WGFA: Heroes & Aeroplanes of the Great War 1914-1918

[OldGuy59]

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Book Title:

Heroes & Aeroplanes of the Great War 1914-1918

Author:

Joseph A. Phelan

ISBN:

66-11320

Category:

Reference

Format:

Hardback

Summary:

This book is an overview of the start of Aviation into the Great War. It covers everything about aviation and the people involved, with highlights on specific milestone aircraft and individuals, battles, squadrons, tactics and organizations. The author has included Charles Lindbergh trans-Atlantic flight in 1927 at the end, probably as a technical milestone. The book is illustrated with drawings, no pictures at all. Most of the drawings are black and white, with some color where needed for markings or battle scenes. There are even drawing of specific maneuvers (although it appears to identify an Immelmann as a half-loop, as opposed to a stall turn), blind spots for attacking in the air, and how planes spotted artillery fire.
As a novice reader, this appears very interesting, but is perhaps not completely accurate in all respects to a more knowledgeable reader. The drawings of "scale" planes and bombs are helpful to understand size relationships.

[matt56]

This is one of my favorite "overview" books from my 'youth' on the period - I've had my copy for ages and always enjoy revisiting it for the drawings - line drawings and profiles and "scenes". While Mike's assessment of its use to the knowledgable reader is accurate, I think it serves as a nice springboard to spur interest into further study and research. It might seem a bit hackneyed today, but it did come out well before the internet made searching for things the 'joy' that it is today.

I particularly still like the line drawings of the various pilots - both full figure and portrait.

Perhaps it's just sentimentality on my part, but were my copy to go missing, I'd want to replace it!
All the best,
Matt

[RJG173]

I also have a copy of this book purchased over forty years ago. I knew a little about the air war before I purchased this book, but in this tome I learned about the Belgian Air Force and that the Germans did have pusher aircraft (I thought only the English and French had those). I tried cleaning up this cover image I found, but it still has a few problems.

[gully_raker]

I have had a copy of that one for many years & its a good starter book for folk to learn about WW1 Aviation history.

[Vindicator]

I just picked up a later edition of this book, Aeroplanes and Flyers of the First World War. If the original edition was published in 1966; this looks to be from 1973. Plenty of full-color scenes, as well as line drawings and everything sorted by country and type. Other sections on obs balloons, flying boats, early aircraft carriers, bomb types, ground attack, etc. A good read....