An Aviator’s Field Book By Oswald Boelcke, Translated By Robert Hirsch. First Edition In English – 1917

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Presenting to the American public for the first time valuable information contained in the field reports of the famous German aviator, Oswald Bolke, from August 1, 1914, to his last flight, October 28, 1916. The daily impressions and adventures of an aviator at the front are described vividly, yet modestly and naturally. The book is invaluable to those who are studying aviation, and the general reader will find it of gripping interest from beginning to end

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Description

Pre-owned. Von Richtofen’s mentor and hero, Boelcke died in 1916 aged just 25, in a crash with a fellow German pilot over Douai; he had amassed 40 victories. His biographer, Brigadier General R. G. Head USAF, remarks that Boelcke “deserves consideration as the most important fighter pilot of any era, including the present one. His character, inspirational leadership, organisational genius, development of air-to-sir tactics, and impact on aerial doctrine still resonate in modern air forces around the world. He is the central figure in air warfare across a century of history” (Oswald Boelcke: Germany’s First Fighter Ace and Father of Air Combat, 2016, p. 13). Small Octavo. Original dark blue grained cloth, gilt lettered spine and front cover, the latter with a red border and stamp of a Fokker Eindecker in red. Half-tone portrait frontispiece of Boelcke, 12 illustrations (Largely from photographs) on 6 plates. Jacket with nicks, chips and tears, extensive paper repairs to verso. An excellent copy, bright and sharp, in a rather “war-torn” example of the original jacket. First edition in English, also appearing in the same year with the imnprint of the National Mili8tary Publishing Co., this Deutchland Library Co. imprint being the more scarce, with WorldCat citing copies at just five US institutional libraries; it was originally published as Hauptmann Boelckes Feldberichte (Berlin 1916). Contains a detailed description and valuation by Peter Harrington, London. Published by Deutchland Library Co 1917

Additional information

Weight 0.194 kg