A chronological approach is adopted, very sensibly for the analysis, and so the WW1 period features early in the book. The author covers the first tentative approaches to the application of method to aerial fighting, in particular the advantage offered by height. Early attempts at providing both forward and rearward firing guns are described, moving swiftly through the first aerial victories with rifles and pistols, Garros’ experiments with deflector blades fitted to the propeller and the development of the Fokker Eindecker. The importance of Boelcke’s ‘Dicta’ is stressed and the allies’ countermeasures are well described. Tactics are dealt with both in the narrative and a series of simple, clear diagrams provided by John Richards. There are five such diagrams covering the 1914 - 1918 period, the subjects being the break, the Immelmann turn, Boelcke’s ruse, Ball’s method of attack and McCudden’s approach to attacking a two-seater. The coverage concludes with brief career details for 12 of the leading aces and a listing of all aces scoring 10 or more.

This pattern is repeated for all the subsequent sections of the book. There is significant coverage of WW2 but more minor conflicts such as the Spanish Civil War, the Sino-Japanese conflict and the Soviet-Finnish Winter War are also included. Post WW2 coverage includes the Korean, India-Pakistan, Middle East and Vietnamese conflicts. The book closes with a look at the impact of new technology, such as thrust vectoring on the business of air fighting.

Thirty photographs illustrate the main text, most of which (certainly for the WW1 period) will be already very familiar to society members. The dust jacket shows an all red Fokker Triplane (curiously with a propeller boss but no blades) and a Harrier GR7. The latter seems a strange choice for a book on fighter aces, but it does reflect the multi.role capability of modern military aircraft.

The author adopts modern terms throughout, some of which (for example ‘multi-bogey encounter’) seem out of place in describing WW1 aerial tactics. (Should it not be ‘multi-bandit’ in any event?) In the space available historical background must of necessity be limited to a few sentences, but some readers will find the sweeping generalisations made to be out of place. There is plenty to debate too in the view that radial engines were developed as a solution to the problems with rotaries (radials were used pre-WW1) and the discussion on the ‘pernicious legacy’ of the Red Baron.