ACE OF ACES

Stanley M. Ulanoff edits this Air Combat Classic by the man who was ""easily the finest fighter pilot produced by the aviation services of any nation in World War I"" (Charles J. Biddle). Captain Fonck's record was published as Mes Combats in French in 1920, here for the first time in English. He scored seventy-five official victories (including two sextuples) and was never even touched by a shot from his adversaries, a record which Ulanoff feels was not coincidental. Indeed, Captain Fonck's own prescription for successful performance includes study of enemy methods and techniques and absolute self-mastery. His favorite tactic, ""instinctive to birds of prey,"" was to dive from above. Characteristic of the man: his reaction to the death of another French ace, Guynemer--he avenged it with his fourteenth victory. Along with his combats are appendices: the planes he flew, citations, the official record, tributes to Guynemer, the top French, allied and enemy aces, specifications of planes mentioned, etc.