Zeppelin Kommt! Children play a Zeppelin raid on London. Holding his bomb in the gondola is a doll of the airship's inventor, Count Zeppelin. The other children, playing the English, cower, and the British fleet — folded paper boats — remains in port. Prewar postcards celebrated the imposing airships and the excitement they generated with the same expression, 'Zeppelin Kommt!'. Postcard by P.O. Engelhard (P.O.E.). The message on the reverse is dated May 28, 1915.

Toland provides a history of dirigibles from the balloon experiments of the Montgolfier brothers to the destruction of Hindenburg on May 6, 1937. The chapter 'Ships at War' provides some key points about Germany's Zeppelins during World War I. With three commercial and six military dirigibles when war broke out, Germany built 88 during the war, increasingly large and capable. He touches on technology changes: a 'spy car' that could be lowered as much as a mile below a Zeppelin while it flew safely above the clouds; the French introduction of the incendiary rocket in early 1916 which brought down LZ-77; the Zeppelin's role in the Battle of Jutland.

A lengthier section covers the October 19–20, 1917 raid by 11 naval airships on Hull, Grimsby, and Sheffield with LZ-45 bombing London with devastating effect. Facing gale-force winds at high altitudes, the raiders' return became a disaster which saw only six airships reaching safety. Three airships came down and LZ-44 was brought down all in France. L-50 hit a mountain, separating the control car, aft gondola, and the men within from the rest of the ship which continued on with four men aboard. in The First Blitz Ian Castle writes it was last seen over the Mediterranean Sea.

Lastly, Toland covers the journey of LZ-59 which set out on November 21, 1917 with 50 tons of weapons, ammunition, and medical supplies for Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck in German East Africa. The Zeppelin did not reach its goal, returning after a false British report of success against Lettow-Vorbeck's guerilla campaign, but traveled 4,225 miles in 95 hours with an average speed of 45 miles per hour.

Publisher: Dover Publications, Inc., 1972

Copyright: 1957, 1972 by John Toland