Von Richthofen

Of all the First World War's fighter aces, the legendary von Richthofen has captured the world's imagination more than any other pilot of that era. Known as 'The Red Baron', due to his painted red airplane, Richthofen is one of the most written about pilots of the First World War. But was his reputation inspired by the Kaiser's propaganda machine? Or was the legend created by Allied pilots who were outfought by Germany's advanced technology, rather than the Baron's pure combat skills in the air? Many other pilots also excelled in the fight. In this book Richard Bickers puts the facts behind the German ace's fighting record into a perspective with other famous fighter pilots of both World Wars. He covers the tactics of the greatest fighter pilots of the age, the dogfights in which they fought and the machines which made their flights possible. He reveals the characters of the men behind the legends, the skill needed to hit fleeting targets; with less than fifteen seconds' ammunition and how they changed air fighting forever.