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Book & Multimedia Reviews
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American Combat Aircraft Of The 20th Century
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Written by: Ray Wagner
Type: 758 page hard cover
Publisher: Jack Bacon & company; 1 edition (August 2004)
ISBN-13: 978-0930083175
Rating:
 
Most visitors to this family of sites will have at least one Aircraft encyclopedia in there collection. A glance at the WRG library wall reveals that I do indeed have one... and five more. When chosing a book to review for the Warbirds Resource Group I look for a book that is informative, interesting, potentially useful in our visitors research or personal education and stand out from the huge number of aviation books available to the reader. Aviation Encyclopedias often achieve the first three criteria but rarely have any unique qualities to make them stand apart from the numerous other volumes available. So when a copy of American Combat Planes Of The 20th Century by Ray Wagner showed up in my mail box for review I was less than thrilled at the prospect of looking through another encyclopedia with the same data, the same pictures and the same overall information as all the rest. Fortunately I was pleasantly surprised.
American Combat Planes Of The 20th Century proved to be one of the most comprehensive volumes on American aircraft I have read. It is a rare thing for a book or information source to reveal an aircraft I had never even heard of and this book revealed half a dozen. The layout in unorthodox and takes a bit getting used to but once you figure it out it is quite interesting. Each entry has some basic stats and a blurb about the aircraft and often pictures illustrating each variant. Obviously the more mainstream and common aircraft have far more coverage than the experimental or one of aircraft, that is to be expected. But the shear number of unique and oddball aircraft represented here is impressive and represents hours of reading and a jumping off point for internet searches.
The book itself is a monster, being 11.1 x 8.4 x 1.6 inches and is quite hefty at 5.6 pounds. It sports 1700 pictures over 758 pages and covers the earliest American aircraft to the latest jets. The arrangement is roughly chronological and the the aircraft are grouped according to purpose and role. If you are looking for comprehensive knowledge on a specific aircraft then you might want to consider looking elsewhere. But if you want a base knowledge of all the American combat aircraft then this volume is a highly recommended addition to any warbird enthusiasts library.
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Spitfire Wingman from Tennessee
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Written by: James R. Haun, James Haun Jr. (Editor).
Type: 217 page perfect paperback
Publisher: Stormwatch Press
ISBN-13: 978-0979000201
Internet: http://spitfirewingman.com
Rating:
I was pleasantly surprised by this book and found myself unable to put it down. The life of Colonel James Haun is not your typical life of a World War II veteran and includes quite a few "adventures" before he even entered the military. His military career is unorthodox to say the least but is a good example of what the right man with the right spirit can do regardless of what the systems says he can do. this book is highly recommended and is quite different from any other memoirs I have ever read, positively so!
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THE SWAMP GHOST
By Justin R. Taylan
TYPE: DVD
www.TheSwampGhost.com
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Rating:
This is the second project by Justin Taylan that we have reviewed and I must say he has continued the trend of producing interesting and informative media products. The Swamp Ghost is legendary among warbird enthusiasts and is obviously a subject involving much passion for Justin. This DVD documents the history of B-17 41-2446 from production to today and includes fascinating interviews with the surviving crew members. After establishing the history of this mysterious aircraft, Justin and his team visit the crash site and explore the aircraft, paying homage to the aircraft and the men who served aboard her.
As fascinating as this is there is a section that is truly interesting in
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giving you a detailed "tour" of the wreckage. This is also the only blemish on the otherwise brilliant DVD. The navigation graphics were not quite up to what I would expect in a "produced" DVD. However this is a minor aesthetic glitch and doesn't really effect the experience or the information provided.
While not as polished as some higher end productions, I find that that is a minor issue on an otherwise fine DVD. If you love B-17's, wreck archeology or just aviation history then this will make a fine addition to your library.
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Battle Of Britain
ISBN -
TYPE: DVD
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Movie Rating:
DVD Rating:
This is one of the best aviation movies ever made and it's finally available on DVD. The quality of the movie is excellent, and the transition to the DVD format is clean. There are no special features aside from the original theatrical trailer. This is somewhat disappointing but not unexpected from a movie of this age. This is a must have DVD for any aviation enthusiast.
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Hunting Warbirds
The Obsessive Quest for the
Lost Aircraft of World War II
By Carl Hoffman
Published By Ballantine Books
ISBN 0-345-43617-2
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Rating:
This fascinating book deals with the recovery of warbirds in general and the failed recovery attempt of the B-29 known as Kee Bird in particular. It is great reading and provides an insight into the motivations of the various individuals involved in preserving these nearly extinct airframes.
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JG 26-Top Guns Of The
Luftwaffe
By Donald L. Caldwell
ISBN -
TYPE: Paperback book
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Rating:
This book is a fairly interesting book to read. It's gives a perspective
to the technology that is sometimes lost when looking only at the machinery and
not the men who flew these aircraft into combat. Jg 26 chronicles the
exsistance of one of Germany's most successful fighter squadrons. It's coverage
is complete although there are some minor inconsistancies with the aircraft
described in it. But that is my only critism of this fine book.
