Books You Might Be Looking For?

[rainbase]

This showed up this morning. Sadly, Chaz Bowyer passed away very recently. He was certainly considers one of the finest aero-historians of his day. I don't have a copy of this book, and at $39.95 the price is a little beyond my budget but I bet this is a great book...

ALBERT BALL, V.C. (VICTORIA CROSS). WW1 FIGHTER PILOT
208 pages. Illustrated. Near fine in a very good plus dust jacket
British fighter pilot, killed in 1917 at the age of 20. Scarce

[rainbase]

And from the same seller, listed at $35.95

WINGS OVER THE SOMME 1916-1918. SCARCE
by Wing Commander Gwilym Lewis
205 pages. Illustrated. Near fine in a very good dust jacket

[rainbase]

And for the "little budget" shopper... $1.89

Great Battles of World War I in the Air
Hardcover (BCE) with dust jacket – a little wear and creasing on dust jacket – a few small tears along edges of dust jacket – crease on upper corner of front inner flap of dust jacket – name and price written inside front cover – light tanning on outer edges of pages – otherwise book is in good condition.

The pioneering airmen of World War I were to become the greatest individual heroes in the history of modern war. Enemy or ally, they were accorded the same honors by an admiring world. This unique anthology records the personal experiences of these first airborne fighters. Men like Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, the invincible flying fighter whose stunning record of bagged enemy planes made him “America’s ace of aces;” General Billy Mitchell, the famous, outspoken airman who was a member of General Pershing’s staff during the decisive air battles of 1918 and a major influence in the newly formed American Air Force; and Lieutenant Colonel William A. Bishop, the legendary “Bishop of the Eagle Eye” describe the perilous missions that made them legends in their own time.

Stories by and about these flying pioneers re-create the great air battles of World War I. Here are the death-defying encounters; the one-man machines; the flaming, mortal combat in which each fighter singled out his esteemed adversary. Here is the story of war as it had never been fought before – and would never be fought again.

[rainbase]

I'm reading this book right now (It's on my desk at work) and REALLY like it. Bell-Irving's daughter, Elizabeth O'Kiely wrote it after inheriting her dad's archives at the time of his death and it's a lovely tribute to one of the early Canadian fliers. This book is peppered with extracts from letters and logs and laden with photos. It's a great peek into the early stage of wartime flying and even has some brief (but not so flattering!) observations of Albert Ball in No. 40 Squadron. This book is very well put together. It has a "Buy It Now" of $16.95

Gentleman Air Ace: The Duncan Bell-Irving Story
At the outbreak of the war, all six of the wealthy Bell-Irving brothers joined up and were sent overseas. Duncan served with the infantry in the trenches in France, before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps, where he found himself pitted in combat against such notorious German pilots as Immelman and the Red Baron. Wounded, Duncan convalesced in a London hospital run by the aristocratic Lady Ridley. Enlivened by photographs and excerpts from Duncan's journals and letters, Gentleman Air Ace is a captivating story, and a tribute to a real Canadian hero.

[rainbase]

Although the dust jacket looks beat up, here's an inexpensive Whitehouse: $5.95

LEGION OF THE LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE IN WWI
# You are bidding on a 8 x 5 inch Hard Cover Book Titled: ..... LEGION OF THE LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE IN WWI BY ARCH WHITEHOUSE.... The book was published in 1962 by Doubleday Company. The Book is a First Edition. The book has 338 pages with illustrations. The Book is in Good Condition. Cover is Clean. Tight Binding - Clean Pages - Former Library Book with typical Library Marks - No Tears - No Creases. No Odor..Mylar Protected Dust Jacket....Nice Clean - Tight Book.

[rainbase]

This is the first time I remember seeing a copy of this come up on ebay. I read Rampant Lion, Darren Whiteside's excellent biography of Von Schleich last year. At $100, this one is definitely for the collectors...

SCARCE BIO OF NOTED WWI GERMAN ACE RITTER V. SCHLEICH!
"Jagdflieger Im Weltkrieg Und Im Dritten Reich". Written by Fried Lange and published in Germany in 1939. Good to Very Good condition in grey cloth in a like dust jacket with rubbing and edge wear. In the 30 years I have been dealing in military and aviation books, this is the first time we have found this book with it`s original dust jacket!! Not only was Von Schleich a famous World War One ace, and winner of the coveted Pour Le Merite for bravery, he was also a fervent early Nazi, and rose quickly through the ranks to become a General within Hitler`s Luftwaffe. This book covers his war exploits, as well as his rise within the Nazi party. 258 pages. Photos. German text. Quite scarce, especially in the Jacket!

[rainbase]

For Lafayette Escadrille fans: $9.99

high adventure-james norman hall-WW I
hardcover with no dustjacket-book is tight and square, clean and unmarked- back cover waterstained and fabric a bit loose
houghton mifflin -1929

[rainbase]

This is nice! Listed starting at only $8.99. A nice companion piece for fans of Lewis's classic Sagittarius Rising.

WW1 Aircraft Memories by RFC Pilot Cecil Lewis
Farewell to Wings by Cecil Lewis, 1964, B&W illustrations of each aircraft by Leonard Bridgman, DJ, 84 p. Author was a British RFC pilot during WWI and tells his experiences with each aircraft. Lewis also wrote the WW1 aviation classic Sagittarius Rising. Aircraft covered include Maurice Farman Longhorne and Shorthorn, Be2, Avro 504, FE 2b, Be12, Bristol Scout, Morane Parasol, Morane Biplane, Morane Scout, Bristol Fighter, Martinsyde Elephant, Sopwith Triplane, DH4, RE8, SE5, Nieuport Scout, Spad, Albatros(!), Sopwith Dolphin, Sopwith Pup, Sopwith Camel, Handley Page, Vickers Vimy. Also a chapter on formation flying. Overall tone of the text is that of reminiscing, so this is a nice companion book to Sagittarius Rising. Each aircraft chapter is illustrated with an image similar to what is on the DJ cover. DJ has several tears that have been repaired with tape on the inside of the DJ. Book and rest of dust jacket in good cond. Buyer pays shipping.

[rainbase]

This is up too, starting at $8.00

HIGH ENDEAVOUR,WWII,RAF,England,Great Britain,Iran,
Description: . 164 pages, index, illustrated with black and white photographs. Sir Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman (1899-1971) joined the RFC in 1917 and after pilot training flew Bristol F2B Fighters on artillery observation duties with 10 Squadron. He remained in the RAF after the war and in 1920 was posted to 60 Squadron in India flying D.H.10A's. He returned home two years later and went to the RAF Experimental Establishment at Martlesham Heath before doing a tour with 99 Squadron then joining 70 Squadron in Iraq flying Vickers Victorias, in which he took part in the air evacuation of Kabul in 1928. During the 1930's he held several staff and squadron posts and on the outbreak of WWII he was Station Commander of RAF Linton upon Ouse. From 1941 to '43 he served as a staff officer and later took command of RAF Elsham Woods. In May 1944 the Lancaster in which he was flying was shot down and he was forced to bail out over France. Because of his knowledge of the Overlord plans Churchill ordered his recovery or death. However, after being captured by the Germans, he managed to convince them he knew nothing of the invasion and remained a POW for the rest of the war. Promoted to Air Vice-Marshal in 1945 he commanded 38 Group at Upavon for the next three years, then after two years at the Air Ministry he was appointed C-in-C of the Indian Air Force. In 1952 he became AOC Home Command and the following year was promoted to Air Chief Marshal and became Vice Chief of the Air Staff before retiring.

[rainbase]

Ok, starting today with a ace's signed memoir. $50. I haven't read this one.

"SOPWITH CAMEL FIGHTER ACE" BY ACE ROBERT M TODD SIGNED
Published in 1976 by AJAY Enterprises. First edition. Near fine in card wraps, as issued. Diaries and story of US ace Robert M. Todd, who flew with the 17th Aero Squadron and recorded five aerial victories before being shot down over the front and becoming a prisoner of the Germans. 112 pages. Photos. Signed by Todd on the title page. Uncommon.