Book Review of
The Lafayette Escadrille
A Photo History of the First American Fighter Squadron
Author: Steven A. Ruffin
Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 978-1-61200-852-3
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $24.95
ISBN: 978-1-61200-852-3
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $24.95
HISTORY:
The Lafayette Escadrille was an all-volunteer squadron of Americans, who flew for France during World War I. Over 100 years later, it is still arguably the best-known fighter squadron ever to take to the skies.
In this work the entire history of these gallant volunteers is laid out in both text and pictorial form. An extraordinary and compelling account of the famous Lafayette Escadrille, made up of volunteers who served in WWI and wanted to join the Allied struggle in WWII.
It is a fresh look at the 38 Americans in the Lafayette Americaine, as it was first called, to produce this voluminous account of the unit. In addition to mini-bios of each member, the narrative is complemented by a superb collection of 135 black and white photos and 83 color photos and illustrations mixture, gathered during a dedicated search for materials….is a finely –researched, well-written and well-illustrated book. It is to recommended highly.
This magnificent book probably provides everything needed by someone wishing to learn about this famous fighting unit, and really lives up to its sub-title….a reference book of the highest quality and one well worth having. Undoubtedly, the finest photographic collection of the Lafayette Escadrille to appear in print. Along with the expert text revealing air-combat experiences as well as life at the front during the Great War, it is a never before-seen visual history that both World War I aviation aficionados and those with a passing interest in history will appreciate.
THE BOOK:
Casemate is both a book distributor and a publisher of their own line of books based in Havertown, PA USA.
The book is soft-bound of 104 pages in 6 ¾” x 10” page format.
The black and white photos include: 1 photo of German pilot Lt. Oswald boelcke, 109 photos of the Lafayette Escadrille pilots, the majority of them posed by their planes. 1 photo of French infantrymen in a ditch firing their rifles, 1 photo of a pilot standing by an ambulance, 1 photo of a Lewis machine gun, 2 photos of a Nieuport 10, 3 photos of a Fokker Eindecker, 3 photos of pilots with pet dogs, 5 photos of a Nieuport II (one hanging in a museum), 2 photos of a Nieuport 21, an aerial view of the aerodrome at Behonne, a photo of a Breguet-Michelin BM-2 bomber. 5 photos of a Nieuport 16, 9 photos of a Nieuport 17 (including Kiffin Rockwell’s plane that he crashed and died in). There are 4 photos of the squadron’s mascot lion cubs, named “Whiskey” and “Soda”.
One photo of a Albatros D.II, 1 photo of a Morane-Saulnier parasol winged monoplane, 6 photos of a Spad VII, 2 photos of a Nieuport 28, 1 photo of a Nieuport 23, 1 photo of a Bleriot trainer, aerial photo of the aerodrome at Senard, 3 photos of pilots at gatherings after the war, 1 photo of a Spad S.1417, 1 photo of a Spad S.1615.
3 map illustrations, 4 posters in both black and white and color.
For color photos, they include: a photo of the tunic that Archduke Franz Ferdinand was wearing when he was assassinated, photos of WWI French Air Service insignias and clothing.
There are 23 photos that are a mixture of color and black and white photos. These show buildings in France as they looked in WWI in black and white and then again now-a-days in color.
There is also a mixture of 27 photos in color and black and white of memorials and grave yards.
There is a color photo of a modern Mirage 2000N jet fighter being refueled in air.
A color shot of a Spad XIII and a Bleriot in a museum, 2 photos of award medals, 3 color paintings, 3 color illustrations of the Seminole Indian Lafayette Escadrille insignia, a color poster showing the “Valiant 38” American pilots that flew for the Lafayette Escadrille.
A 4-view color profile of a Nieuport 16, no. N.1261 flown by Kiffin Y. Rockwell.
4-view color profiles of a Nieuport 17, no. N1844 and of no. N.2551.
4-view color profiles of a Spad VII, no. S.1615 and of no. S.1660.
A side view of a Spad XIII.
All of the last 5 profiles above have the Seminole Indian insignia on their fuselages.
