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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
Recomended reading on the subject of the Great War 1914-1918
At discounted prices.
John Abbatiello
Investigating the employment of British aircraft against German submarines during the final years of the First World War, this new book places anti-submarine campaigns from the air in the wider history of the First World War. The Royal Naval Air Service invested heavily in aircraft of all types—aeroplanes, seaplanes, airships, and kite balloons—in order to counter the German U-boats. Under the Royal Air Force, the air campaign against U-boats continued uninterrupted. Aircraft bombed German U-boat bases in Flanders, conducted area and ‘hunting’ patrols around the coasts of Britain, and escorted merchant convoys to safety. Despite the fact that aircraft acting alone destroyed only one U-boat during the war, the overall contribution of naval aviation to foiling U-boat attacks was significant. Only five merchant vessels succumbed to submarine attack when convoyed by a combined air and surface escort during World War I. This book examines aircraft and weapons technology, aircrew trainMore information on:
Anti-Submarine Warfare in World War I: British Naval Aviation and the Defeat of the U-Boats (Cass Series: Naval Policy and History)
Jon Guttman
This book traces the combat history of the most famous and highest-scoring fighter group in France's World War I Aviation Militaire. Groupe de Combat 12 boasted the highest-scoring Allied fighter pilot, René Fonck, and France's most celebrated hero of the air, Georges Guynemer. Its ranks included numerous other famous aces, such as Rene's Dorme, Alfred Heurteaux, Albert Deullin, and American volunteers Edwin Parsons and Frank L. Baylies. Additionally, Guynemer was instrumental in developing France's premier series of fighter planes, the SPAD VII, XII, XIII and XVII.More information on:
"Groupe de Combat 12, 'Les Cigognes'": France's Ace Fighter Group in World War 1 (Aviation Elite Units)
Colin Pengelly
Albert Ball's individuality and his insistence on fighting alone set him apart from other fighter pilots during World War One. His invincible courage and utter determination made him a legend not only in Britain but also amongst his enemies, to whom the sight of his lone Nieuport Scout brought fear. In 1914 he enlisted in the British army with the 2/7th Battalion (Robin Hoods), of the Sherwood Foresters, Notts and Derby Regiment. By the October of 1914 he had reached the rank of Sergeant and then in the same month was made a Second-Lieutenant to his own battalion. In June 1915 he paid for private tuition and trained as a pilot at Hendon. In October 1915 he obtained Royal Aero Club Certificate and requested transfer to the Royal Flying Corps. The transfer granted, he further trained at Norwich and Upavon, being awarded the pilot's brevet on 22 January 1916. On 16 May 1916 - flying Bristol Scout 5512 - he opened his score, shooting down an Albatros C-type over Beaumont. On 29 May 1916 heMore information on:
ALBERT BALL VC: THE FIGHTER PILOT HERO OF WORLD WAR I
Linda R. Robertson
Linda R. Robertson argues that the development of the United States as a global military power arose from the influence of an image of air combat carefully constructed during World War I to mask the sordid realities of modern ground warfare. The Dream of Civilized Warfare carries this trajectory to its logical end, tracing the long history of the American desire to exert the nation's will throughout the world without having to risk the lives of ground soldiers-a theme that continues to reverberate in public discussions, media portrayals, and policy decisions today. Histories of American air power usually focus on World War II, when the air force became the foundation for the military strength of the United States. The equally fascinating story of World War I air combat is often relegated to a footnote, but it was the earlier war that first inspired the vision of the United States attaining dominance in world affairs through a massive air force. In The Dream of Civilized Warfare, RoberMore information on:
The Dream of Civilized Warfare: World War I Flying Aces and the American Imagination
Colin Owers
Noted military aviation expert Colin Owers presents the most comprehensive work ever compiled on the great de Havilland aircraft of World War I. Volume I in this two-book set contains groundbreaking information on the D.H.1 and D.H.1A, D.H.3, D.H.4 and the U.S. D.H.4 "Liberty Plane". Among the 160 rare photos, detailed drawings (including 8 pages of 8 x 12-inch fold-outs) and 40 lavish full-color illustrations are first drawings ever of the D.H.3.More information on:
De Havilland Aircraft of World War I: Volume 1, D.H.1-D.H.4 (Great War Aircraft in Profile, Volume 5)
Andre' Jouineau
