Memoirs of German Pilots in the First World War. Volume 1

The book includes for the first time complete, new translations of three memoirs by
German pilots of the First World War - Hans-Joachim Buddecke, Adolf von Tutschek, and Heinrich Gontermann - who were all killed in front-line service. These translations include Buddeckes memoir "The Hunting Falcon" (published in 1918), von Tutscheks "Attacks and Aerial Victories" (also published in 1918), and Gontermanns letters, notes and diaries, which were published by his grandfather shortly after the war.
Theres been a wealth of publications focusing on the aircraft, biographies, and operations of pilots in 1914-1918. However, there is far less material available to English-speaking audiences on the language, psychology, and emotions of front-line pilots who, in their own words, describe how they were profoundly affected by the experience of aerial combat. The loss of friends, intense encounters with violence,
and pervasive fears of death permeate these narratives, which should interest students, scholars and aviation enthusiasts interested in the history of the First World War.

There is a wealth of publications dealing with the aircraft, the biographies and the missions of the pilots in the years 1914-1918. However, there is far less material on the language, psychology and emotions of the pilots at the front, who describe in their own words how deeply affected they were by the experience of aerial combat. The loss of friends, intense encounters with violence, and the ever-present fear of death permeate these narratives, which should be of interest to students, scholars and aviation enthusiasts interested in the history of the First World War.