First Offensive- The Marine Campaign for Guadalcanal
Sep 20, 2026 · 7 hr 4 min · 61 segments
"Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War" by Frederick A. Talbot delves into the pivotal role that aircraft and airships played in warfare, exploring their development and impact on military strategy. This…
Ever since the earliest days of the great conquest of the air, first by the dirigible balloon, and then by the aeroplane, their use in time of war has been a fruitful theme for discussion.
But their arrival was of too recent a date, their many utilities too unexplored to provide anything other than theories, many obviously untenable, others avowedly problematical.
Yet, the part airships have played in the greatest war has come as a surprise even to their most convinced advocates.
For every expectation shattered, they have shown a more than compensating possibility of usefulness.
In this volume, an endeavor has been made to record their achievements, under the stern test of trial as an axiom of war, and to explain, in untechnical language, the many services to which they have been, and may be, applied.
The information concerning German military aircraft has been obtained from government documents, most of which were placed at my disposal before the outbreak of war.
The use of aircraft has changed the whole art and science of warfare.
With its disabilities well in hand, with its strength but half revealed, the aerial service has revolutionized strategy and shorn the unexpected attack of half its terrors.
The fourth arm is now an invaluable part of the complex military machine.
F.A. Talbot End of preface Recording by William Tomko Chapter 1 of Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War by Frederick A. Talbot This LibriVox recording is in the public domain Recording by William Tomko Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War by Frederick A. Talbot Chapter 1 The Introduction of Aircraft into Military Operations It is a curious circumstance that an invention which is hailed as being one of the greatest achievements ever recorded in the march of civilization should be devoted essentially to the maiming of humanity and the destruction of property.
In no other trend of human endeavor is this factor so potently demonstrated as in connection with man's conquest of the air.
The dogged struggle against the blind forces of nature was waged tenaciously and perseveringly for centuries, but the measure of success recorded from time to time was so disappointing as to convey the impression, except in a limited circle, that the problem was impossible of solution.
In the meantime, wondrous changes had taken place in the methods of transportation by land and sea.
The steam and electric railway, steam propulsion of vessels, and mechanical movement along the high roads had been evolved and advanced to a high standard of perfection, to the untold advantage of the community.
Consequently, it was argued, if only a system of travel along the aerial highways could be established, then all other methods of mechanical transportation would be rendered, if not entirely obsolete, at least antiquated.
At last, man triumphed over nature, at least to such a degree as to inspire the confidence of the world at large, and to bring aerial travel and transportation within range of realization.
But what has been the result? The discovery is not devoted to the interests of peace and economic development, but to extermination and destruction.
At the same time, this development may be explained.
The airship and aeroplane in the present stage of evolution possess no economic value.
True, cross-country cruises by airship have been inaugurated, and up to a point have proved popularly, if not commercially, successful.
While tentative efforts have been made to utilize the aeroplane as a mail carrier.
Still, from the viewpoint of the community at large, aerial travel is as remote as it was centuries ago.
It is somewhat interesting to observe how history is repeating itself.
When the Montgolfiers succeeded in lifting themselves into the air by means of a vessel inflated with hot air, the new vehicle was hailed not so much as one possessed of commercial possibilities, but as an engine of war.
Ever since the earliest days of the great conquest of the air, first by the dirigible balloon, and then by the aeroplane, their use in time of war has been a fruitful theme for discussion.
But their arrival was of too recent a date, their many utilities too unexplored to provide anything other than theories, many obviously untenable, others avowedly problematical.
Yet, the part airships have played in the greatest war has come as a surprise even to their most convinced advocates.
For every expectation shattered, they have shown a more than compensating possibility of usefulness.
In this volume, an endeavor has been made to record their achievements, under the stern test of trial as an axiom of war, and to explain, in untechnical language, the many services to which they have been, and may be, applied.
The information concerning German military aircraft has been obtained from government documents, most of which were placed at my disposal before the outbreak of war.
The use of aircraft has changed the whole art and science of warfare.
With its disabilities well in hand, with its strength but half revealed, the aerial service has revolutionized strategy and shorn the unexpected attack of half its terrors.
The fourth arm is now an invaluable part of the complex military machine.
F.A. Talbot End of preface Recording by William Tomko Chapter 1 of Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War by Frederick A. Talbot This LibriVox recording is in the public domain Recording by William Tomko Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War by Frederick A. Talbot Chapter 1 The Introduction of Aircraft into Military Operations It is a curious circumstance that an invention which is hailed as being one of the greatest achievements ever recorded in the march of civilization should be devoted essentially to the maiming of humanity and the destruction of property.
In no other trend of human endeavor is this factor so potently demonstrated as in connection with man's conquest of the air.
The dogged struggle against the blind forces of nature was waged tenaciously and perseveringly for centuries, but the measure of success recorded from time to time was so disappointing as to convey the impression, except in a limited circle, that the problem was impossible of solution.
In the meantime, wondrous changes had taken place in the methods of transportation by land and sea.
The steam and electric railway, steam propulsion of vessels, and mechanical movement along the high roads had been evolved and advanced to a high standard of perfection, to the untold advantage of the community.
Consequently, it was argued, if only a system of travel along the aerial highways could be established, then all other methods of mechanical transportation would be rendered, if not entirely obsolete, at least antiquated.
At last, man triumphed over nature, at least to such a degree as to inspire the confidence of the world at large, and to bring aerial travel and transportation within range of realization.
But what has been the result? The discovery is not devoted to the interests of peace and economic development, but to extermination and destruction.
At the same time, this development may be explained.
The airship and aeroplane in the present stage of evolution possess no economic value.
True, cross-country cruises by airship have been inaugurated, and up to a point have proved popularly, if not commercially, successful.
While tentative efforts have been made to utilize the aeroplane as a mail carrier.
Still, from the viewpoint of the community at large, aerial travel is as remote as it was centuries ago.
It is somewhat interesting to observe how history is repeating itself.
When the Montgolfiers succeeded in lifting themselves into the air by means of a vessel inflated with hot air, the new vehicle was hailed not so much as one possessed of commercial possibilities, but as an engine of war.
The rest of this transcript — segmented and speaker-labeled, so you land on the exact moment something was said
Search every transcript — by keyword, by phrase, or by meaning, across every show Radar indexes
Trends — what is surging across podcasts, measured against its own baseline
Alerts — when a name you follow appears in a newly indexed episode
No account is needed to search Radar.
