Reviews of books from the world of aviation. If you're an airhead, and are looking for your next read, you will find it here.
Review by Takis Diakoumis. When this latest epic volume from Schiffer and Brad Elward arrived, I was absolutely stunned. Weighing in at almost 700 pages, this massive book is without doubt the most comprehensive publicly available study of the US Navy’s TOPGUN program I have ever had the pleasure to read. Schiffer Military books have... Continue Reading →
Review by Andrew Kitney. Working in the airlines for more years than I’m prepared to admit, I’ve always been interested in the history of the airline world from its start, growth and development into what we see today. Of course, prior to the widespread development of airfields and airports with their hard runways, the only... Continue Reading →
Review by Simon Jakubowski. It’s an established fact now that Harpia Publishing are world leaders in what they produce: detailed, well written, in-depth analyses of air power from around the world, offering readers trusted and factual material. I may be wrong, of course, and you’re free to argue that statement but, from what I’ve experienced... Continue Reading →
Review by Stuart Forth. The Spitfire, Lancaster and Vulcan are all legendary British aircraft and, as such, have copious amounts of books written about them. The same is true for that icon of Cold War aviation, the English Electric Lightning. Quite rightly, the people who flew, serviced or just witnessed this fire-breathing thoroughbred firsthand wax... Continue Reading →
Review by Takis Diakoumis. It's sometimes hard to imagine the making of a fighter pilot, at least for someone like myself who has been in quiet awe of anyone who’s had the tenacity and aptitude to have those precious wings pinned to their chest. I would spy them at airshows as a child and into... Continue Reading →
Review by Nicholas A. Veronico. For more than sixty years, the human drama of a B-24 bomber and its crew that played out in the Libyan desert in 1943 has captivated people the world over. The 1958 discovery of an abandoned World War II B-24 Liberator, sitting on a desert plain more than 400 miles... Continue Reading →
Review by Brett Holman. Even though the age of airships has long passed, they still exert an unparalleled grip on the popular imagination, appearing in science fiction as an easily-understood signifier of history taking a wrong turn somewhere, or in tech media as a temptingly slow-but-luxurious form of air travel that always seems just out... Continue Reading →
Review by Takis Diakoumis. Approaching 5000 deliveries, the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon will remain one of the most successful fighter aircraft projects of all time. It was originally developed as a highly manoeuvrable, lightweight multi-role aircraft addressing many of the lessons of the air war over Vietnam. The fourth-generation F-16 was the first ‘Electric... Continue Reading →
Review by Takis Diakoumis. For more than eighty years Pavel Sukhoi and his design bureau has been at the cutting edge of Soviet and, later, Russian aviation. While the continued evolution and success of the more recent Flanker fighter aircraft from Sukhoi has elevated the bureau to the top of the Russian group among the... Continue Reading →
Review by Nicholas A. Veronico. Most warbird enthusiasts will know the name Walter Soplata. He’s known for a secretive aircraft collection in the woods outside of Cleveland, Ohio, and not just any aircraft collection, but some of the rarest and most historic aircraft in certain aviation circles. Nothing was for sale at Soplata’s place, but... Continue Reading →
Flight Line Book Review 