In the air, we find freedom.

In the summer of 1914, the world stands on the brink of chaos, and for young William Harsker, life is about to change forever. Drawn to the pride of the cavalry and the allure of glory, William trades the freshness of English fields for the muddy trenches of Flanders. But nothing can prepare him for the brutal reality of cavalry charges against merciless machine guns, where valour and death dance intimately on the battlefield.

As the war escalates, William's fierce spirit leads him to the Royal Flying Corps, a daring shift that takes him to the skies above the carnage. In the cockpit, he transforms from an observer and gunner to a pilot, discovering an unyielding passion for aerial combat that tests his bravery in ways he never imagined. Through breathtaking dogfights and narrow escapes, William grapples with the contrast of his once-simple life back home and the dark, consuming world of war that has engulfed him.

"They came in at the same time. I saw the determination on Sharp's face as he emptied all forty-seven bullets at the Eindecker. The fuselage of our aeroplane was largely air and many of the bullets missed. The danger would be when the steel-tipped bullets hit the engine. That was a bridge I would have to cross later. I could see the German trenches approaching. I was thirty miles from home. I might as well have been three hundred. It was three-to-one odds that we would not make it home."

1914 is a poignant exploration of courage, brotherhood, and the indomitable human spirit. As William faces the stark realities of loyalty, sacrifice and the abrupt loss of innocence, readers will be drawn into a whirlwind of emotions that resonate long after the final page is turned. Join William on his journey; feel the thrill of flight, the weight of dread, and the bittersweet nature of heroism as the world he once knew fades into the shadows of history.

The gripping first instalment of Griff Hosker's acclaimed seven-part British Ace series. A must-read for fans of Ben Kane, Bernard Cornwell, Simon Scarrow and Anthony Riches. Prepare for battle – this is just the beginning.

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