Jon Guttman: Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1 [2005] paperback

Tethered balloons have been used for aerial observation since the French Revolution, but in World War I, they reached their zenith as a means of providing a stationary observation platform above the battlefield. It took a special breed of daredevil to take on such odds deep in enemy lines in order to destroy a balloon, with Balloon specialists such as Willy Coppens, Pierre Bourjade and Michel Coiffard rising to the challenge. This book covers the story of these 'balloon busters' from both sides in World War I through a mix of first-hand accounts and expert analysis, which compares tactics, theatres of operation, aircraft types and the overall odds for success.