Fire in the Sky

The Australian Flying Corps in the First World War

Nonfiction, History, Military, World War I
Cover of the book Fire in the Sky by Michael Molkentin, Allen & Unwin
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Michael Molkentin ISBN: 9781743432556
Publisher: Allen & Unwin Publication: December 1, 2012
Imprint: Allen & Unwin Language: English
Author: Michael Molkentin
ISBN: 9781743432556
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Publication: December 1, 2012
Imprint: Allen & Unwin
Language: English

'I half rolled, and there before my eyes was as perfect a target as I had ever seen in my life. A pressure of a thumb, a short burst, a puff of smoke, a flash of flame, a hole on the clouds-and it was over.'

Lieutenant Robert McKenzie, No. 2 Squadron Australian Flying Corps.

When the First World War began in August 1914, aeroplanes were a novelty, barely a decade old. Despite this, Australia was one of just a few nations outside Europe to establish a military flying school and corps. From a first class of four student pilots the Australian Flying Corps would grow to number almost 4000 by the armistice. Its young volunteers were pioneers in a completely new dimension of warfare as they struggled for control of the skies over the Western Front and Middle East.

Using private letters, diaries and official records, historian Michael Molkentin reveals, for the first time in over 90 years, the remarkable story of the airmen and mechanics of the Australian Flying Corps. It is a tale of heroism and endurance; of a war fought thousands of feet above the trenches in aircraft of timber and fabric. Fire in the Sky takes readers up into this chaotic tumult and into the midst of a war from which only one in two Australian airmen emerged unscathed.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

'I half rolled, and there before my eyes was as perfect a target as I had ever seen in my life. A pressure of a thumb, a short burst, a puff of smoke, a flash of flame, a hole on the clouds-and it was over.'

Lieutenant Robert McKenzie, No. 2 Squadron Australian Flying Corps.

When the First World War began in August 1914, aeroplanes were a novelty, barely a decade old. Despite this, Australia was one of just a few nations outside Europe to establish a military flying school and corps. From a first class of four student pilots the Australian Flying Corps would grow to number almost 4000 by the armistice. Its young volunteers were pioneers in a completely new dimension of warfare as they struggled for control of the skies over the Western Front and Middle East.

Using private letters, diaries and official records, historian Michael Molkentin reveals, for the first time in over 90 years, the remarkable story of the airmen and mechanics of the Australian Flying Corps. It is a tale of heroism and endurance; of a war fought thousands of feet above the trenches in aircraft of timber and fabric. Fire in the Sky takes readers up into this chaotic tumult and into the midst of a war from which only one in two Australian airmen emerged unscathed.

More books from Allen & Unwin

Cover of the book The Complete Stories of Alan Marshall by Michael Molkentin
Cover of the book The Home Book by Michael Molkentin
Cover of the book 365 Country Women's Association Favourites by Michael Molkentin
Cover of the book The Talkative Tombstone: The Cryptic Casebook of Coco Carlomagno (and Alberta) Bk 6 by Michael Molkentin
Cover of the book The River Baptists by Michael Molkentin
Cover of the book Buddhism For Busy People by Michael Molkentin
Cover of the book Maralinga, the Anangu Story by Michael Molkentin
Cover of the book This Remarkable Gift by Michael Molkentin
Cover of the book Tried, Tested and True by Michael Molkentin
Cover of the book The Independent Member for Lyne by Michael Molkentin
Cover of the book Wholefood from the Ground Up by Michael Molkentin
Cover of the book The Australian Native Garden by Michael Molkentin
Cover of the book Planet Cake Celebrate by Michael Molkentin
Cover of the book Not Your Ordinary Housewife by Michael Molkentin
Cover of the book Keep Your Hands on the Wheel by Michael Molkentin
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy