Synopsis
An important reference tool for anyone interested in World War I avation history.
Library Journal
From 1914 to 1917 scores of Americans joined the British Royal Flying Corps (later known as the Royal Air Force) to get into action against the Germans. Twenty-eight of these became the first Americans to achieve the status of ace by shooting down five or more enemy machines. Author Hudson profiles them all, concentrating on military documents, letters, and various histories to describe the victories by each, and adds some cursory information on their origins and their later years. While this is a valuable resource, exhaustively researched, Hudson's prose is sometimes wooden, and he occasionally repeats himself. Still, for libraries and individuals with interest in this period, it covers thoroughly a subject that has not been otherwise treated under one title.--Mel D. Lane, Sacramento, Cal.