Bert Smallways, an ordinary man from England, lives in a world gradually transformed by progress and technology, fascinated by bicycles and balloons. One day, by accident, he ascends into the sky in a balloon and witnesses the emergence of the massive German air fleet, realizing the world is on the brink of aerial warfare. Thrust unwillingly into the heart of global conflict, he finds himself amid dramatic events like the Battle of the North Atlantic and the shocking attack on New York. The horrors of air warfare reveal a new level of destruction, shaking the foundation of civilization. This first part chronicles how a simple man is swept into the center of history, as humanity steps into an era of airborne conflict.
