Volume 53 in this series covered Fokker D VII aces from the four elite Jagdgeschwadern of the German army, and this follow-on volume charts the story of the many aces who flew the famed fighter in other units committed to combat in the final months of World War 1. D VII operations covered the entire Western Front, from the North Sea to the Swiss border. In the latter half of 1918 the Fokker was not only the mainstay of the army Jagdstaffeln, but also the most potent fighter flown by home defence Kests and the pilots of the German navy in Flanders. The D VII easily proved the equal of the many British, French, Belgian and American aircraft it met in combat, and served in such roles as day bomber interceptor, 'balloon buster' and nightfighter. Though handicapped by a lack of fuel and other supplies as the German war machine fell apart, aces such as Sachsenberg, Degelow and Rumey utilised the D VII to rack up impressive scores against consistently superior odds. “This is the first time I have read examples of these books... If these books are representative, it must be a truly formidable series... Although both books complement each other, they both can stand alone as useful works describing this outstanding aircraft of World War I.” ― Mike Wollan, Aerodrome, also on Sopwith Triplane Aces of World War I “I'll just start right off and say that both of these books should be on your World War I reading list... [Both] of these books have extensive color plates and descriptions of each of the markings. Also, there are many photos of the pilots and their airplanes, including some interesting cockpit shots of the crude instruments they used.” ― Rob Auer, Aerodrome, also on Sopwith Triplane Aces of World War I Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces series combines full colour artwork, the best archival contemporary photography, and first hand accounts from aces to bring history's greatest airborne conflicts to life. Norman Franks is one of the world's leading authorities on World War 1 fighter aviation, having published some of the seminal works on the subject. He has written volume 32 'Albatros Aces of World War I' and 33 'Nieuport Aces of World War I' in 2000 and co-authored volume 40 'Fokker Dr I Aces of World War I' in 2001. Greg VanWyngarden has had a lifelong interest in World War 1 aviation and has been particularly active in gathering information on the colours and markings that decorated the various German fighters. He has written or co-authored over 12 titles for Osprey, including Aces of Jagdstaffel 17 in the Aircraft of the Aces series, and Richthofen's Circus – Jagdgeschwader Nr I and Jagdstaffel 18 – The Red Noses in the Elite Unit series. Mark Postlethwaite was born in Leicestershire in 1964 and has developed a lifelong passion for aviation history. He first worked as a photographer before turning his attention solely to artwork, and is now highly regarded in his field for the quality and accuracy of his work. He became the youngest elected member of the Guild of Aviation Artists in 1991. Mark is a valued Osprey artist and has contributed to more than 100 of its books. Reference Book