Italian Aces of World War 1

Description

The Italian aces of World War One have gone down in history as the irrefutable masters of the skies in the battle against their Austro-Hungarian enemies. In this often forgotten theatre of warfare these remarkable pilots gave the Italian forces an undisputed air superiority and left an enduring legacy as extraordinary men. Having interviewed the descendants of almost every Italian ace from the Great War, Paolo Varriale uncovers these fighters' incredible and sometimes tragic histories. Years of painstaking research has culminated in this truly groundbreaking study which brings to life the exploits of such famous aces as Baracca, Ruffo and Piccio, and the lesser known Riva, Sabelli and Nardini. Letters, diaries and unpublished photographs shed light on previously unknown personal and unit insignia, exposing many myths and making this a commanding addition to the aviation history of World War One.

Paolo Varriale is the Curator of the Baracca Museum and a World War 1 consultant to the Italian Air Force Historical Office, which has published his tomes on Italian World War 1 aviation units and aces. A staff writer of the online aerospace journal Dedalo News (www.dedalonews.it), he is widely published in Italian and foreign aviation magazines. A life-long enthusiast of vintage aircraft, he served for many years on the Board of Directors of GAVS (Italian historical aircraft preservation association), and has participated in the restoration of various aircraft. Berkshire-based Harry Dempsey is a talented profile artist who specialises in fighter aircraft of World War 1. He has illustrated all of Osprey's World War 1 Aircraft of the Aces titles to date.

"Italian Aces of World War I is a supplementary work for anyone with an ardent penchant for the topic. For the lay reader with a passing interest in the first air war, it stands on its own, summarizing the struggle for air superiority over an oft-neglected front." --Aviation History (May 2010) "This historical book is the result of many years of research by the author ... It has shed a new light on famous Italian aces like Piccio, Ruffo, and Baracca, and 42 pilots such as Sabelli, Riva, and Nardini. This title has uncovered a variety of unknown facts and exposed many myths about WWI." --Wonderpedia "The photographs are a treat, with many unique images appearing for the first time. Harry Dempsey's color renderings of many attractive color schemes ... will no doubt offer new possibilities for model builders and artists to replicate in their projects." --Peter Kilduff, Between the Bookends "Paolo Varriale's Italian Aces of World War I provides a comprehensive history of Italian aces, especially vivid because the author has been in contact with the descendants of most of the aces featured in this volume and has received letters and diaries for the book from these primary sources. Many photos were unpublished, also, lending to the in-depth focus." --The Bookwatch (December 2009) "Included in the book are superb period photos of the men and their aircraft as well as the color profiles of many of their aircraft. It is an excellent read and reference for the enthusiast and modeler alike. A book that I can easily recommend to you." --Scott Van Aken, Modeling Madness, www.modelingmadness.com (February 2010)