Duel Over Douai

Many novels have been written about WW I aerial combat, but none like Duel over Douai. Beyond the myths of modern day knights comes the visceral tension of life and death pierced by an engine's stinging hot oil and the fatal language of stuttering machine guns. Vulnerable aeroplanes of wood and wire carry men not just to victory, but survival.The saga focuses on three young men of diverse backgrounds: a class-conscious English peer, a man-killing American cowboy, and a self-doubting German aristocrat, all caught up in the adventurous tragedy that was World War I aerial combat.Overcoming the strict roles of social classes, proud family expectations, and their personal histories, the three airmen seek their own paths and the love of their unique women.Insightful descriptions of Great War flight are authored by men who have flown modern warplanes and vintage flying machines, and who have lived the tactics. Their experiences are real and portrayed through each character's joys and unique desires.Over the ruined territory of France and Belgium, the young-old aviators charge through a tangled fabric of life, tempting fate and skill to see who lives, who dies, and who is left to love.