Cover of Rivals of the clouds

Rivals of the clouds

  • Free to read
  • 25 min read
  • Reading level: 6th grade

"Rivals of the Clouds" by Raoul Whitfield is a war fiction novella written during the early 20th century, likely around the 1920s. The narrative focuses on the aerial battles of World War I, specifically highlighting the lives and conflicts of fighter pilots in the heat of combat. It explores themes of rivalry, bravery, and the personal dynamics between characters in a high-stakes environment. The story centers around two pilots, Lieutenant Adams and the inexperienced Tex Langdon, as they navigate the treacherous skies filled with enemy aircraft and thick fog. From a tense rivalry fueled by accusations and misunderstandings, the narrative unfolds into unexpected camaraderie when Adams rescues Langdon during a dangerous aerial skirmish with the Germans. Through intense dogfights and wartime challenges, both pilots learn about their strengths and flaws, ultimately leading to mutual respect. The book captures not only the action of aerial warfare but also the personal growth of the characters as they confront their fears, egos, and the harsh realities of war.

Read free now No app, no sign-up. Your place is saved automatically. Or download for your e-reader ↓
  • Short stories
  • Air pilots, Military
  • World War, 1914-1918 · Aerial operations

Read the opening

Zooming through a clinging, blinding fog, Lieutenant Adams
flew straight into a death trap of flashing enemy planes and
flaming, stuttering machine guns. This is an epic of the
skies told by the ace of war writers.

There was plenty of it, this gray, clinging fog. Drifting slowly down the slope just west of the tiny pursuit squadron field, clinging to the branches of the gaunt trees, then sweeping out over the field itself, the fog moved. It hung within ten or fifteen feet of the soft earth, and it was thick. Thick and cold. Twenty minutes ago there hadn’t been any sign of it; now the barracks could not be seen from the nearest camouflaged hangar.

Lieutenant Ben Chapin came out of one end of the barracks and swore beneath his breath. It was almost eight o’clock and two ships were out on the dawn patrol. They had been out since a few minutes after six, and were due back any minute now.

A figure, short and chunky, emerged from the white screen of the fog, moving toward the barracks, a clap-board building considerably the worse for wear. Ben Chapin hailed the figure.

Keep reading Rivals of the clouds →

Download for your e-reader

Files are provided by Project Gutenberg. On a Kindle, the simplest route is to send the EPUB with Amazon’s Send to Kindle. Downloaded copies don’t sync with your place on Classic Book Reader.

About this edition

This free edition of Rivals of the clouds by Raoul Whitfield comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #73987, released 2024-07-08. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Adventure, Novels, History - Modern (1750+), History - Warfare.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

More by Raoul Whitfield