American Aces of World War I (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 42) (Paperback)

by Norman Franks (Author), Harry Dempsey (Illustrator) "When World War 1 began in August 1914 and Germany invaded France and Belgium, it all seemed very far away from the United States of..." (more)
Key Phrases: top starboard wing, fuselage roundel, official victories, World War, Bruce Robertson, Croix de Guerre (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
American fliers arriving in Europe from September 1917 brought with them no aircraft. Instead, US units had to obtain machines mainly from the British and French. From early 1918 American pilots were issued with SPAD fighters and they never looked back. As this volume details, the first American trained pilot to become an ace was Lt Douglas Campbell, who shot down five German aircraft by the end of May 1918. He was a member of the celebrated 94th 'Hat in the Ring' Aero Squadron, which created the bulk of American aces in World War I.

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.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing; illustrated edition edition (September 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841763756
• ISBN-13: 978-1841763750
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #632,061 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars REQUIRED WW1 AVIATION REFERENCE!, June 29, 2008

By	P. A. Panozzo "history enthusiast" (Portage, IN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have purchased, read,(and reviewed!!) many of these excellent volumes by Osprey Publishing. They are concise, handy reference guides. Their size and cost are extremely appealing to one short on funds and storage!! This volume is dedicated to the principal American Aces of World War One. It provides biographical information on the pilot, noteworthy exploits achieved, and what their aircraft looked like. The text contains first person accounts of the exploits, beautiful color renditions of the aircraft, and often, scale plans of the aircraft. Any aviation enthusiast of World War One would want this volume. There are numerous other volumes by Osprey that you may wish to consider. For the American perspective I particularly recommend these: SPAD XII/XIII Aces of World War 1 (Aircraft of the Aces) Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1 (Aircraft of the Aces) Nieuport Aces of World War I (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 33) and SPA124 Lafayette Escadrille: American Volunteer Airmen in World War 1 (Aviation Elite Units). You can click on these links and you can check out my other reviews on other Osprey titles!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good info and profiles, November 29, 2005

By	Gary D. Crawford "Crawf" (Paragould, AR United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Good book. Covers US airmen of WW1 that served with the British, French, and US forces. 36 aircraft profiles, showing various French and British aircraft: Nieuports, SPAD's, Camels, SE5a's, etc. Lots of good photos, too. Has an index. No overhead profiles.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Short and informative, September 10, 2005

By	CD Park (Colorful Colorado) - See all my reviews

American Aces of World War I, is a brief but informative review of the great American Fliers of WWI. Anyone interested in WWI will find it very useful. If you are unfamiliar, as I was with WWI flying aces, this book will bring you up to speed. It is also an excellent companion while reading the new Jeff Shaara book, To the Last Man.