Customer Reviews

Shooting the Front: Allied Aerial Reconnaissance and Photographic Interpretation on the Western Front -- World War I

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Mr Finnegan has authored THE book for anyone interested in studying the early development of military aerial photography. His research is flawless. He's culled the archives of various nations (both governmental sources & private diaries) to extract data from these primary accounts on the Great War. He supports his research with interviews from leading military minds of that burgeoning branch of service. Mr Finnegan not only tells the story of aerial photography's humble beginnings, he manages to weave an all-encompassing history of WWI that should appeal to the novice & professional historian alike. Furthermore, the book is a treasure trove of rare photographs (some never before published) that has left me speechless on more than one occasion.

While a number of WWI books give the reader great photographic context of the view from inside the trenches (Peter Barton's "Panorama" books in particular), "Shooting the Front" addresses the neglected role that aerial reconnaisance played in planning some of the war's most celebrated battles while providing a whole new (overhead) perspective. That said, however, it is much more than just a testament to the utility of aerial photographs. This book also pays a worthy tribute to the pioneering aviators and interpreters by taking the reader through the development of the art and science that is the reality of aerial reconnaisance.