Shooting the Front: Allied Aerial Reconnaissance in the First World War

A meticulously researched history of British, French, and American aerial surveillance on the Western Front

World War I marked the beginning of the era of modern warfare, a conflict that demanded revolutionary technology to break the vicious stalemate in which the armies of Europe found themselves. One such technology was aerial reconnaissance and photography, which together with the growing intelligence use of phone tapping and radio intercepts, changed the nature of war forever. Describing the evolution of aerial photography during World War I, this text is packed with data, information, and meticulous research from essential archives including the National Archives in College Park, Maryland and London's National Archives. It shows not only how important aerial reconnaissance was to the war effort, but also how it became the foundation for modern-day exploitation of imagery and geospatial intelligence used to guide today's decision makers on global issues, and shaped intelligence work for generations to come.