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GUIDE TO OVER 900 AIRCRAFT MUSEUMS
USA & CANADA - 21st Edition
By Michael A. Blaugher
ISBN 0-9640 128-9-8
TYPE: Paperback book
CONTACT: www.aircraftmuseums.com
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Rating:
This 184 page guide is quite extensive and provides the reader with ample information on aircraft museums located in the US & Canada. The guide is broken up into several sections, most notable are the listing of museums by state an a seperate section listing aircraft by type. This allows you to fin what your looking for fairly easily. There are also section dealing with individually displayed aircraft, Ship Museums that display aircraft, and WWII landmarks.
If you plan on visiting a variety of museums in the US or Canada then this guide is a must have item.
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PACIFIC GHOSTS
PEARL HARBOR HALF CENTURY RETROSPECTIVE
By Justin R. Taylan & Michael J. Claringbould
ISBN 1-885240-05-8
TYPE: CD-ROM (Windows & MAC OS)
www.pacificghosts.com
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Rating:
I was quite pleasantly surprised after recieving this CD-ROM for review. They was no installation or requirements for strange drivers, you just slipped it into the drive and it works. This is the way it should be done. I want to see the content not fiddle with settings.
The content is excellent and presented in a very intuitive way that allows you to explore the CD in the truest sense. Almost every section has a sub-sections that covers a particular tidbit of information with additional historic pictures to give you a feel for the subject. The audio commentary, which is present in quite a few of the still pictures, is informative and interesting. The video, while for the most part lacking commentary, is interesting and gives you a sense of going along with these explorers.
The only flaw I have seen with this presentation is that the audio is a bit abrupt in starting. But this is a minor inconvenience.
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In conclusion, I was very impressed with the content and production quality of this disc and would highly recomend
it to anyone interested in World War II era wrecks or Pearl Harbor in general. Well worth the $26.50 price.
HORRIDO! Fighter Aces Of The
Luftwaffe
By Trevor J. Constable And Col. Raymond F. Toliver
Published By The MacMillan Company, 1968
I found this book to be one of the most fascinating books about
Germany's aces that I have read. Although out of print, I recommend searching
your local library for it. I understand an updated version has been released
and I will most assuredly acquire this book soon.
FIGHTER: The True Story Of The Battle Of
Britain
By Len Deighton
Published By Alfred A. Knoff, Inc. © 1977
I found this book to be very interesting to read. The information on the
aircraft, organization, and men involved in the Battle of Britain, while not
comprehensive, can certainly be educational.
JV44 - The Galland Circus
By Robert Forsyth with Eddie Creek & Arthur Bentley.
This 356 page book containing 350 photos, 15 colour sections and supporting
technical data, an Introduction by the late Gen.Adolf Galland and a Foreword by
Gen.Walter Krupinski, is an absolute must for Luftwaffe enthusiasts. With the
aid of interviews, documentary and photo contributions from former members, the
author follows the history of this unit from its beginnings in February 1945 to
its surrender in May 1945.
Published by Classic Publications in the UK it costs approx. $US70.00 +
p&p. Any list members interested in obtaining more information about this
book can contact Classic by fax/phone at the following numbers (prefixed by
your local code for the UK of course), 1892529066 or 111444257070
Review By Dave Wadman
Green Hearts - First in Combat with the Dora
9
by Axel Urbanke
published by Eagle Editions
ISBN 0-9660706-0-7
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Hot off the press, this new publication chronicles the complete story of
the men and machines serving with III./JG54 and JG26 as they united in defense
of the Reich in 1944-45. Consisting of 360 pages, over 250 photographs and
including 10 fold out colour profiles the book draws on the day to day combat
experiences of the pilots serving with these units. Comprehensive loss lists,
personnel lists and maps help complete this fascinating study.
During the late phase of WW2 III./JG54 was the first Luftwaffe unit to be
supplied with the new Fw190D-9 "Dora". After training, these D-9's
were used in base defense missions for the Me262's serving with Kommando
Nowotny as well as against Allied fighters and fighter bombers in the west. The
book is spilt into 16 chapters which detail:
- Withdrawal from the Invasion Front in France
- Rest and Refit in Germany
- 9. and 12./JG54 Airfield Cover for Kommando Nowotny
- Training Missions of 10. and 11./JG54
- Defensive Missions in the West by III./JG54
- Operation Bodenplatte
- Defensive Missions in the West by III./JG54
- Operations by Kommando Babenhausen in Rhine-Main Area
- Operations by III./JG54 over Northwestern Germany
- Final Missions as III./JG54
- Defensive Missions in the West as IV./JG26
- Joint Missions with I. and II./JG26 in the West
- Operations by IV./JG26 until disbandment
- Former Pilots of IV./JG26 in service with I. and II./JG26 in the West and
East
- The End in Schleswig-Holstein
- Hour Zero
Appendix also cover Loss Lists, Victory Lists, List of Unit Commanders,
Staffel Colours and Gruppe Symbols and Copies of Log Book Entries.
Although this book only arrived a couple of days ago, I have flicked from
cover to cover and can only say that I am very impressed with what has been
produced. The b/w photograph reproduction is excellent, with many new and
previously unpublished pictures being included for the first time. Also, the
fold out colour plates by Jerry Crandall and Thomas A Tullis give an invaluable
insight into late war camouflage and markings.
It never ceases to amaze me that detailed accounts such as this can still
be produced even though memories and survivors of this conflict get fewer and
fewer as the years pass by. This book should therefore become an invaluable
part of any serious Luftwaffe enthusiast.
Review By Peter Evans
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