The First Air War, 1914-1918

Kennett, Lee B. The First Air War, 1914-1918. New York: Free Press, 1991. $20.

This book attempts to focus in on the aviation elements of the First World War. While acknowledging that the air war truly played a small role in the conflict (far less than that predicted by its pre-war proponents), Kennett argues successfully that the Great War was the birthplace of air power. This is true because of the technological and doctrinal developments that came fast and furious during the war. To illustrate, in 1914 aircraft were few and primarily used for observation (which remained their most successful use throughout the war), but by the Armistice the various powers all had large air forces of thousands of aircraft, which had specialized roles (such as: fighter, bomber, torpedo bomber, close air support, etc.) and the specialized aircraft models to fit.

It is easy, after reading this book, to trace the lines of development from these early aircraft to those of the Second World War and even today. This alone makes this book an important starting point in studying the militarization of the skies.

Is the book well written? Yes and no. Kennett has delved into most aspects of the air war in some detail and has given a very good general overview of the larger events. However, it is not written in an enthralling style at all. It is often overly factual and seems to lose much of the emotion involved in the subject. This may have been a conscious decision, in order to write free of the hero-worship and celebrity which pilots enjoyed at the time. However, one often misses the human elements because of that decision.