Marked for Death, James HamiltonPaterson
Marked for Death, James HamiltonPaterson
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Marked for Death
The First War in the Air

Author: James Hamilton-Paterson

Narrator: Gildart Jackson

Unabridged: 12 hr 14 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/01/2016


Synopsis

A dramatic and fascinating account of aerial combat during World War I, revealing the terrible risks taken by the men who fought and died in the world’s first war in the airLittle more than ten years after the first powered flight, aircraft were pressed into service in World War I. Nearly forgotten in the war’s massive overall death toll, some 50,000 aircrew would die in the combatant nations’ fledgling air forces. The romance of aviation had a remarkable grip on the public imagination, propaganda focusing on gallant air “aces” who become national heroes. The reality was horribly different. Marked for Death debunks popular myth to explore the brutal truths of wartime aviation: of flimsy planes and unprotected pilots; of burning, screaming nineteen-year-olds falling to their deaths; of pilots blinded by the entrails of their observers.James Hamilton-Paterson also reveals how four years of war produced profound changes both in the aircraft themselves and in military attitudes and strategy. By 1918 it was widely accepted that domination of the air above the battlefield was crucial to military success, a realization that would change the nature of warfare forever.

About James Hamilton-Paterson

James Hamilton-Paterson is the author of Empires of the Clouds, a classic account of the golden age of British aviation. He won a Whitbread Prize for his first novel, Gerontius. He lives in Austria.

About Gildart Jackson

Gildart Jackson’s acting credits span the stage and screen. He is most often recognized for his roles as Gideon on Charmed and Simon Prentiss on General Hospital.


Reviews

Goodreads review by 'Aussie Rick' on January 31, 2016

I wish I had read this book as soon as I received it in the mail instead of putting it aside to read later. I think I was slightly put off as it wasn't going to be a chronological narrative of the Great War in the air but a book with each chapter based on a certain theme of the air war between 1914-......more

Goodreads review by KOMET on June 18, 2016

Though the main focus of "Marked for Death: The First War in the Air" is on the growth and development of British military aviation (as represented by both the Royal Flying Corps [RFC] and Royal Naval Air Service [RNAS], which later amalgamated to form the Royal Air Force [RAF] on April 1st, 1918) d......more


Quotes

“Hamilton-Paterson’s superb book, not only meticulously researched but also supremely readable, tells the tales of many…heroes.” Daily Mail (London)

“A terrific story, which Hamilton-Paterson tells with tremendous relish, elegance, and attention to detail.” Sunday Times (London)

“Hamilton-Paterson’s thorough research reveals much-his book is a wide-ranging education of WWI aviation and is written by someone who really knows flying. Highly recommended!” Pilot

“The author shows how decisions made by politicians, the owners of aircraft factories, inventors, engineers, and the men who turned new recruits into fighter pilots affected the air war…Best of all [Paterson]—who has a solid body of fiction to his credit—is a consummate storyteller; not only does the book tell a fascinating story, it is nearly impossible to put down.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“An exhilarating book. By turns, thrilling, joyful, wistful, and provocative.” Rowland White, bestselling author of Vulcan 607