SPAD XIII vs Fokker D VII: Western Front 1916?18 (Duel)

Having established its SPAD VII as the most effective French fighter of 1916, the Societé Pour l'Aviation at ses Dérivés strove to improve the model with a 220hp Hispano Suiza 8B engine and two machine guns. Despite initial teething troubles with the new engine, by mid-1918 the SPAD XIII had taken its place as the principal fighter of both France and the US. Meanwhile, the German quest for a successor for their structurally flawed Albatros D V finally bore fruit with the Fokker D VII. Entering combat in May 1918, this plane earned a reputation as the most formidable fighter of the war, yet the SPAD XIII's greater speed, especially in a dive, and its outstanding durability, proved a fearsome rival. This is the gripping story of two of the best fighters produced in World War I - the SPAD XIII and the Fokker D VII - as they dueled in the skies above the trenches in the closing months of the war. Never before published artwork, including fascinating cockpit illustrations, reveal several dramatic clashes between the two foes while diary entries and first-hand accounts from the pilots bring this classic World War I duel to life with intimate detail.

Jon Guttman, a resident of Leesburg, Virginia, is currently research director for Historynet.com. Specialising in World War I aviation, he has written numerous titles for Osprey including the popular Aircraft of the Aces 66: Balloon-Busting Aces of World War I.

Jim Laurier is a native of New England and lives in New Hampshire. He attended Paier School of Art in Hamden, Connecticut, from 1974–78, and since graduating with Honours, he has been working professionally in the field of Fine Art and Illustration. He has been commissioned to paint for the US Air Force and has aviation paintings on permanent display at the Pentagon.

Mark Postlethwaite was born in Leicestershire in 1964 and has developed a lifelong passion for aviation history. He first worked as a photographer before turning his attention solely to artwork, and is now highly regarded in his field for the quality and accuracy of his work. He became the youngest elected member of the Guild of Aviation Artists in 1991. Mark is a valued Osprey artist and has contributed to more than 100 of its books.

Harry Dempsey has been passionate about World War 1 aviation for more than 30 years, resulting in the production of some of the most technically accurate artwork on the subject for Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces series. He has illustrated a vast number of World War 1 titles in Osprey's ever-growing range of best-selling aviation titles.