The story of military aviation - of combat aircraft - is almost entirely one of the present century, and this authoritative book traces that story from the very beginnings of aviation, when man first took himself into the air for warlike reasons. The First World War gave flying a tremendous impetus, and progress in that period was incredibly swift as the slow and cumbersome early aircraft were superseded by the comparatively fast and deadly Albatross, Fokker, Sopwith and Spad fighters, bombers such as the Handley Page, Caproni and Gotha and other equally advanced machines. Military aviation between the two World Wars - a time which saw slow progress in some respects but brought the end of the biplane era and the introduction of the faster and more efficient monoplanes to the air forces of the world - is fully covered. The outstanding machines of the Second World War are described, together with many of the lesser aircraft, while the jet age from the first German and British fighters to supersonic multi-purpose aircraft is discussed. Illustrated with over 300 photographs, many in colour.