Synopses & Reviews
An incredible history of the American WWI pilots who refused to be grounded. There was a time when the United States didn't believe in aerial warfare. Wars, after all, were for menâ??not flying machines. When Europe went to war in the summer of 1914, the U.S. military boasted a measly collection of five aircraft, with no training programs or recruitment procedures in place. But that didn't mean the country lacked skilled pilots. In fact, it was just the opposite. In The First Eagles, award-winning historian Gavin Mortimer engagingly profiles the restless, determined American aviators who grew tired of waiting for the their country to establish an aerial military force during World War I. It was these men who enlisted in Britain's desperate and battered Royal Flying Corps when, in 1917, it opened a recruitment office in New York. After an intensive and deadly year of training that gave recruits a frighteningly realistic taste of the combat they would face, 247 fresh American RFC pilots were shipped over to Europe, with hundreds more following in the next two months. Twenty-eight of them claimed five or more kills to become feted as "aces," their involvement lauded as pivotal to the Allied victory. In this book, Mortimer compiles their history through letters, diaries, memoirs, and archives from top museums in the United States and Britainâ??from John Donaldson, who left for France at age twenty and shot down seven Germans before being downed himself, to the Iaccaci brothers, who accounted for twenty-nine German aircraft between them. Complete with 150 period photographs, The First Eagles captures the bravery of these intrepid American pilots, who chose courage over idleness and saved the European skies.
Review
"In The First Eagles: The Fearless American Aces Who Flew with the RAF in World War I, author Gavin Mortimer describes this group of volunteers as ‘that small band of intrepid men.' He relates their actions and motivations in very personal terms using many firsthand accounts, which makes for exciting and compelling reading. I particularly liked his inclusion of the efforts of the aerial observers who are rarely included in accounts of the flying aces. While they did not control the flight of the airplanes, they protected their British and American comrades in arms with keen eyesight and deadly machine-gun fire. In a crowded field of scholarship about the World War I flyers of many nations, The First Eagles presents a fresh approach to the airmen who volunteered for causes they considered just and worthy of risking their lives for." - Doran Cart, senior curator, National World War I Museum
Review
"This magnificent book is by far the best thing done on World War aviation in decades. Highlighting the less well-known story of American aviators in British service, it reveals much about their action both in combatâ??and in society. The author's excellent research buttressed his obvious knowledge of the subject. More important, he took a far broader view of the men and the times than has ever been done before. I suspect that many people who believe they know the subject matter well will be surprised, pleased, and perhaps shocked! Studded with magnificent, aptly captioned photos, this tells the true story of brave young men from a privileged stratum of society in a way never done before. Highly recommended for the general public and for the ardent aviation buff!" - Walter J. Boyne, USAF (ret.), author/historian and former director, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Review
"Strangers in a strange land, these young men took to the skies in primitive machines to fight to the death for a cause they believed in. The First Eagles tells the story of the lucky and skilled aviators who became some of America's first fighter aces. Gavin Mortimer brings these flyers to life with detailed personal accounts meticulously gleaned from letters, memoirs, and news outlets from the era. Eagles relives the important, and long-forgotten, tale of some of the nation's first hero aviators." - Cory Graff, military aviation curator, Flying Heritage Collection
Review
"Mortimer's book is a fine tribute to those Americans who for too long have remained largely in the shadows of better known WWI air aces such as Eddie Rickenbacker or the Red Baron. It is a stirring account of honor and sacrifice that does not downplay the horrors of the war in the air." - DeseretNews.com
Review
"The First Eagles: The Fearless American Aces Who Flew with the RAF in World War I brings his subjects to life by drawing from squadron diaries and from the American pilots' letters and journals." - AirSpaceMag.com
Review
"The First Eagles profiles the restless, determined American aviators who grew tired of waiting for their country to establish an aerial military force to fight in WWI." - Wings of Gold
Synopsis
In The First Eagles, historian Gavin Mortimer profiles the restless, determined American aviators who enlisted in Britain’s Royal Flying Corps in World War I, took control of the European skies, and helped ensure an Allied victory.
About the Author
Gavin Mortimer (Paris, France) is an award-winning writer and historian who has published extensively on World War II special forces. His previous titles include
Stirling’s Men(2005), an account of the SAS during World War II;
The Great Swim (2008), the story of the battle to become the first woman to swim the English Channel, which was voted one of the best books of 2008 by the
Sunday Times; and
Double Death, which profiles Pryce Lewis, a daring spy during the American Civil War. In addition to his books, Gavin contributes articles to an eclectic range of publications and writes regularly on sport and current affairs for the online edition of the
Week magazine under the nom de plume Bill Mann. Most recently, he has written
Merrill’s Marauders for Zenith Press and
The Special Boat Squadron for Osprey Publishing, both fall 2013 releases.
Website: http://www.gavinmortimer.com