The Great War In The Air: Military Aviation from 1909 to 1921 (Smithsonian History of Aviation Series) [Hardcover]

Jr. John H. Morrow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 1993

This comprehensive study of the development and significance of airpower during World War I compares military, political, technological, industrial, and cultural aspects of airpower in the greater combatant powers (France, Germany, and England) and the lesser powers (Italy, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and the U.S.). 64 illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Aimed at the general reader as well as the specialist, Morrow's history of the development and significance of airpower during WW I will be considered definitive. He compares the military, technological and industrial aspects in the air services of the major powers--France, Germany, England, Italy, Russia, Austria-Hungary, the U.S.--and reveals how, by means of superior production (particularly French aero-engine manufacture), the Allies prevailed in the air war. Extensively researched, the study traces the increasingly important role of aviation in the 1914-1918 conflict, first in rendering ground forces more effective through air reconnaissance and artillery observation and later in air-to-air combat, bombing and strafing. Morrow, a history professor at the University of Georgia, carries his narrative past the Armistice to describe the postwar demobilization of the air services and contraction of the aviation industry, highlighting the impact of the war on the future of air power. Photos.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Organized year by year, Morrow's encyclopedic examination of aviation's part in World War I concentrates on aircraft engine and airframe production, moving from the slow and frail craft suitable only for artillery spotting to the fleets of fast and durable aircraft that swarmed through the skies at the war's end, their superior numbers meaning victory for the Allies. The approach of the author (history, Univ. of Georgia) is academic, but the emotional content of contemporary accounts rises to the surface now and then with excerpts of letters and other sources to put a human face on this brutal use of an infant technology. This is a serious yet readable history of this vital part of the conflict, meant for any reader with an interest in the early years of aviation.
- Mel D. Lane, Sacramento, Cal.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 458 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian Institution Press (April 17, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560982381
• ISBN-13: 978-1560982388
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,984,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive over-view of aviation during the Great War, May 8, 1998

By 

Aussie Reader ""Rick"" (Canberra, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great War In The Air: Military Aviation from 1909 to 1921 (Smithsonian History of Aviation Series) (Hardcover)

I bought this book some years ago to assist me in some research I was doing on two Australian pilots of WWI. This book provided a detailed account of the aircraft, engine and armaments development and design, the politics between governments, air services and manufactures. It also provided ample details on what was happening on the war front to keep you interested. The book provides detailed facts and figures to give you a insight into war production and the problems faced by aircraft manufactures and the government bodies involved. The book itself never became boring and was enjoyable to read as it detailed the tactics used on the Western Front and other theatres of WWI. Stories of the great aces and their combat experiences intermixed with details of the feuds between politicians at home kept you glued to the story. Overall this book is an excellent one volume account of aviation during the Great War and any person interested in this subject will find this book a joy to read. Deserves to be on the shelf of any WWI avaition library, recommended reading.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An essential reference for serious historical research, July 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Great War In The Air: Military Aviation from 1909 to 1921 (Smithsonian History of Aviation Series) (Hardcover)

Author Morrow has unearthed a remarkable amount of information detailing the impact of research, development, and production on aerial warfare of the period. This information feast has been tied together with thoughtful analysis. I have not seen any other reference which so clearly explains the reasons behind the enduring presence of obsolete equipment in all the air services of the Great War. Numerous vignettes of happenings at the front are interspersed amidst the analyses to maintain reader interest. This book is worth having just for the extensive notes and bibliography, but it is also good reading!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Exceptional Read for any scholar of aviation, November 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Great War In The Air: Military Aviation from 1909 to 1921 (Smithsonian History of Aviation Series) (Hardcover)

I had the privelage of taking a WWI class taught by Dr. Morrow. In that class I read this book and was amazed at the all encompassing way it views the air war. Dr. Morrow has a talent for drawing together different events and viewing the war from an economic, industrial, technological, social, and political view. This book is highly entertaining for any student of military history. Anyone interested in military aviation and the role it played in the first World War should not question the merit of purchasing this book.