I think it was many years back but I seem to remember a
thread here about the best world war I books on flight.
I am primarily interested in wwi aces but anything on
wwi flight would be appreciated. Thanks.

DC

Plenty over in THIS OLD THREAD

Hope you've been saving your money

Well I'll add my tuppenceworth, including some mentioned in that thread and some not. All of these are probably out-of-print now but can be picked up on eBay.

'No Parachute' by Arthur Gould Lee - he flew Pups and Camels with 46 Squadron 1917-18 and this book comprises some remarkably frank letters to his wife written to describe his experiences (which they do very effectively, with a mass of observed details which will fascinate and inform as well as many records of exciting scraps and incidents) supplemented by some private writings in diaries from the same time. IMHO this is one of the best combat pilot memoirs ever, and a 'must have' for anyone remotely interested in the subject. He also wrote 'Open Cockpit' which I don't have now but is also very good. One of the high points in 'No Parachute is AG Lee's recording of many of the contemporary RFC mess songs, some of which are hard to find elsewhwere; they are absolutely priceless examples of typically British 'Services Humour'. A few are performed in the film 'Aces High'.

'Richthofen - the dramatic true story of the Red Baron' by William E Burrows. If you want a victory-by-victory account then this isn't the one, Peter Killduff and Norman Franks etc are better at that sort of thing but what it does that no other MvR book I've read does is bring the man to life in such a well-written and effective way. For example, Burrows's account of MvR's being shot down by an FE is a little masterpiece of effective but dramatic writing; it doesn't just put you in the cockpit with MvR, it puts you inside his head, it's like you're there, like it's happening to you.

'The Friendless Skies' by Alexander McKee. A good general history of the air war, from the aircrew's standpoint. Garnered from other sources that you would pay a lot to get individually if you could track them down, but written up in McKee's sometimes tongue-in-cheek, sometimes acerbic style. Highly readable, and incluses accounts you won't see elsewhere, like the remarkable exploits of the Aussies and their German foes in Palestine.

'Flying Fury - five years in the RFC' by JTB McCudden VC - a modest account by a great man who rose from the ranks in the days where that was a sign of rare talent. His oft-quoted tribute to Verner Voss after the latter's last solo fight with 56 Squadron comes from this book and is typical of the man and this book. His accounts of combats with German 2-seaters are also fascinating.

For a good, probably cheap single-source reference on WW1 planes I would highly recommend "Aircraft of World War 1" by Kenneth Munson, publ. Ian Allan 1967 & 1976.

For good sources of photographs, well there are many, but here are some I would highly recommend:

'Pictorial History of the German Army Air Service 1914-1918' by Alex Imrie, publ 1971 in UK by Ian Allan and in 1973 by Regnery in US;

'Vintage Warbirds no.1 - The Royal flying Corps in World War 1' by Raymond Laurence Rimmell, publ. Arms & Armour 1985

Osprey Airwar No.s 17 'German Fighter Units 1917-18' by Alex Imrie & 18 'British Fighter Units Western Front 1917-18' by Alex Revell, originally publ 1978 but reprinted 2002.

for refreences on particular types or camouflage and markings, including colour profiles, there are several sources I would recommend:

1. Profile Publications - check out eBay, the WW1 and other titles are regularly on sale there and generally cheap as chips;

2. The current range of Osprey WW1 aircraft and unit titles, take your pick

3. Windsock data files

4. Squadron Signal publications, which cover many WW1 types in the sort of detail especially suitable for modellers

5. The old Blandford 'Pocket Encyclopedia of Aircraft in Colour' series included "Fighters 1914-19' and 'Bombers 1914-19' by Kenneth Munson. Tho dating from the 1960s, these included the results of some very good research into camouflage and markings, by people working on restoring historic aircraft of the period, and i think are still some of the best compact illustrated sources on WW1 camouflage and markings.

There are many, many more out there, depending on whether you want mainly written or mainly illustrated material, or both, or any particular country, flier or whatever.

Thanks guys.

DC