Paolo Varriale. Italian Aces of World War I. Osprey Aircraft of the Aces Series, 89. New York: Osprey, 2009. Paperback, illustrated, 104pp.
Review by Peter L. Belmonte
There is not much written in English about the Italian army and naval air forces in the Great War. For this reason, Osprey is to be commended for adding Italian Aces of World War I to the roster of their Osprey Aircraft of the Aces series. The book is ably written by Italian aviation historian Paolo Varriale, while color plates are nicely executed by aviation artist Harry Dempsey. Varriale, the curator of the Baracca Museum and consultant to the Italian Air Force Historical Office, uses public and private archives to bring us the story of each of the forty-five Italian World War I aces.
After a brief overview of the beginnings of the Italian war effort, Varriale covers the aces in alphabetical order. For each man, the author gives a brief biography with a concentration on the aerial actions during which he shot down enemy aircraft. Varriale also includes a list of aircraft shot down for each man, giving the date, type of aircraft, location of action, crew and unit information, plus other remarks. The men flew a variety of aircraft in their attainment of ace status: Nieuport 11 and 17, SPAD VII and XIII, Hanriot HD 1, and Macchi M5. The photographs are a wonderful record of these men and the aircraft they flew into fame. The color plates are extremely well done and will please aviation enthusiasts and modelers. Of special interest are the individual markings or insignia on some of the airplanes. Among Italy’s top aces were Francesco Baracca (34 victories), Pier Ruggero Piccio (24 victories), Fulco Ruffo di Calabria (20 victories), and Silvio Scaroni (26 victories).
In the course of describing the aces and their actions, Varriale succeeds in giving us a good picture of the progress of Italian military aviation during the war. Beset with lack of equipment and training at the Italy’s entry into the war in 1915, by war’s end, it had matured to become a force to be reckoned with. Due to the format of the books in this series, Varriale doesn’t include much background as far as the strategic or operational course of the war. Rather, he properly concentrates on the men and their accomplishments. This book is highly recommended to anyone who wants to learn more about the Italian effort in the air war; modelers will also find the book helpful.
Peter L. Belmonte is a retired U.S. Air Force officer, author, and historian. A veteran of Operation Desert Storm, he holds a master’s degree in history from California State University, Stanislaus. He has published articles, book chapters, reviews, and papers about immigration and military history. Pete’s books include: Italian Americans in World War II (Arcadia, 2001), Days of Perfect Hell: The U.S. 26th Infantry Regiment in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, October-November, 1918 (Schiffer, 2015), Forgotten Soldiers of World War I: America’s Immigrant Doughboys (with Alexander F. Barnes, Schiffer, 2018), Play Ball! Doughboys and Baseball during the Great War (with co-authors Alexander F. Barnes and Samuel O. Barnes, Schiffer Books, 2019), Chicago-Area Italians in World War I: A Case Study of Calabrians (Fonthill Media, 2019), and United States Army Depot Brigades in World War I (with co-author Alexander F. Barnes, McFarland, 2021). He is also working on a multi-volume history of Italian Americans in World War I. You may see his books at his webpage: https://www.amazon.com/author/peter.belmonte.
