Bloody April. Slaughter in the Skies over Arras, 1917.

(London): Cassell, (2006),

First Paperback Edition. octavo, pictorial heavy paper wrappers. 381pp. Cassell, Item #22333

The author tells the story of the air war over Arras and the extraordinary achievements by the Royal Flying Corps flying obsolete planes in appalling weather conditions. Using the voices of the men who were actually there, he tells tales from survivors shot down by the 'Red Baron' himself, descriptions of frenzied dogfights, and of dramatic crash landings in the wastes of No Man's Land. He covers every aspect of a First World War aviator's life, from his inadequate training in England to the defining moment in a dogfight thousands of feet above the earth. All of this is put into the context of the Battle of Arras as a whole and the overall framework of the Allied strategy for 1917. Illustrated with photographs and 6 maps. New.

Price: $12.95