SPA124 Lafayette Escadrille: American Volunteer Airmen in World War 1

Description

This book tells the story of one of World War I's most famous squadrons, Spa. 124 - the only French squadron made up entirely of American volunteers (save for the commander and executive officer.) Organised in April 1916, the group was successively dubbed the Escadrille Americaine, Escadrille des Volontaires and finally the Escadrille Lafayette. Its achievements were modest, but it included several colourful characters who captured the public imagination and played a major role in gaining American sympathy for the Allied cause. When the United States finally entered the war, many Lafayette veterans helped prepare US Army Air Service and Navy pilots for combat, although a few chose to stay on with the French.

A resident of Leesburg, Virginia, Jon Guttman is senior editor, research director and contributing writer for Primedia Enthusiast Publications. Specialising in World War 1 aviation, he has written eight books so far, including Aircraft of the Aces 39: 'SPAD VII Aces of World War 1' and Aircraft of the Aces 47: 'SPAD XII/XIII Aces of World War 1.' Harry Dempsey has been passionate about World War 1 aviation for over 30 years, having produced the most technically accurate artwork on the subject. He has illustrated all the World War 1 books in Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces series to date.