In January 1914, the French Army had 47 divisions (777,000 French and 46,000 colonial troops) in 21 regional corps, with attached cavalry and field-artillery units. Most these troops were deployed inside France with the bulk along the eastern frontier. With the fear of war with Germany a further 2.9 million men were mobilized during the summer of 1914. This book details the French Army's first year of the Great War.More information on:
French Army, Vol. 1: 1914 (Officers and Soldiers)
Roy Conyers Nesbit
Now in paperback -- the first volume in this successful pictorial history of the RAF with more than 200 rare and previously unpublished photographs. The three handsome volumes in this series bring together a representative selection of the previously unpublished photographs offering an exciting visual history of the RAF in all its glory. This volume covers the earliest period with its early attempts at flying, the First World War, operations in the inter-war years and the preparations for World War II.More information on:
RAF in Camera: 1903-1939 Archives Photographs from the Public Record Office and the Ministry of Defence (The Raf in Camera Series) (v. 1)
Anthony G. Williams
This book describes the history of aircraft guns, their ammunition and their installations in aircraft. It commences with a technical history covering the development of guns, their ammunition, and related issues such as mountings and sights. This is followed by chapters on aircraft installations covering all nations and an evaluation of their use in combat. Appendices include comprehensive tables of the gun installations of WWI combat aircraft with details and illustrations of the guns used and specifications of their ammunition. Comparative drawings and specifications of service weapons are provided, plus illustrations and data concerning their ammunition.More information on:
Flying Guns of World War I
Steven T. Ross
By the close of the 19th century, the United States was no longer a continental power, but had become a nation with interests that spanned the globe from the Caribbean to China. Consequently, the country faced a new set of strategic concerns, ranging from enforcing the Monroe Doctrine to defending the Philippines. As a result of the United States' new geostrategic environment, the armed services had to establish a system for the creation of war plans to defend the country's interests against possible foreign aggression. A Joint Army and Navy Board, established in 1903, ordered the creation of war plans to deal with real and potential threats to American security. Each major country was assigned a colour: Germany was Black, Great Britain Red, Japan Orange, Mexico Green and China Yellow. War plans were then devised in case Washington decided to use force against these or other powers.More information on:
American War Plans, 1890-1939
Hugh Cowin
This title details every aircraft type that saw action in World War I. It encompasses a story of courage and technical innovation, focusing on some of the characters of the war and providing an overall account of allied aviation.More information on:
Allied Aviation of World War I: A Pictorial History of Allied Aviators and Aircraft of the Great War (Osprey Aviation Pioneers 5)
Dale Manuel
Shortly after Ponce de Leon discovered La Florida in 1513, early Spanish settlers found a large and sheltered bay on the Gulf of Mexico. The bay became known as Pensacola after the Penzacola Indians who lived along the shore. In 1698, the first permanent colony was established by pioneers who recognized the strategic importance of a fine harbor with protective barrier islands and a high bluff, or barranca, on the mainland across from a defensible mouth. For centuries the bay was fortified and refortified. Battles raged in four wars, and five nations raised their flags along the harbor. Pensacola Bay: A Military History traces the rich military history of the bay from Spanish times to the present-day Naval Air Station Pensacola, home of the Navy's Blue Angels. The book presents over 200 black-and-white images that highlight the acquisition of Florida by the United States in 1821, the construction of fortifications and naval installations, the Civil War, both World Wars, the Old Navy YarMore information on:
Pensacola Bay, A Military History (FL) (Images of America)
George Roland & Otis Lowell Reed
The 17th Aero Squadron flew Sopwith Camels under British command along the Western Front during the summer of 1918. This definitive work on the 17th Aero Squadron in World War I is drawn from a wide range of official and personal sources, including original squadron records (found in an attic!), numerous interviews, letters written home, and half a dozen diaries including one kept by a German pilot flying in opposition.More information on:
The Camel Drivers: The 17th Aero Squadron in World War I
Tami Davis Biddle
