THE AIRMAN'S WAR 1914-1918

THE AIRMAN'S WAR,  1914-1918 
by Matthew Richardson.


My own reading experience of the first world war in the air is mostly limited to the wonderful adventures of Biggles. So I was delighted to be offered the chance to read and review this new book, which looks at both the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Navy Air Service (RNAS) in the Great War.

The early part of the war would see combat aircraft at their most basic as a potential threat. In an age before machine guns were installed, their only weapon was a rifle or pistol. 
If armed with bombs, pilots and their observers would attack a ground target by means of throwing grenades by hand, or dropping small bombs by simply cutting a piece of string! 
This was also the period where airships were in operation. Included is the story of one such flight where a propeller blade came off and had to be replaced whilst remaining airborne!

Immersed within the author's narrative are many first-hand accounts from the men themselves and who fought on both sides of the war. Their incredible stories only add to our appreciation of the dangers they faced, not only against an enemy in combat, but also having to fly without a parachute.
Whilst the vast majority of the book covers the years over the Western Front, a chapter is dedicated to the Mediterranean and Dardanelles.

This has proved to be an immensely enjoyable read and a great introduction to this period of aviation history. 
It is fair to say that the chapters have simply flown by.

The hardback book is available to pre-order now and will be published later in March by Pen and Sword Books. 
I thank P&S for this review copy. 

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