Sky on Fire The First Battle of Britain, 1917-1918 and The Birth of The Royal Air Force

World War I in the air is popularly recalled as a romance of dawn patrols and chivalrous duels between Spads and Fokkers over the Western Front. All but forgotten are the day and night raids German airmen carried out against England with large bombers during 1917-18. Based on firsthand accounts from British and German sources, The Sky on Fire explores all aspects of the first systematic strategic air campaign in history, including the impact it had on the strategy and conduct of World War II. The daring airmen who pioneered this new mode of warfare flew twin-engined Gotha and Giant bombers. Their raids on London spurred the British to create the Royal Air Force, the world's first independent air service, and the London Air Defense Area. Except for some technological refinements, notably radar, it was essentially the same air defense system that was to serve Britain so well in World War II. Book jacket.Fredette, Raymond H. is the author of 'Sky on Fire The First Battle of Britain, 1917-1918 and The Birth of The Royal Air Force', published 2006 under ISBN 9780817353476 and ISBN 081735347X.