A major revision of our understanding of long-range bombing, this book examines how Anglo-American ideas about "strategic" bombing were formed and implemented. It argues that ideas about bombing civilian targets rested on--and gained validity from--widespread but substantially erroneous assumptions about the nature of modern industrial societies and their vulnerability to aerial bombardment. These assumptions were derived from the social and political context of the day and were maintained largely through cognitive error and bias. Tami Davis Biddle explains how air theorists, and those influenced by them, came to believe that strategic bombing would be an especially effective coercive tool and how they responded when their assumptions were challenged. Biddle analyzes how a particular interpretation of the World War I experience, together with airmen's organizational interests, shaped interwar debates about strategic bombing and preserved conceptions of its potentially revolutionaryMore information on:
Rhetoric and Reality in Air Warfare: The Evolution of British and American Ideas about Strategic Bombing, 1914-1945
Alex Imrie
This book traces the combat history of German fighter units. Major aircraft types are all covered, and their missions detailed. Aircraft markings and aircrew uniforms are shown in full colour illustrationsMore information on:
German Fighter Units 1914-May 1917 (Osprey Airwar 13)
Eric Wood
IN the changed conditions of modern warfare airmen have become the eyes of the army. Starting from their bases, aviators wing their way over the enemy's lines and observe every passing thing that comes within their vision, so that generals, sitting at headquarters, know exactly to where enemy reinforcements have gone, how many trains of munitions have been sent to certain places, where batteries are placed, and a thousand things that the brains of an army must be cognizant of. Trenches dug overnight are noted the next morning and inscribed upon the large-scale maps which are used as bases for the plans of operations. In fact, little that happens escapes notice—if the flying corps of an army has won command of the air.More information on:
"Top British Fighter Pilots of World War One" - Thrilling Deeds of British Airmen [Illustrated]
Antony L. Kay
This volume maintains the high standards of Putnam's Manufacturer series, examining in detail the output of one of Germany's most famous aircraft manufacturers, Junkers. With 3-view drawings, cut-aways, fine photographs and unsurpassed in-depth treatment of the design history of Junkers aircraft, this volume is the definitive history of a German engineering legend. Hugo Junkers was a leading pioneer of aviation, especially all-metal aircraft construction, and his name is associated with great aerodynamic and structural advances in engineering. His design and manufacturing bureau was responsible for some of the most distinctive and famous aircraft of the 20th century, including the terrifying Ju87 Stuka divebomber and the Ju88 bomber which battered London in the Blitz, but successful airliners and transports were also part of the Junkers roster over the course of its 30-year history.More information on:
Junkers Aircraft and Engines 1913-1945 (Putnam Aviation)
Barry Diggens
This is the first full-length biography ever written on the life and death of the nineteen-year-old Werner Voss, who was a legend in his own lifetime and the youngest recipient of the Pour le Me'rite, Germany's highest award for bravery in WWI. At the time of his death he was considered by many, friend and foe alike, to be Germany's greatest ace and, had he lived, he would almost certainly have overtaken Manfred von Richthofen's victory total by early spring 1918. Voss is perhaps best remembered for his outstanding courage, his audacity in the air and the prodigious number of victories he achieved before being killed in one of the most swash-buckling and famous dogfights of the Great War; a fight involving James McCudden and 56 Squadron RFC, the most successful Allied scout squadron. Yet the life of Voss and the events of that fateful day in September are surrounded by mystery and uncertainty and even now aviation enthusiasts continue to ask questions about him almost on a daily basiMore information on:
SEPTEMBER EVENING: The Life and Final Combat of the German World War One Ace Werner Voss
Terry Treadwell & Terry C. Treadwell
This fascinating pictorial study explains the main reasons why the US entered WWI and the violations by Germany that exacerbated the situation. Lavishly illustrated chapters cover the development of the US Air Service and the US Naval Air Service and their first use of aircraft in a combat situation. This pictorial essay highlights the personalities that emerged from the war. Contains original escape reports from USAS pilots and observers providing detailed insight into the conditions under which they were imprisoned.More information on:
America's First Air War
Philip Makanna; Javier Arango
The First World War began to hammer aircraft into reliable flying form only ten summers after man s first flight. These first warplanes, born as sport planes, soon evolved into the lethal aircraft that swarmed over the bloody trenches of Europe. They altered the history of the world and carried the dreams and the nightmares of all mankind on their wings. Renowned aviation photographer Philip Makanna has captured the essence of this era in the forthcoming GHOSTS of THE GREAT WAR, a hardbound book that weaves his stunning color photographs with an extraordinary collection of archival duotones. Makanna has spent 31 years taking aviation photography to amazing heights. In this edition, his images depict the beginnings of military aviation with Bleriot s wing-warping Model XI, Fokker s Spider , a web of wires and wood, and Sopwith s simple seaplane racer. The book continues through to the advanced aircraft that appeared at the war s end. Javier Arango has written a passionate and informativMore information on:
Ghosts of the Great War: Aviation in WWI (Ghosts Aviation Classics)
Paul Leaman
A detailed study of one of the greatest warplanes in aeronautical history, made famous by Manfred von Richthofen and other leading German aces. This generously illustrated book includes a brief outline of the history of the Fokker company, the development of the Triplane, its initial employment and its subsequent use over the front line. There is also an analysis of unit and individual markings. This book will become a leading reference work on the subject.More information on:
Fokker Dr.I Triplane: A World War One Legend
Charles Woolley
The 95th Aero Squadron was the first American pursuit squadron to fly over the front in March 1918 and 1st Lt. Waldo Heinrichs was one of its original members. The history of the Squadron is told through the words of those who served, Heinrichs' richly written diary forms the nucleus of the story supported by contemporary letters, anecdotes, and combat reports from many of the other flyers. Entries from the official Squadron history as contained in the History of the American Air Services A.E.F. (the Gorrell History) round out the narrative. Over 280 photos, most unpublished from the personal albums of the participants, show planes, places and personnel which surrounded this happy band of warriors.More information on:
First to the Front: The Aerial Adventures of 1st Lt. Waldo Heinrichs and the 95th Aero Squadron 1917-1918 (Schiffer Military History)
Alexis Mehtidis
Air Orders of Battle for the Italian military air arms in World War I 1914-1918, including Army, Naval, and Balloon units. Air orbats are given by months: five months in 1915, seven in 1916, and every month from January 1917 to the Armistice in November 1918. Units are listed by commands, groups, squadrons, bases, and aircraft types. An appendix gives a glossary/abbreviations, a list of Italian airships during the war, notes, and a bibliography for further reading. 58 content pages.More information on:
Italian Military Aviation in World War I 1914-1918
John MacGavock Grider
The Diary of Lt John M Grider, KIA in France, 1918, as amended and edited by his friend E.W. Springs. Springs believed it would add to the value of the book if he kept it anonymous and mysterious. The book was serialized in a popular magazine in 1926 and created a scandal because it depicts the American boys as womanizers, drinkers, etc. (the racist attitudes of the flyers caused no comment at the time). Later Griders sisters forced Springs to admit that the book was based on their brothers diary, although apparently Springs also included considerable material from his own letters home. Springs was a Princeton graduate from a wealthy family. He was a top pilot and received the DFC, shooting down 5 enemy planes. He wrote some other books but none as popular as this one. This book is gritty and tough, and depicts very well the descent from idealistic recruit to hardened and battle weary veteran.More information on:
War Birds: Diary of an Unknown Aviator (Williams-Ford Texas A&M University Military History Series)
Norman Polmar
Aircraft Carriers is the definitive history of world aircraft carrier development and operations. Norman Polmar’s revised and updated, two-volume classic describes the political and technological factors that influenced aircraft carrier design and construction, meticulously records their operations, and explains their impact on modern warfare. Volume I provides a comprehensive analysis of carrier developments and warfare in the first half of the twentieth century, and examines the advances that allowed the carrier to replace the battleship as the dominant naval weapons system. Polmar gives particular emphasis to carrier operations from World War I, through the Japanese strikes against China in the 1930s, to World War II in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic, and Pacific theaters. It begins with French inventor Clément Ader’s remarkably prescient 1909 description of an aircraft carrier. The book then explains how Britain led the world in the development of aircraft-carrying ships,More information on:
Aircraft Carriers: A History of Carrier Aviation and Its Influence on World Events, Volume 1: 1909-1945
Ian Castle
