Customer Reviews

Sopwith Camel Aces of World War 1 (Aircraft of the Aces)

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To my mind, the Sopwith Camel was the ultimate British dogfighter of WWI. If novice RAF pilots survived their first flights in the squat, humpbacked Camel - and many didn't - they found the biplane a dogfighter par excellence, possessing tremendous turning capability.

Noted author Norman Franks chronicles Camel aces in this Osprey 'Aircraft of the Aces' book, #52 in the series. Dozens of RAF pilots claimed five or more kills, Camel pilots eventually being credited with over 1,200 victories following its service introduction in May 1917. Some names in Franks' book - 'Billy' Barker, Arthur Cobby, Donald MacLaren and Roy Brown - are well-known; others less so.

Dozens of black & white photos illustrate the text, including some wonderfully atmospheric shots, along with 14 pages of unusually crisp color profiles by Harry Dempsey.

The Camel instilled great confidence in its pilots. You have to smile reading accounts in the book wherein outnumbered Camel pilots fearlessly pitch into gaggles of German fighters, later recalling "we had quite good fun...while it lasted."

If anything, Franks' book could have used a few more pages to tell the Camel story. Given the large number of Camel aces, Osprey would have been well advised to add a few more pages to the book for more combat accounts.

Another delightful title from Norman Franks and from Osprey!

Reading this book is somewhat similar to reading a stack of baseball cards. The text consists almost entirely of short paragraphs recording the names of pilots and numbers of aircraft they shot down, organized by units. Here and there you will find bits of information about where the pilot was born, when he joined the military services etc, but it is all too brief to place into context. As a book to read for gaining insight into WW1 air combat this is a letdown. It does well as collection of trivia and will probably be very interesting for those who have read enough about WW1 to provide their own context for the facts. On the positive side, there are some unique descriptions of air battles based on what appears to be interviews with the actual pilots involved(but again it is generally too brief to do full justice to the material and it often left me frustrated with too many unanswered questions). There are also a generous number of photographs depicting aircraft and pilots, as well as a number of color plates showing the color schemes and insignia of notable Sopwith Camels. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy trivia, it is not good as a first read for those who seek a deeper understanding of WW1 air combat and the Sopwith Camel's role in that great saga.