A new book in my library.

A Lot of Book in Just a Few Pages

Mr. Dildy hits one out the park. After looking at some of the titles he had published, I was afraid this was going to be another generalist's overview of the air war over Korea. I could not have been more wrong.

Overall this is an extraordinary book with a lot of history packed into relatively few pages. After subtracting the 11 pages of bibliography and footnotes, the 14 pages of color aircraft plates and the two color maps you end up with just over 50 pages of well written text that is supported by an incredible level of footnoting from an extensive bibliography that includes a few US technical reports, the usual mix of English language books and a very large number translated Russian books.

Although it's a bit bantam sized in terms of text the author covers the entire spectrum of the air war over Korea exceptionally well. You will find chapters covering fighter vs fighter, the night bombing, the North Korean Hecklers, etc. There is also fair amount of coverage given to the use of radar and GCI by both sides. Given the size of the book there are a few minor areas that catch short shrift such as the ROK Air Force. However, the writing covering the North Korean/Chinese/Russian politics and squadrons more than makes up for it.

Overall? Superlative book that only produced one little nit for me, on page 51 the author cites VMA-312 as averaging between 60-75 sorties per day while shipboard on a straight deck carrier with only 24 aircraft. Given the need to re-spot the aircraft before rearming and refueling, the need to perform maintenance, the need to leave station for underway replenishment while at sea, I find that number to be exceptionally high as a "daily sortie" rate. If it was a surge for a few days, that could make sense. Not as a sustained sortie rate.

The one nit aside, this is an extraordinary book for aviation history buff and modelers alike

Micdrow said:

Honestly Wayne, I love the series. I have all his books. They are expensive but to me well worth it for the info that's in them. Below is a link to there web page. Click on the book your interested in and it has 4 to 5 scans of different parts of the books you can read to get an idea on weather you are interested or not. To me they are like Priens books. Lots of info and lots of photos. I cant wait till he finishes the Sun Setters and Grimm Reapers. Please feel free to ask more questions on these and I would be happy to try and answer or scan a page or two.

International Historical Research Associates | Current Projects

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Thanks Paul, that is a great looking series......not cheap though based on the current exchange rate...

Picked this up in the discount section at Barnes & Noble, an American book chain mostly for the price. A good coffee table book I thought. Boy was I wrong. It consists almost entirely of large photographs and accompanying captions, which in and of itself is great, but it's the connection between the two that really wowed me. A nice portion of the captions relate the often sad events the future held for plane or crew or both. Juxtapose a smiling pilot with the fact that he would not finish the war. A B-29 flying the hump, later to be shot down in error by a Beaufighter. Paratroopers preparing the afternoon before D-day and being told 4 had less than 24 hours to live. A picture of 4 or 5 brand new Mossies and reading that only one survived the war... A book that graphically shows that cost of war in material and men. Pleasantly surprised.

Just arrived today, been waiting a month and a half for this book to arrive from over sea's and looks to be a great add on to the first book in the series. This one covers the paint jobs of 22 different countries that flew the B-25 Mitchell in foreign service during WWII and after WWII.

Not so much a new book in my library, but a pile of books out of my library, ready to go into the new bookcase.

Nice Terry. I will have to check out the pile closer when I get home

Thanks Paul. That's just one lot. from the main book shelves that were sagging under the weight. Some new (to me) and some I've had for nearly sixty years !

Airframes said:

Not so much a new book in my library, but a pile of books out of my library, ready to go into the new bookcase.


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Worked up a bit of a sweat moving that lot

I'm not surprised - there's around 200kg of books there.
I might have them back on the shelves by April !!!

Picked this up pretty cheap. Older book but interesting. Been slowly adding more on the RAAF

Its a great book Paul. Get Vol. 2 when you can

fubar57 said:

Its a great book Paul. Get Vol. 2 when you can

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Thanks George and will do

Interesting book that I have been looking for for a while. English and German. Thick pages = thick book. Included index below. Will try to update as I read through.

This book was previously recommended by someone here on the forum. (My apologies for not remembering who. I couldn't find it during a search. Please step-up and take credit for a solid recommendation.)

An excellent introduction to a series of aircraft that are now relatively unknown outside of the countries that flew them. (Everyone knows the Spitfire stopped at the Mk V) The author gives a good start by devoting one hundred pages describing testing and the various marks including enough tables to give the reader an idea of the performance bestowed upon the airframe by the new engine along with the problems created by it as well. However, if you are looking for more technical details you will be disappointed. The author did decide to cover the last vestiges of the Spitfire by covering the Spiteful and Seafang with 9 pages. That chapter covers the development very well for being so brief. By way of illustration, there are twenty-four pages of photographs, but be aware they have all been published elsewhere are pretty well known. If your seeking new photographs, look elsewhere.

Operational use gets excellent coverage basically being divided up into chapters covering the V-1 campaign, the 2nd TAF in Europe and a surprise section of sixteen pages of text plus a map covering the postwar use of the spitfire in Malaysia. The combat use of the Spitfire by the Egyptians and the Israelis also gets a brief nod when the post-war use of the Spitfire in the Middle-East is covered.

The book finishes up with four appendixes covering specifications, aces, V-1 "aces", losses and an index limited to flight personnel mentioned in the text.

Overall this is a solid non-technical story of the Griffon engine Spitfire's. As a stand-alone book, it's a solid 4-5-star effort for those disinclined to enjoy technical drawings or descriptions. It is an excellent companion volume to the Spitfire book by Morgan and Shacklady which is notoriously deficient in areas of Squadron use and operational history. This book proves the Spitfire didn't end with the Mk IX!

The lack of illustrations, color illustrations and unique pictures means this book is not recommended for modelers. Nor is it worthwhile for the heavily technically minded. It is however and excellent foil to the books that are heavily illustrated by virtue of its well written history of the development and use of the Griffon Spitfires. Strongly recommended as an introduction to the later marks of the Spitfire/Seafire and anyone interested in their operational use.

Did Caygill pass?

Some good purchases there Guys....