Aviation was in its infancy when World War One broke out, powered flight chiefly the preserve of daredevils and adventurers. The 1914-18 conflict changed all that.

Military leaders were quick to exploit the advantages that altitude offered, but new-fangled aircraft were primarily seen as fulfilling the role that tethered balloons once carried out: observation.

The big beasts of the aerial jungle were hydrogen-filled airships. That was turned on its head remarkably quickly. Lumbering Zeppelins had their Achilles' heel exposed, while aircraft development moved on apace.

Pilots who took to the air on scouting missions began taking pot-shots at each other; bombs were dropped from the cockpit. From those rudimentary beginnings, the twin branches of military aviation were born: the fighter and the bomber.

Product details Hardcover Publisher: Chiltern Publishing (2017) Language: English ISBN-10: 1909242942 ISBN-13: 978-1909242944 Package Dimensions: 33 x 26 x 2.2 cm