"Good (Illustrated) Books on German Planes?" Topic

I've always had an interest in WWI military aviation but don't have any books in my collection – I'm looking to get started with some covering Germany.

After searching around a bit, I've come up with these as a potential start:

- Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 30 (Aeronaut Books)
- German Aircraft of the First World War (Thetford & Gray)
- Development of German Warplanes in WWI (Herris)

How do these sound? Any more recommendations? I'm more interested in photos & color profiles at the moment, rather than thick histories.

Try the Osprey Aces series.
Also the Squadron shop series.

A great book is "Aircraft of World War I: 1914-1918 -- The Essential Aircraft Identification Guide" by Jack Harris and Bob Pearson.

Not solely Germany, buts lots of good info and color illustrations.

Granted its not a book but this website will has a ton of information as well as book recommendations: theaerodrome.com/index.php

And a second online reference: Over the Front which also produces (or produced) a magazine called Cross & Cockade. This one requires membership though: overthefront.com

Ditto what John writes: start with the Osprey Aces series. They are written by well respected aviation historians and I've found them to be very good.

I'm going to go against the trend and say that you can do much better than Ospreys.

And I think you're right to be looking at the Aeronauts series of books.

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Yes – they are a shade more than twice the price of an Osprey – but each book just gives so much more detail than an Osprey. And they are bigger books – 200 odd Letter size pages.

I do have quite a few Osprey Aviation Titles as well. Some are quite good, some I find a little "light". It really depends on what you are after.

aeronaut are the best

"Die deutschen Militärflugzeuge 1910-1918"

Here is an Amazon link to the second volume. You will be looking for the first one. Text is in German, but most of the content are front and up/down-schemata in 1:144 anyway, with a multitude of technical details. A good companion – and for the price the second volume is worth it, too.

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Here is a link on a German antiquariat site to the first volume:
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" I'm more interested in photos & color profiles at the moment "

Any of the Albatros Productions Datafiles or Specials:

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The Aeronauts books are great but at £30.00 GBP a time compared to being able to pick up the Ospreys at anything from £5.00 GBP to £9.00 GBP they are a lot more expensive. Fine if you just want a few titles but I've 20 odd Ospreys to cover my collection.

There is a CD of colour plates which I think is about £30.00 GBP but it has every known colour scheme detailed. I'd like to get told of it but can never recall who produced it. PErhaps Dom Skelton will be along to tell us – he has a copy.

I've found the Ospreys plus the internet to be pretty good source material. My one issue with the Osprey books is many of the photographs aren't reproduced that well and when you see a better quality copy of the same image elsewhere it's amazing how much more information is lurking there.

Thanks for all the great advice everyone. One more question. I came across a gaming blog

http://mageknightkevin.blogspot.ca/search/label/Jasta%2078b

that has pics like this:

Anyone know where they came from?

That plate is Baumer's Alb. D.V of Jasta 5
It was lifted from the 'Jagdstaffel 5' Special Vol. 1 by Albatros Productions.

Thanks Camcleod, I'll definitely be ordering some Albatros titles.

Late to the game, but I think the CD is by Bob Pearson, mentioned above as the illustrator of "The Illustrated Aircraft Identification Guide" for WWI by Amber Books. He has illustrated a lot of stuff.