Initially designed as a high-speed mail aeroplane and airliner, the Do 17 first made an appearance as a military aircraft in the Spanish Civil War, both as a bomber and in reconnaissance roles. In the early stages of World War II, it, together with the Heinkel He 111, formed the backbone of the German bomber arm over Poland, France, Belgium and the Low Countries, and saw action in almost every major campaign in this period. However, by the start of the Battle of Britain, the Do 17's limited range and small bomb load meant that it was ripe for replacement by the Ju 88. Though it performed well at lower altitudes, the model suffered heavy losses during raids, particularly during the Blitz and were increasingly phased out. This fully illustrated study uses detailed full-colour artwork and authoritative text from an expert author to tell the full operation story of one of Nazi Germany's best light bombers from the early years of World War II.

1936-39 - Spain /1939 - Poland and the Phoney War /1940 - Battle of France /1940-41 - Battle of Britain and the Blitz /Balkans and the Mediterranean /Action on the Eastern Front and Replacement /Appendices /Colour Plates Commentary /Index

Chris Goss is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer who has studied the 1939-45 air war over north-west Europe for many years, specializing in Luftwaffe air operations. He has amassed a substantial collection of original wartime material and photographs as a result of interviews and extensive correspondence with veterans and their families. Chris has written more than 22 books such as Bloody Biscay, Brothers in Arms and The Luftwaffe's Blitz, that have been critically acclaimed for their research and been published in Swedish, Hungarian, Spanish and Czech as well as in English. He has already written several books for Osprey. He lives in Buckinghamshire, UK.
Chris Davey has illustrated more than 70 titles for Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces, Combat Aircraft and Elite Units series since 1994. Based in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, and one of the last traditional airbrush artists in the business, he has become the artist of choice for both USAAF fighters and RAF subject matter, proving his undoubted skill when dealing with large aircraft subjects such as the Halifax and Sunderland.