For Friday’s Aviation book we have reviewed a book which both grown ups, and kids alike would certainly appreciate. While focusing on the development of military aviation in WWI, this book takes a look at the entire war effort, and includes valuable biographical information as well.
In The Red Baron, graphic artist and author Wayne Vansant illustrates the incredible story of Manfred von Richthofen, whose unparalleled piloting prowess as a member of the Imperial German Army Air Service made him a World War I celebrity, both in the air and on the ground. In his signature style, enjoyed by readers of Normandy and Bombing Nazi Germany, Vansant beautifully depicts the fearsome intelligence and mid-flight awareness that would earn Richthofen eighty documented air combat victories over the Western Front in the halcyon days of military aviation. From his beginnings as a cavalry officer, and a pilot-in-training, to the years he spent commanding Jasta 11 from the cockpit of his fabled red triplane, to his eventual leadership of the ultra-mobile Jagdgeschwader 1 (aptly nicknamed “Richtofen’s Flying Circus” by nervous foes because of the group’s colorful airplanes and mobile airfields), The Red Baron brings the story of this legendary figure to life. Richthofen died young and under controversial circumstances, but the Red Baron’s astonishing skill and tactical acumen lived on far after his death, and helped usher in a new type of warfare that would reign supreme twenty-five years later: war in the air.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Writer and artist Wayne Vansant was the primary artist for Marvel’s The ’Nam for more than five years. Since then, he has written and illustrated many historically accurate graphic histories, such as The Hammer and the Anvil; The Vietnam War: A Graphic History; Normandy: A Graphic History of D-Day, The Allied Invasion of Hitler’s Fortress Europe; Gettysburg: The Graphic History of America’s Most Famous Battle and the Turning Point of the Civil War; Grant vs. Lee: The Graphic History of the Civil War’s Greatest Rivals During the Last Year of the War; and Bombing Nazi Germany: The Graphic History of the Allied Air Campaign That Defeated Hitler in World War II. He most recently completed The Red Baron: The Graphic History of Richthofen’s Flying Circus and the Air War in WWI and is currently working on The Battle of the Bulge for Zenith Press.
Born in Milan, Italy, Moreno moved to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. His aviation passion began early, inspired by his uncle, an F-104 Starfighter Crew Chief, and his father, a military traffic controller. Childhood adventures included camping outside military bases and watching planes at Aeroporto Linate. In 1999, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, to obtain his commercial pilot license, a move that became permanent. With 24 years in the U.S., he now flies full-time for a Part 91 business aviation company in Atlanta. He is actively involved with the Commemorative Air Force, the D-Day Squadron, and other aviation organizations. He enjoys life with his supportive wife and three wonderful children.
I love it!!!!where can I find this book??
Went to this site for my husband, checking out order for 2) caps……Anyway I am writing and wondering if any of the publishers of these books knew about my brother Paul Matt, he wrote Aviation Books, one a month , drawings, writings and was well known. He lived in California and was in touch with Drina Abel and her son who bought his business out at least 20 years ago . Just curious if anything was ever done about his books etc. Thanks