Read more
The appearance in July 1915 of the Fokker E I heralded a reign of terror over the Western Front that the Allies called the ''Fokker Scourge''. The French Nieuport 11 was one type desperately thrown into action to counter the Fokkers. The swirling dogfights between this fighter - and its more powerful but more unwieldy stablemate, the Nieuport 16 - and a succession of improved Fokkers, the E II, EIII and E IV, came to symbolise air combat in World War I. This book gives a detailed look at the developmental history of thefighters, contrasting the interrupter gear-equipped Fokker withthe more improvised solution incorporated in the Nieuport - amachine gun fitted to the upper wing to avoid the propeller entirely. The Germans went on to abandon the monoplane in favour of a new and deadly generation of biplane fighters, based on the lessons learned from these vicious engagements and influenced by the success of the French Nieuport.>
About the author
Jon Guttman, a resident of Leesburg, Virginia, is currently research director for Historynet.com. Specialising in World War I aviation, he has written eleven 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.
