A compelling and fascinating account of aerial combat in World War I, revealing the terrible risks run by the men who fought and died in the world's first air war. Little more than ten years after the first powered flight, aircraft were pressed into service in World War I. Yet the romantic image of gallant 'aces' belies the horrible reality of air warfare: of flimsy aircraft, of unprotected pilots with no parachutes; of burning 19-year-olds falling screaming to their deaths; of pilots freezing and disorientated as they flew across enemy lines. In this unforgettable book, bestselling author James Hamilton-Paterson reveals the brutal truths of wartime aviation and shows how those four years of fighting in the air would change the nature of warfare forever. 'For its mix of clear-eyed history, myth-busting and gobsmacking derring-do it's hard to beat James Hamilton Patterson's Marked for Death' Nick Curtis, Book of the Year in the Evening Standard

A terrific story, which Hamilton-Paterson tells with tremendous relish, elegance and attention to detail. An acclaimed poet and novelist, he is excellent at capturing the sheer courage of the pilots who ran risks that almost defy credibility * Sunday Times *
A superb book, not only meticulously researched but also supremely readable * Daily Mail *
An exhilarating book... by turns, thrilling, joyful, wistful and provocative' -- Rowland White
Clear-eyed history, myth-busting and gobsmacking derring-do * Evening Standard *
Soars far above most First World War histories... This book brings alive both the exhilaration of flight and the experience of killing' * Sunday Times *
Hamilton-Paterson's thorough research reveals much - his book is a wide-ranging education of WWI aviation and is written by someone who really knows flying. Highly recommended! * Pilot Magazine *
Hamilton-Paterson unsparingly exposes the truth of early wartime aviation: of flimsy aircraft and unprotected pilots who had no parachutes * Catholic Herald *
A well-researched history of the air operations of WW1 from an unusual perspective... a high quality historical work which is at the same time highly readable' * Aerospace Magazine *

James Hamilton-Paterson is a novelist and non-fiction writer whose books defy easy categorisation. Gerontius won the Whitbread Prize; Cooking with Fernet Branca was longlisted for the Booker Prize. His acclaimed books on the oceans, including Seven-Tenths, have been widely translated, and his books about aviation have set new standards for writing about aircraft.