In the summer of 1914, as Europe teetered on the brink of war, the prospect of immediate Zeppelin raids on London and other major British towns and cities loomed large. Britain's aerial defenses were negligible, while German armed forces mustered a total of eleven airships. The First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston S. Churchill, accepted responsibility for the defense of London, which translated to defense against Zeppelin attack. His resources were limited, but he believed that attack was the best means of defense. As such, the final four months of 1914 saw the Royal Navy Air Service (RNAS) launching four separate ground-breaking air attacks on Zeppelin bases in Germany, making these Britain's first ever strategic bombing raids: Düsseldorf/Cologne (September), Düsseldorf/Cologne again (October), Friedrichshafen (November) and Cuxhaven (December). The raids achieved mixed results, but coming so early in the history of military aviation they all demonstrate evidence of great deteMore information on:
The Zeppelin Base Raids - Germany 1914
Lt. Camillo Viglino
In July of 1915, just two months after Italy joined the Allied Forces during World War I, Lieutenant Camillo Viglino, age 23, volunteered for flight training in the Italian Air Force. His account of the training provides the freshness and intimacy of an on-the-scene, firsthand report. It reveals an idealistic young man with an unbridled passion for flying and a patriotic zeal to fight for his country -- a young man daring to go up in the fragile flying machines of those early years of aviation, routinely placing himself at the mercy of the weather, cantankerous engines, and unreliable instruments. The discomforts of flying an open-cockpit 1914 Maurice Farman, the frequent crashes at the flight school, and the constant occurrences of pilots getting lost are all related with a nonchalant bravado befitting a 20-year-old. Viglino follows his diary-like accounts with a copy of a letter from a cousin at the front describing an air raid on Adelsberg, Austria. This book was written in ItalMore information on:
Memoirs of Lt. Camillo Viglino: Italian Air Force 1915-1916
Simon Adams
Ages 8 and up. Gr. 6-12. Packed with photos on every double-page spread and dense with facts and snippets of analysis, this large-size volume in the Eyewitness series provides a quick, informative overview of WWI: how it started; who fought and why; the equipment used; what it was like in the trenches and at home; the horrific final cost. Even seasoned Web browsers accustomed to busy formats may sometimes feel bombarded by all the bits and pieces, especially when the tiny type is printed over colored pictures. It's the dramatic photos (many from London's Imperial War Museum) that will make readers pause and bring them close to the soldiers' experiences. Then there's John Singer Sargent's realistic painting Gassed, showing blinded soldiers led by their sighted colleagues toward a dressing station in northern France in 1918. For more reading suggestions, see the Read-alikes column, "The War to End All Wars" [BKL N 1 01]. Hazel RochmanMore information on:
World War I (DK Eyewitness Books)
Kathi Oram Peterson
Ages 9 & up. Revealing the causes, battles, and key players behind the Great War, this exploration provides a variety of hands-on activities for children, guaranteed to foster an appreciation for this complex period. Topics covered include Morse code, life in the trenches, the race for naval superiority, and tips on visiting museums and memorials. Featuring a collection of intriguing real-life wartime stories, biographies of notable world figures, and details on the food, music, and atmosphere of World War I, this educational book provides a deeper investigation into this historical era, spotlighting the United States’ emergence onto the international stageMore information on:
The Kid's Book of World War I: A Project and Activity Book
Paul Dowsall
Offering an approachable insight into key events of the past, this book contains true stories of courage, heroism and disaster from World War I.More information on:
True Stories of World War One (Usborne True Stories)
John McCutcheon
Ages 6 & up. Grade 2-4–In 1914, British and German troops were dug into trenches in France, facing one another across the barbed wire and barren ground called No Man's Land. On Christmas Eve, the British soldiers heard the Germans singing Stille Nacht and joined in. Spontaneously, soldiers on both sides climbed out of their trenches and met in between the lines, sharing small gifts, food, and drink. They played a game of soccer. Then they went back to their trenches. The next day, the shooting resumed. McCutcheon's account of this true event is based on a song he wrote about it in 1984. An accompanying CD includes that song, Silent Night/Stille Nacht, and a reading of the story. Sørenson's illustrations sanitize trench warfare somewhat. Michael Foreman's War Game (Pavillion, 2002) is a more sophisticated–and somewhat more cynical–presentation of this same Christmas truce.–Virginia Walter, University of California, Los AngelesMore information on:
Christmas in the Trenches
- The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
- 1st of September 2023 marks 24 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time.
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