in order to write this book, in which he sets out to tell the stories of “the men and machines who fought the pioneer air combat.”

And this passion shows on nearly every page. Longstreet’s focus is on the “human element,” or the lives of the men who participated in the air war. While his focus is on the famous aces – most of whom receive brief biographies and select descriptions of their air battles – he also discusses the ground crews and manufacturers as well. Anthony Fokker receives particular attention, with his story encapsulating just how fluid the aircraft industry was at the time and how quickly fortunes could change for the people in it. It all makes for very entertaining reading.

Yet for all of its strengths, this is also a deeply flawed book. In focusing on the aces, Longstreet leaves out vital aspects of the air war. As is so often the case, Longstreet’s book is mainly about warfare over the Western Front, with aerial battles elsewhere covered in just two short chapters. Moreover, it is almost exclusively a book about fighters and fighter pilots: coverage of the bombing campaigns is confined to a single chapter about the Zeppelin raids on England, while scouting is effectively ignored altogether. Nor is there is any context provided for the aerial dueling he describes, making it seem as though it was all a struggle apart from the larger conflict. Worst of all, though, is the clichéd nature of Longstreet’s writing, which too often devolves to national stereotyping to fill in the gaps in his analysis.

Because of this, anyone new to the subject can finish this book with a deeply distorted understanding of air warfare during the First World War. For all of the thrilling episodes recounted in purplish prose, Longstreet’s reduction of an important aspect of the conflict to a series of dramatic personalities and biplane battles does a real disservice to his subject. The best that one can hope for in this respect is that enough of Longstreet’s zeal will rub off on his readers that they will seek out other books for a more comprehensive picture of the air war, lest they believe that the popular image of the air war is the only one that matters.

[Gerry · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Canvas Falcons’ cover says the book is about “The Planes of World War I and the Men Who Flew Them,” and it is. There is little about their strategic employment and the practices of Trenchard or Mitchell. We’re seeing the war from the viewpoint of the aviators themselves and it can get gritty in places. There are some lengthy quotations to convey this feeling. The book, a narrative not a study, is an easy enough read. There are a number of factual errors, however and the author’s distaste for Richtofen (the “Red Baron”) comes through is his portrayal of the Baron as a Junker aristocrat and cold-blooded killer (who did not shoot at men in parachutes; they weren’t used until after he was killed). Enjoy and learn from the stories, but beware of the facts.

[John Mclaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent account of life for a WW1 aviator. I liked the details about life away from the airfield when they weren't flying.

[Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating history of early aircraft, their designers, and their war usage. As well history of the flying aces.

[Mike Prochot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book about the very young men who flew in combat during World War One.

I am very glad to have discovered Longstreet's effort to bring us into the cockpit. Most books I have read regarding aviation in the first world war tend to gloss over the personalities and personal stories of the aviators. Most tend to give much detail in regards the aircraft in use and inevitably fall into repeating the oft told stories of bravery in the air, aerial knighthood, good sporting and the mythology that surrounds these young men.

Longstreet brings us the foibles, fears and idiosyncrasies of the flyers. He also gives us glimpses of what the men endured in their short life spans as they they climbed into their temperamental machines from day to day.

The book could have used more photos of the men who's stories he presents, and several more photos of the equipment they flew, but all of that is readily available on the internet.

At the end, the stories we are familiar with in regards the exploits and lives of Fonck, Richtofen, Voss, Mannock and the very young Albert Ball are most assuredly only the tip of of the iceberg and over-polished at that. While this book was published in 1970, hopefully with the anniversary of the Great War and the information now available through the internet, we can learn even more.

[Sean Mccarrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was my absolute favorite as a young kid. It may seem a bit dry to the casual observer but the stories of this romantic era of aerial combat really thrilled me when I was young and still entertain me now.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is widely-- and correctly-- panned for its inaccuracies and speculative passages. That said, it is an enjoyable read if one is aware of its faults and accepts it as an entertaining lightweight history of air warfare in WWI.

[Lars · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most succinct, well-written and engaging accounts of aerial combat during the Great War that I have ever read.

[Timothy]

short lives.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Canvas Falcons explores the development of military into and through the first World War. It also looks at the inventors, designers, and pilots of the period. Good insight.

[Deidre White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an entertaining and informative look at a seldom reflected upon chapter of our world's history.

[Neev · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable and easy read. Amazon reviews suggest it may not be as accurate as one might hope, but it's certainly a good introduction for those curious about the topic.