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 →
The Men who flew the English Electric Lightning – Martin W. Bowman
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 →
Call-Sign Kluso – Rick Tollini
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 →
No Way Out – Steven R. Whitby
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 →
The Zeppelin Offensive – David Marks
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 →
Israeli Vipers – Amos Dor
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 →
Sukhoi Interceptors – Yefim Gordon & Dmitriy Komissarov
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 →
The B-25 in the Backyard – Wally Soplata
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 →
Fabled Fifteen – Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
Review by Stuart Forth. The Pacific theatre of the Second World War is not my normal area of interest and my knowledge of the battles and geography of the Pacific are patchy at best. However, on reading the blurb for Fabled Fifteen, I was intrigued to learn more about Carrier Air Group 15 and the amazing... Continue Reading →
TOPGUN – Brad Elward
Review by Takis Diakoumis. The Legends of Warfare series from Schiffer Publishing has continued to raise the bar on shorter form pictorial military histories through its Ground, Naval and Aviation studies. This latest one by Brad Elward covers the storied birth and evolution of the legendary US Navy Fighter Weapons School – TOPGUN. The story of TOPGUN... Continue Reading →