The First World War began to hammer aircraft into reliable flying form only ten summers after man's first flight.

These first warplanes, born as sport planes, soon evolved into the lethal aircraft that swarmed over the bloody trenches of Europe.

They altered the history of the world and carried the dreams and the nightmares of all mankind on their wings. Renowned aviation photographer Philip Makanna has captured the essence of an era in GHOSTS of THE GREAT WAR , a hardbound book that weaves his stunning color photographs with an extraordinary collection of archival duotones. In this edition, Makanna's images depict the beginnings of military aviation with Bleriot's wing-warping Model XI, Fokker's "Spider", a web of wires and wood, and Sopwith's simple seaplane racer. The book continues through to the advanced aircraft that appeared at the war's end. Javier Arango has written a passionate and informative text which describes these extremely rare aircraft and the history of their development. Arango also offers a unique perspective as he writes about the flight characteristics of these aircraft from his personal experiences as their pilot. Stunning images and evocative words combine to describe the beauty, the romance and the tragedy of military aviation's early days. Included in this new book are the timeless words of Cecil Lewis who, in 1915, plunged into the war as an eager seventeen-year-old. His poetry and wisdom guide the reader through this complex of experiences and emotions that changed the world forever. The ancient flying machines featured in GHOSTS of THE GREAT WAR form the Aeroplane Collection, one of the largest collections of flyable World War One aircraft in existence. The Collection, based in California, is currently home for 21 aircraft of the WWI period. Of these, seventeen different types are fully airworthy. "GHOSTS of The Great War, Aviation in World War One" is the fifth volume in Philip Makanna's classic series of aviation books. 11 1/2" x 11 1/2" 192 pages, 160 color photographs 110 archival images and 27 drawings Hardbound Book: $40 A SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION In support of the American Air Museum in Britain, GHOSTS has published a "Special Limited Edition" of 2000 copies. This edition includes, bound inside the front cover, a unique copy of "The Sounds of GHOSTS of The Great War", an extraordinary audio CD recorded on location as the book was being photographed. This CD portrays five different WWI engines built before 1918. All are recorded in flight. This "Special Limited Edition" of GHOSTS of The Great War is available for $50(US) plus $6 shipping. Of this, $10 will go directly to the American Air Museum in Britain.

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