This is the second reprint of the accepted standard work on the German Naval Airship Division and is the crème de la crème of books about the Zeppelin. The author has studied the wartime exploits of the Zeppelins in far greater depth than any other researcher, obtaining WWI records, visiting the Zeppelin works in 1937 and personally interviewing scores of former airship aviators over the following years. The text covers all aspects of the early Zeppelins, and then comprehensively records the actions between 1912 and 1918 of the Naval Division. His preface, which thanks all his chief helpers, reads like a list of WWI surviving airship commanders and their crews. The photographs are brilliant. All are of the finest quality and the book format allows many to be reproduced full-page with wonderful results. A number have never been seen before and merit study.

Many previously unknown facts come to light: for example, ‘The Sunderland Operation’ reveals that the German High Seas Fleet was not crippled at Jutland but undertook a raid into the North Sea, accompanied by Zeppelins and it was only a false report by L.13 which prevented a clash with HM Grand Fleet, which could have had a devastating result. The recovery of the remains of the L.70 and retrieval of Strasser’s body which had remained a secret until this book, was also (relatively) unknown. 

Appendices list all German Naval airships with brief histories, and all Naval airship bases with details. There is a Glossary of rigid airship technology, Bibliography and Index.

No lighter-than-air enthusiast should be without this book. It can never be bettered when it comes to the fighting force of airships, which supported the German Navy in WWI.