Fledglings

Some would bend. Some would break. All would be tested. When the great war began powered flight was seen as a novelty with no practical military use. As soon as it was realised that trench warefare denied the cavalry the ability to out flank the enemy, the task fell to aviators to perform reconnaissance by flying above the battlefield. It did not take long for everyone to realise that these machines needed to be stopped, and thus began the arms race of epic proportions. In just a few short years, aircraft were commonplace and no longer a novelty - air power had forever changed the face of modern warfare. Fledglings is a novel that follows a cast of characters throughout this era of mass destruction, in a war that claimed close to twenty million lives. It explores many aspects of aerial combat - from the trial and error of equipment and tactics, to the varied personalities and their interactions with a world in turmoil. Regardless of temperament, there are occasions when one man may act with compassion, and the next day mete out horrific brutality. Acts of greatness are often simply a matter of perspective. War is a lottery, and its outcomes are not decided by concepts of honour or worthiness.