Marked For Death - Hardcover

Hamilton-Paterson, James.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1784970395 ISBN 13: 9781784970390

Publisher: Head of Zeus, 2015

Synopsis

Unreliable and flimsy aircraft and insufficient training added to the grave dangers of aerial combat during the First World War, leading to the deaths of 50,000 airmen. Beyond the glamorous reputation of the first 'aces', here the author of Empire of the Clouds examines the harsh reality of the pilots' struggle, and reveals how equipment and tactics developed rapidly so that by 1918 air power was recognized as imperative to any military strategy. Silk marker.

About this title

About the Author

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.

Review

''A terrific story, which Hamilton-Paterson tells with tremendous relish, elegance and attention to detail. An acclaimed poet and novelist, he is excellent at capturing the sheer courage of the pilots who ran risks that almost defy credibility.'' --The Sunday Times.

''Hamilton-Paterson's superb book, not only meticulously researched but also supremely readable, tells the tales of many heroes ... he unearths fascinating information, but the book is just as good on the nuts and bolts of flying, and what it was like to engage in a dog fight.'' --Daily Mail.

''An exhilarating book ... by turns, thrilling, joyful, wistful and provocative.'' --Rowland White, bestselling author of Vulcan 607.

''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 Magazine.

''Hamilton-Paterson unsparingly exposes the truth of early wartime aviation: of flimsy aircraft and unprotected pilots who had no parachutes.'' --Catholic Herald.

''For its mix of clear-eyed history, myth-busting and gobsmacking derring-do it's hard to beat James Hamilton Patterson's Marked for Death.'' --Nick Curtis, Book of the Year in the Evening Standard.

''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

Edition details

• Publisher: Head of Zeus
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1784970395
• ISBN 13: 9781784970390
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 356