Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War

Soon after man conquered the air, airborne vehicles such as aeroplanes and dirigibles became much more than transportation devices. Engineers and scientists were quick to recognize the importance of the groundbreaking technologies used for making airplanes in warfare, the usage of airborne vehicles starting at the beginning of World War I. Frederick A. Talbot's book offers the reader a history of how aeroplanes and dirigibles had come to be and how they became ranked as some of the most important weapons used by all major parties to the War.

Talbot provides a fascinating account of how airborne vehicles had risen to importance. The book does not burden the layman reader with technical information - you will not read about models, engine types or other technical subjects. The book does touch upon the technology that makes these large and bulky objects fly, but what you will get is an interesting description, without too many tedious details. With the major focus on tactics, strategy and the armament used on aircrafts and dirigibles during the war, Talbot's book is more for readers interested in history than for those looking for technical descriptions.

Having been published just a few months after the beginning of the War, revealing too much about the technology itself would have been a huge mistake, but even the more general accounts give the reader a glimpse of the state that aircraft technology was in at the time. The book also offers intriguing analysis and evaluation about the economic and political implications of using airborne vehicles in warfare. Talbot describes not only the techniques used by the British during the war, but also the efforts of the French and the Germans, making the book a captivating, excellent read for anyone looking for the bigger picture of the war from the perspective of an expert military observer.