Tethered balloons reached their zenith as a means of providing a stationary observation platform above the battlefield during World War I. It took a special breed of daredevil to take on such odds deep in enemy lines in order to destroy a balloon, with Balloon specialists such as Willy Coppens, Pierre Bourjade and Michel Coiffard rising to the challenge. This book covers the story of these 'balloon busters' from both sides in World War 1 through a mix of first-hand accounts and expert analysis, which compares tactics, theatres of operation, aircraft types and the overall odds for success.

“Follows the development of US aviation from the captive balloons of the Civil War, through WWI and into the post war years . . . Highly Recommended.” —Firetrench Strike from the Air looks at the early development of the U.S. military aviation branches, starting with the Civil War and moving to the first use of military aircraft during General Pershing’s pursuit of the revolutionary Pancho Villa. Before the country was drawn into the First World War, a number of Americans traveled to Europe to volunteer for the Lafayette Escadrille in France, as well as the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. Many of these men eventually joined the newly created United States Air Service, taking their valuable experience and knowledge with them. Among the notable early US aviators were individuals such as Eugene Bullard, the first African-American military pilot, and eccentric loners like Frank Luke. The part played by the US Navy and USMC is not neglected. At the end of the First World War, a group of American pilots joined together to form the Kosciuszko Squadron that fought against the Russians in the Polish/Russian War. The final part of the book contains escape reports by USAS pilots and observers, which gives a real insight into the conditions they were subjected to in German prison camps during the First World War. To complete this fascinating look at those exciting and challenging early days, Strike from the Air includes approximately 250 photographs, many of which have ever been seen before. “A remarkable book that shows just how difficult a start American military aviation endured.” —New York Journal of Books

"Wonderful Balloon Ascents" is a historical novel looking back at the historical voyages made possible by balloon travel. Author Camille Flammarion states that, "The discovery or the invention of the balloon was one of those efforts of genius and enterprise which have no infancy. It had reached its full growth when it burst upon the world, and the ninety (at the time of the book's writing) years which have since elapsed have witnessed no development of the original idea. The balloon of to-day—the balloon in which Coxwell and Glaisher have made their perilous trips into the remote regions of the air—is in almost every respect the same as the balloon with which "the physician Charles," following in the footsteps of the Montgolfiers, astonished Paris in 1783. There are few more tantalising stories in the annals of invention than this."

Fulgence Marion's 'Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies' is a historical account of the development of hot air balloons and their voyages, particularly focusing on the Montgolfier brothers and Vincent Lunardi. Marion reveals how the discovery of the balloon had an extraordinary impact on the people of Europe, arousing enthusiasm, excitement, and hope for new vistas of enterprise and research. However, the practical uses of balloons for travel did not come to fruition. Instead, the balloon served as a vehicle for daring aeronauts who fearlessly pushed the boundaries of human enterprise, sometimes with tragic consequences. Despite the balloon's limited usefulness, Marion shows how its invention had a profound impact on the history of human enterprise and scientific achievement.