This is one neat book. It will be of great interest to modelers of WWI aircrafts and aviation historians alike.
I want to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All their book titles can be seen on their website at:
The Lafayette Escadrille was an all-volunteer squadron of Americans, who flew for France during World War I. Over 100 years later, it is still arguably the best-known fighter squadron ever to take to the skies.
In this work the entire history of these gallant volunteers is laid out in both text and pictorial form. An extraordinary and compelling account of the famous Lafayette Escadrille, made up of volunteers who served in WWI and wanted to join the Allied struggle in WWII.
It is a fresh look at the 38 Americans in the Lafayette Americaine, as it was first called, to produce this voluminous account of the unit. In addition to mini-bios of each member, the narrative is complemented by a superb collection of 135 black and white photos and 83 color photos and illustrations mixture, gathered during a dedicated search for materials….is a finely –researched, well-written and well-illustrated book. It is to recommended highly.
This magnificent book probably provides everything needed by someone wishing to learn about this famous fighting unit, and really lives up to its sub-title….a reference book of the highest quality and one well worth having. Undoubtedly, the finest photographic collection of the Lafayette Escadrille to appear in print. Along with the expert text revealing air-combat experiences as well as life at the front during the Great War, it is a never before-seen visual history that both World War I aviation aficionados and those with a passing interest in history will appreciate.
THE BOOK:
Casemate is both a book distributor and a publisher of their own line of books based in Havertown, PA USA.
The book is soft-bound of 104 pages in 6 ¾” x 10” page format.
The black and white photos include: 1 photo of German pilot Lt. Oswald boelcke, 109 photos of the Lafayette Escadrille pilots, the majority of them posed by their planes. 1 photo of French infantrymen in a ditch firing their rifles, 1 photo of a pilot standing by an ambulance, 1 photo of a Lewis machine gun, 2 photos of a Nieuport 10, 3 photos of a Fokker Eindecker, 3 photos of pilots with pet dogs, 5 photos of a Nieuport II (one hanging in a museum), 2 photos of a Nieuport 21, an aerial view of the aerodrome at Behonne, a photo of a Breguet-Michelin BM-2 bomber. 5 photos of a Nieuport 16, 9 photos of a Nieuport 17 (including Kiffin Rockwell’s plane that he crashed and died in). There are 4 photos of the squadron’s mascot lion cubs, named “Whiskey” and “Soda”.
One photo of a Albatros D.II, 1 photo of a Morane-Saulnier parasol winged monoplane, 6 photos of a Spad VII, 2 photos of a Nieuport 28, 1 photo of a Nieuport 23, 1 photo of a Bleriot trainer, aerial photo of the aerodrome at Senard, 3 photos of pilots at gatherings after the war, 1 photo of a Spad S.1417, 1 photo of a Spad S.1615.
3 map illustrations, 4 posters in both black and white and color.
For color photos, they include: a photo of the tunic that Archduke Franz Ferdinand was wearing when he was assassinated, photos of WWI French Air Service insignias and clothing.
There are 23 photos that are a mixture of color and black and white photos. These show buildings in France as they looked in WWI in black and white and then again now-a-days in color.
There is also a mixture of 27 photos in color and black and white of memorials and grave yards.
There is a color photo of a modern Mirage 2000N jet fighter being refueled in air.
A color shot of a Spad XIII and a Bleriot in a museum, 2 photos of award medals, 3 color paintings, 3 color illustrations of the Seminole Indian Lafayette Escadrille insignia, a color poster showing the “Valiant 38” American pilots that flew for the Lafayette Escadrille.
A 4-view color profile of a Nieuport 16, no. N.1261 flown by Kiffin Y. Rockwell.
4-view color profiles of a Nieuport 17, no. N1844 and of no. N.2551.
4-view color profiles of a Spad VII, no. S.1615 and of no. S.1660.
A side view of a Spad XIII.
All of the last 5 profiles above have the Seminole Indian insignia on their fuselages.
This is one neat book. It will be of great interest to modelers of WWI aircrafts and aviation historians alike.
I want to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All their book titles can be seen on their website at: