Excellent History of the Famous Airships that Introduced Strategic Bombing
342366
A thorough and informative history of the first real strategic air campaign in history by the zeppelins of the German Navy against Great Britain during the First World War.  Long before B-52 attacks against North Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s and raids by thousands of USAAF and RAF heavy bombers against Germany and the B-29 attacks against Japan, attacks by individual lighter than air rigid airships almost accomplish what later never could; terrorizing the civilian population of a powerful country such as Great Britain to the point of hysteria.

Fortunately for Britain, which was totally unprepared against the attacks by the airship that could fly well above the range of its guns and sircraft, the German Navy suffered serious losses to the worst enemies of all air forces; weather and 'pilot error.'

If you have any interest whatsoever in airships, World War I aviation or the development of strategic bombing; this book is a 'must read.'
4284247
Anyone interested in the dawn of commercial aviation will find this book a delight.  The accounts of early mail pilots, their accidents and their lost lives, are truly gripping.  But the book also tells the commercial drama -- the efforts of France to lead the world in the high-tech industry of the 1920s, and the lost fortunes of early pioneers.
3214046
If there is anything about the IL-2 and the IL-10 Shturmovik that is not covered in this book, I would be very surprised. Author Yefim Gordon gives ample background history of the development, use and improvements of the IL-2 ground attack fighter. Early versions had stability problems, there were defects from the factories as the Soviets were gearing up their industry for war. As improvements were made and more fighter cover became available, this plane helped clear the way for the Red Army. The Germans called it "Black Death".

This plane was the A-10 Warthog of its day. Over 42,000 of these planes were built from 1941-1945. This plane destroyed many German vehicles and was decidedly a "war-winner" just as this book is a winner. 192 pages of narrative, excellent black and white photos, line drawings, data charts, statistics, 8 pages of color plates and even a chapter devoted to the survivors and where they are located.

I highly recommend this book for aviation fans who want to learn everything about this little known WW2 plane that played such a huge role in the Allied victory. This is an excellent addition to anyone's library.
141843
Even though this book is 30 years old, it is packed with history.  If you love the Cessna 172, youll really enjoy it. A lot of interesting technical information too.
3769791
Patrick Osborn and Marc Romanych have written an excellent introduction to the Hindenburg Line.  While the Osprey format limits the authors to around 60 pages of text, both have done a very good job describing the physical characteristics of the Hindenburg line, as well as its role in Germany's defense strategy.  The book describes, albeit briefly, such important concepts as defense in depth, protection, combined arms operations, preservation of combat power, etc.  The text is clear, flows well and the maps and illustrations are useful. For Romanych, this is his third work for Osprey, his other two being on "Big Bertha" and the Maginot Line.  He excels at writing introductory text about military topics that while not completely unfamiliar, are not well followed by most general readers. An excellent Osprey book that I highly recommend.
1522444
This is another of the well done Crowood Aviation Series books. This is a very good, detailed book about the development of Germany's first operataional jet, the Me-262. It reviews the history of the jet, the problems of the new jet technology and the rush to get this fast plane into the skies to knock down the Allied bombers.

Lots of clear B&W photos, technical data, line drawings help flesh out the narrative. I especially like the section on the replication of six Me -262's to fly at air shows. The author also addresses post war influence on Soviet and US designs.

What's missing? Color photos or plates to show the camouflage schemes used. Willy Radinger (published by Schiffer) has a book out on the Me-262 with a little less text, but many excellent photos from WW2 jets as well as a restored 262.

If yo're not a modeler, than this book is probaly the better buy. I solved the problem of deciding by buying both.
391886
Cory Graff's FLYING WARBIRDS, AN ILLUSTRATED PROFILE OF THE FLYING HERITAGE COLLECTION'S RARE WWII-ERA AIRCRAFT GUIDE is an evocative, wonderfully done word-and-photo tribute to the various warbirds housed at Washington's Paine Field. A 2014 Zenith Press release, this oversized volume will be catnip for any and all warbird enthusiasts.

Paine Field is home to a varied collection of WW II warbirds - the Supermarine Spitfire, Messerschmitt Bf 109, Nakajima Oscar,  Polikarpov I-16, Curtiss P-40, .P-51 Mustang, Mitsubishi Zero, Focke Wulf 190, Ilyushin IL-2, Republic P-47, Grumman Hellcat, North American B-25, etc. Graff does a fine job of presenting the history of each aircraft and how it came to roost at Paine Field.

The main selling point of the book is the exquisite color photographs of the various aircraft, including many full-page and two-page shots. Along with general views, there are many close-ups of cockpits, flying surfaces, landing gears, etc. I didn't see a photographer credit but somebody deserves an "atta boy" for the pictures.

FLYING WARBIRDS sells for $40.00 and is worth every penny. It's a marvelous tribute to some legendary warbirds that are still flying some 70-odd years after they made history. Highly recommended.
1365387
"The Illustrated Directory of Fighters" is just what its title suggests--a photo & fact laden pictorial history of fighter aircraft of every make and caliber from WWI biplanes to contemporary stealth interceptors.  Each aircraft is provided with complete stats for quick reference, and concise but thorough commentary from author Mike Spick fleshes out each plane's profile, complete with user history and head-to-head combat records where available.  An opinionated writer, Spick is not above labeling particularly ineffective weapons "turkeys" and his overall evaluations of most of the planes are dead-on.  All the most famous fighters of history are featured, from the Sopwith Camel and Fokker Dr 1 to the Zero and P-51 mustang up to the modern F-22 Raptor and Su-27, and many lesser-known designs (such as the Italian Fiat CR 42 Falco and Japanese Shiden-Kai) are given their due as well.  Highly informative and surprisingly readable, highlighted by hundreds of exciting photographs, this is a great sourcebook for all military and/or aviation enthusiasts.
3788801
Just as the subtitle suggests, "Airlines for the Rest of Us" covers the rise and fall of the U.S. Local Service Airlines, covering the years 1944 to "the last man standing" (USAirways).  The author has done an excellent job of presenting the story in a well-researched informative manner that is fun to read.  Also included are serveral B&W photos of various planes flown by the Locals.

Highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a concise, sometimes anecdotal, history of the U.S. Locals that one will not want to put down once they start reading it.
1025385
Although this book is not the definitive account of the famous Fw 190 fighter it is a very good introduction accompanied by a wealth of details. Alfred Price gives emphasis on the technical description and the development history of the aircraft but he doesn't ignore the human side, providing many first hand accounts of the Fw 190 in combat, especially against the Western Allies. The book contains valuable comparisons of aerial performance between the Fw 190 and every Allied fighter of the West, as well as a good account of the interesting Mistell experiment.
109232
This is another one of Schiffer's generally impressive detailed histories, in this case covering Great Britain's Fleet Air Arm. The book is both hefty in weight and price, but has a quality binding that will stand up to years of use. In 13 chapters, Mr. Mackay covers Fleet Air Arm history in what is basically a chronological account. Though the text is pretty dry and linear, the book covers such topics as FAA involvement with Malta, the Arctic convoys, attacking the Tirpitz, and the British Pacific Fleet with wonderful detail, and the book is profusely illustrated with great photographs, some of which will not have been seen in frequent publication. Although the book does have some color aircraft profiles in the back of the text, the color duplication is uncertain with for instance muddy earth tones. Readers looking for a less expensive account with more color profiles will seek Squadron Signal Publications Fleet Air Arm, also by Ron Mackay.
2248028
Very interesting, and plenty of photos to back up the text, book about the fate of allied aircraft that ended up in the hands of the Luftwaffe during WWII.  I had no idea of the extent of this program believing that only some crashed examples were available for examination but realizing how much access the Luftwaffe had to B-17s, B-24s, Spitfires, P-51s, etc.  It is a wonder the Germans weren't able to do more to disrupt Allied flights of aircraft than they did.  A very good and easy read that is very informative.
424219
Readers undoubtedly will be first interested in this book with its promise of the story behind Hitler's Amerika Bomber Project during World War IIthe Luftwaffe's marching orders to bring destruction to the United States with the objective not of strategic mayhem but dilution of European war effort by deploying antiaircraft defenses on the Home Front.

Readers will be more than satisfied by the knowledge shared by Griehland readers will be astonished by the complete story revealed by Griehl. The breadth and depth of the Luftwaffe's planning with enrapture readers, history students, strategic planning specialists as well as what-if-thinkers.

The German war machine did not lack for imagination and it shows in Luftwaffe Over America. Griehl has names, dates, quotes, context, drawings and photos in support of his research presented. Of course, the three Amerika Bombers are addressed completelythe Messerschmitt Me 264 (6 tons warload), the Junkers Ju 390 (5 ton warload) and Heinkel He 277 (3 ton warload).

Though the Luftwaffe plans included so much more as solutions were chased down:

Silbervogela rocket propelled glide bomb skipping across the stratosphere
Increasing range of land based aircraft by towing fuel laden gliders
Increasing the range of long distance flying boats by refueling at sea with U-boats
Submarine towing of V-2 laden barges to be flooded at launch, effectively erecting the rocket
Many more fighter, bomber and weapon designs
Luftwaffe Over America illustrates, on one hand, the Luftwaffe's engineering creativity as well as imagination. On the other hand, Griehl's book demonstrates the Luftwaffe's lack of central authority which appeared required to be successful. The Allies developed strategic bombers where the Axis powers failed and  that, too, is made clear in Luftwaffe Over America.
1137974
Scholastic continues to produce educational books for kids that are good enough to even appeal to adults.  This is an excellent account of the Hindenburg that, fortunately, concentrates more on the airship in service than it does in the unfortunate tragedy that ended its life.  And as many photos as I've seen of the Hindenburg, there are even some here that I'd never seen!  Its only flaw is its age; it was published before the recent revelations that the aluminized dope used on the skin, not leaking hydrogen, may have been the real cause of the catastrophe.  Still, even if you're not "grade 3-7", you should appreciate this book.
3533096
This is an excellent book for those interested in aviation history.  David McCullough did an outstanding job researching this book.  His writing style speaks for itself.  Since my parents were both born in 1903, I am amazed at all that happened in their lifetimes - thanks to the Wright Brothers and their hard work.
3456537
This book focuses on one of the numerous World War One German squadrons of fighter aircraft. It provides in some very balanced and descriptive detail the exploits and fates of many pilots and their unique aircraft. I enjoyed reading not only the simple facts and figures about the unit and its personnel, but also the exciting personal accounts provided by the participants on both sides of the conflict. I appreciated in particular how much effort the author put into doing the research to accurately and objectively provide a narrative which brings to life events long forgotten and out of the public's mind. Also, the color plates are a wonderful part of the story of this brave and daring group of flyers. The plates should provide some building inspiration and incentive to modellers of Great War aircraft as the designs and markings are varied and pleasing to the eyes. The author and illustrator have added yet another great title to Osprey's amazing series of titles on military history; Bravo!
4578489
A splendidly detailed and well-written history of Oswald Boelcke placed in the context of the ground war and with a modern eye on the burgeoning concept of air superiority.