World War I was the conflict which spelled the end of the Austro-Hungarian empire which for centuries had dominated Central Europe. In 1914, the Empire's armed forces were large, but pooly trained and in general poorly equipped. The air service had only 35 aircraft at the outbreak of WW1, supplemented by the purchase of German aircraft, few of first quality, thus the fliers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire operating on the Eastern Front were fortunate at first to be faced by small numbers of even more obsolescent aircraft. Austro-Hungarian pilots led by aces such as Godwin Brumowski, Otto Jindra, Benno Fiala and Kurt Gruber flying in extremely difficult geographic, climatic and operational conditions were both brave and effective. This is their long-forgotten story. Chapters: 1. An Empire on the Verge of Collapse; 2. The Austro-Hungarian Air Arms; 3. Russian Opponents; 4. World War 1 on the Eastern Front; 5. Austro-Hungarian Air Aces of the Eastern Front. This book is profusely illustrated with both black and white and colour plates, which makes it perfect for military aircraft enthusiasts and modellers alike, not forgetting historians and transport enthusiasts.