A part of WWI that is probably even less well known than that of the Ottoman campaign is that of the Russian front. Unlike the Western Front, the fighting in Russia was not entrenched, but also did not involve the level of equipment and troops that was used in the west. This was particularly true when it came to air power. I have to say that I can not think of a single German ace whose gained that status solely against the Russians and until I read this book, I could not come up with any Russian names either.

The Russians were not unaware of the importance of air power as they had developed strategies for it before the war got underway. It is just that they did not have the equipment to do much about it. This was something that plagued the Russians throughout the war as they were pretty much beholden on their western allies for most of their aircraft and other aviation equipment. In fact, quite a few of their pilots were trained by the French (which allowed several Russian pilots to continue the fight with the French after the Russian Revolution in late 1917).

Not surprisingly, a considerable amount of fighting was against the Austro-Hungarians as well as against the Germans. During much of this time, the Russians did not have air superiority, though they were eventually able to get control of the air in some sectors as the war continued. Most Russian fighters of any note were a raft of Nieuports and quite a few SPADs with a few Moraine-Saulniers tossed into the mix. For sure there were locally built aircraft, but these were generally not to the quality level of the French aircraft. Most of the successful pilots were also from the same group; 1 BAG, which was probably the most ably led of those that were later formed.

Unlike most of the aces books that I have read, this one goes into much more detail on the lives and exploits of the pilots who made ace. This is undoubtedly because there were only 13 men who reached that status with Alexander Kozakov being the top scoring pilot with 16 victories. The rest all had ten or fewer with the bulk scoring just what was required to be considered an ace. In many ways, this makes the book just that much more interesting than previous volumes in the series as we get to know more about these men than usual.

As with all of the books in this series, we are provided with a number of superb period photos of both pilots and the planes they flew. This is additionally enhanced by several pages of full color profiles of the ace's planes. About the only thing missing is a chart that lists the aces, but you can get all of that information simply by reading the book as each pilot has their own small section within the larger framework of the book. It is a book that I am sure you will find to be a fascinating read as it tells about men that have, for the most part, have never been written about in western literature before. It is a book that is highly recommended.

May 2013

For more on the complete line of Osprey books, visit www.ospreypublishing.com. In the US, it is Osprey Direct at 44-02 23rd St, Suite 219, Long Island City, NY 11101., where you can get a catalogue of available books.

If you would like your product reviewed fairly and quickly, please contact me or see other details in the Note to Contributors.