British and Empire Aces of World War I (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 45) [Paperback]

Christopher Shores (Author), Mark Rolfe (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Aircraft of the Aces | Publication Date: December 25, 2001

At the outset of World War I the British had some 110 assorted aircraft, used mostly for the visual reconnaissance role. With the advent of faster and more agile single-seaters, the Allies and their adversaries raced to outdo each other in the creation of genuinely effective fighters with fixed forward-firing machine gun armament. It was not until 1917 that the British developed a truly effective interrupter gear, which paved the way for excellent single seaters such as the Sopwith Triplane Camel and the RAF S.E.5., later joined by the Bristol F.2B - the war's best two-seat fighter. This volume traces the rapid development of the fighter in World War I and the amazing exploits of the British and Empire aces who flew them.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Perhaps the most useful section is Chapter Five, a dispassionate evaluation of the British victory credit system and how it evolved during the war. The final chapter includes short bios of more than 50 notable pilots, with due attention to the Bishop-Mannock controversy. Nearly 100 photos are augmented by 36 color profiles depicting a dozen aircraft types, emphasizing SE-5s, SPADs, and Nieuports. The appendices are excellent, containing more information than many Osprey titles. Five stars." -Barrett Tillman, Aerodrome

From the Publisher

Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces series combines full colour artwork, the best archival contemporary photography, and first hand accounts from aces to bring history's greatest airborne conflicts to life.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (December 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841763772
• ISBN-13: 978-1841763774
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.3 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #438,274 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #92 in Books > History > Military > Pictorials

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars OSPREY AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES #45 - VITAL RESOURCE!, June 24, 2008

By 

P. A. Panozzo "history enthusiast, avid reader" (Chicago, IL and NW IN area) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: British and Empire Aces of World War I (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 45) (Paperback)

I am a history and aviation enthusiast so it should not be surprising that I rate this Osprey volume with 5 stars. If you are new to the Osprey series of books, they are handy, concise, well researched guides that are well supported with archival photographs, original color artworks, and often, include scale plans of the aircraft. This volume focuses on British and Empire Aces and their aircraft and how they impacted aerial warfare during World War One. It traces the origin of aerial combat through the development of the fighter and the exploits of the first Aces. Christopher Shores, the author of more than 30 books and articles on this subject, has succinctly and lucidly presented his subject. He also included an A to Z listing of biographies of most of the Aces mentioned in this volume. Of all the Osprey titles I have read, (you may want to see my other reviews) I have to rank this one in the top 5. I gained a better appreciation for World War One Aviation from this volume. I would also recommend the following Osprey titles. You can click on their links to check them out if your interested! American Aces of World War I (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 42), Austro Hungarian Aces of World War I (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 46), Early German Aces of World War I (Aircraft of the Aces) , 'Richthofen's Circus': Jagdgeschwader Nr 1 (Aviation Elite Units).