Barely a decade passed from the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight to aircraft becoming lethal instruments of war. The Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service took off in the very early days of The Great War and captured the public’s imagination and admiration.

Sydney and Richard Carline happened to be both pilots and artists as was Frenchman Henri Farre. Their works inspired celebrated painters like Sir John Lavery who took to the skies in an airship in the First World War. Feeding on the demand for works depicting this new dimension of warfighting, a new genre of art was born which has remained popular ever since.

During the Second World War, the paintings of Paul Nash stood out as did Eric Ravilious who, ironically, died in an air crash. War artist Albert Richards dropped with British paratroopers on D-Day. Post-war, paintings by leading British and international artists graphically illustrate conflicts such as the Falklands, Bosnia and the Gulf War.

John Fairley has brought together a dazzling collection of art works covering over 100 years of air warfare, enhanced by lively and informative text. The result is a book that is visually and historically satisfying.

"Rather than attempting to deliver a comprehensive overview of war in the air, the book’s image-driven format offers history by vignette. The range of artwork and the perceptive nature of the accompanying text give readers much to ponder. Taken together, the paintings and descriptions present a compelling tableau of the first century of military operations in the third dimension."

"This is a neat color picture album."

"It's a beautifully crafted book, with crisp reproductions of 61 color paintings showcasing warplanes."

"This book is highly recommended based upon the outstanding prose, spectacular artwork, and coverage of the histories of the conflicts covered."