The French

[Maureen Dig Aire]

How about some recommendations of good novels about and/or by the French? Anybody got any? I know there is so little written in English. But, I think I'm coming along well enough in my French that I might be willing to venture into a novel, now. I want novels that do a good job of portraying "day-in-the-life" of French pilots. I'm particularly interested in where they were stationed and when, where they went on leave, daily life on the 'drome, their feelings and impressions, and like that there.

Can anybody recommend any novels or factual histories about American pilots who were attached to French aerodromes? (Besides Eliot White Springs, I mean. Already got and read his books..."War Bird" and "Nocturne Militaire")

[bristol scout]

Elliott White Springs flew with the British Maureen. Sorry if Iv'e read your last para. wrong

Dave.

[rainbase]

Hi Maureen, there are a couple novels that come to mind: Falcons Of France, by Nordhoff & Hall. Of course this is about an American in the Lafayette Flying Corps, but it's set in a French squadron. Also, In The Company Of Eagles by Ernest Gann. This is a good one, and is about a French and a German aviator (and their eventual rendevous in the air). A third novel that comes to mind is To Last Man, by Jeff Shaara. While not specifically a flying novel, a good part of this follows the careers of both Von Richthofen and Raoul Lufbery. Hope this helps a bit!

[wacoavn]

"Above the French Lines" - Stewart Walcot was a member of the the Lafayette Flying Corps and assigned to SPA 84. He was killed after only one mission in December of 1917. A book of his letters was published. Most of it deals with his training and the end covers about a month he spent at the front prior to his death.

The entire book is available on google books:

Above the French lines: letters of ... - Google Books

"Sky Fighters of France" - Henry Ferre was a French artist who was tasked with documenting the war in his paintings. To do this he travelled from escadrille to escadrille making paintings of flying activities and pilots. I would not call his war-time activities typical, but the book published about his experiences includes many interested nuggets which are unique because he was looking at everything as an artist and not usually an active combatant (he did fly in at least one bombing mission).


The entire book is available on google books:

Sky fighters of France: aerial ... - Google Books

Enjoy

[Froggy]

Bonjour Victoria

another book you can download on line

With the French flying corps : Winslow, Carroll Dana, 1889-1932 : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive

'with the french flying corps ' (1917) by Winslow, Carroll Dana, 1889-1932

Winslow, a member of Lafayette flying corps served with French escadrille
MF44 in Verdun Sector and escadrille N 112;He realeased from french service
in 30 april 1917 and joined the US Air service

Cordialement
Bruno

[jastaflieger]

If you want to write about the Service Aeronatique, then you should read and study NOTES OF A LOST PILOT by Villars, one of my favorite books of WWI aviation of them all, this is actually a semi-bio, semi- fictional story of a French pilot. very, very good!
jim

[totoroman]

Originally Posted by jastaflieger

If you want to write about the Service Aeronatique, then you should read and study NOTES OF A LOST PILOT by Villars, one of my favorite books of WWI aviation of them all, this is actually a semi-bio, semi- fictional story of a French pilot. very, very good!
jim

I'll second that recommendation. if I were forced to have JUST ONE novel about the French Air Service this would be the very first thing I would pick. it really doesn't get any better than this book. I would consider it one of the top ten first-person accounts of the war in the air I've read. I'd even say it's as good as McCudden's "Flying Fury" or the writings of Cecil Lewis.

most of our glimpses of the French Flying Service are necessarily from Americans (here in the U.S)... but it's nice to see such a fascinating book written by a native Frenchman. more so than any of the Lafayette pilots or American volunteers-- this one book shows what it was like to be a two-seater pilot and an average fighter pilot.