Mustanglimey
Airman
- 57
- Jun 28, 2020
Another couple I got a deal on.
A new book in my library. (6 Viewers)
- Thread starter Wayne Little
- Start date
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Mustanglimey
Airman
- 57
- Jun 28, 2020
Bought this at an auction.. too valuable for my bookcase unfortunately.
Been after a good one with dust cover, which is very good, protected with a cover now.
Been after a good one with dust cover, which is very good, protected with a cover now.
vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
Nice!
- Thread starter
- #7,766
Nice...!
Only this time it was in my mailbox, and I didn't include the note!
buffnut453
Captain
Bummer!
Straight out of the "box"and it has a war-weary and weathered appearance. You're going to make the modelers mad.
Accessible, Comprehensive and Enjoyable
This has been by far the most enjoyable book I've read this year and should be a cornerstone of any library covering the air war in Europe, WWII fighter development, the 8th Air Force, and so on.
It's also a seminal, must have book on the P-51 Mustang.
Reading through the acknowledgments, the author literally lists direct contributions of material and photographs from people who have been dead since the mid to late '90's which is the first clue of how deep this book dives into the Mustang.
The author writes very much in the style of Warren Bodie in that contemporary events are cleverly woven into the story as it progresses to allow the reader to understand the events and developments that were impacting on the development of the Merlin Mustang. This means the reader gets brief paragraphs on not only the RAF, but myriad other subjects from Wright Field to operations of the 8th and 15th Air Forces and of course what the Germans were up to.
This also includes brief discussion of the concurrent development of the P-51F and P-51D and other Mustang variants interspersed throughout the text. What that boils down to is that while the preponderance of material covers the "B" model Mustang, there's information here that covers military aviation and operations in the US and Europe from the 1930's up to and including the XP-51J Mustang. (Not listed in index, but mentioned on page 229 in respect to engine and fuselage fuel tank development.)
The appendices, bibliography, and footnoting also are particular standouts and worth spending some time with themselves. (Particularly the performance charts.) The are enough technical illustrations and data here to keep the technically minded satisfied as well.
The author will raise a few hackles in his treatment of Wright Field and his less than glowing coverage of the P-38 use by the 8th Air Force. (Interestingly enough a table in Appendix C on page 332 showing USSTAF fighter kills from 11/43 to 06/44 shows the P-38 in a much more complimentary light.)
There are a few nits, to pick. The RAF Specification is listed as F.18/29 instead of F.18/39. From an editing standpoint there's a few places where the text was revised without follow-up editing to remove the duplicate words later in the text.
Modelers will not be well served by this book. Nor, was this book intended for them.
This book is unequivocally recommended for Mustang enthusiasts and anyone interested in air operations during WWII. It is a must buy.
Lucky13
Forum Mascot
Since I managed to get my dirty mittens on a pair of Fokker Eindeckers....
Mustanglimey
Airman
- 57
- Jun 28, 2020
Got these for $75 minus dust covers.
Got one for Day fighters, now I'll get a regular book and use that on the Night fighters.
Got one for Day fighters, now I'll get a regular book and use that on the Night fighters.
Nice score!
Lucky13
Forum Mascot
The Mosquito and the Stuka recently arrived....
They're not bad these books!
They're not bad these books!
