Aerial Warfare – An Illustrated History

Aerial warfare has developed, within the span of a lifetime, from rudimentary stick and string biplanes and hand-held bombs to the ultra- sophisticated technology of modern warfare, by which a pilot can successfully carry out an attack on a target he never sees. This book brings to life the tension and drama of aerial combat with its excellent photographs, maps and diagrams illustrating the strategies involved. These are complemented by powerful contributions from leading experts in the field of aviation. 

Divided into three sections covering roles, campaigns and actions, this fascinating and carefully illustrated book gives detailed coverage of the entire history of aerial warfare.

The first part deals with such varied topics as strategic bombing, air defence and air-sea rescue. The campaigns cover such significant events as the first time the aeroplane was used as a war machine in the Italian Campaign in Libya of 1911, the strategically decisive Battle of Britain and the hard-fought air battles of the Arab-Israeli wars. The last section investigates outstanding individual air action like the Ruhr dam raids by the RAF in 1943, the successful USAAF Ploesti raids of 1942-3 and the Luftwaffe's surprise onslaught on the Allied airfields on New Year's Day 1945. 

With a foreword by General Adolf Galland, the youngest German general of World War II and an outstanding fighter pilot, this book is a 'must' for anybody interested in aeroplanes and history.