Sunday, August 15, 2010

Polikarpov I-15, I-16 and I-153 Aces (Aircraft of the Aces) (2010)


Mikhail Maslov's new book in Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces series is a welcome addition to the books about Soviet pilots. Especially interesting is the chapters about the Spanish Civil War, China and Nomonhan. The book includes many to me new memoires from Soviet pilots remembering flying the Polikarpov fighters. However there are some faults in it. For example the 'aces' listing in the end of the book doesn't correspond with the text and some of the dates on claims are strange (at least compared with my own research). It also a pity that the claims isn't checked at all against known losses and claims from the Finnish air force and the Luftwaffe. All-in-all however, it is still a book worth having and is another one that slowly tears away the fogs of propaganda and myths regarding the Soviet Unions involvement in the conflict in the 30's and 40's. Now we only waits for a book by one of the real experts to be available in English - I know they exist since I have a couple in Russian but this is a language that is too difficult to penetrate to get an understanding.


Rating: 7/10

Available from: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Polikarpov-I-15-I-16-I-153-Aircraft/dp/1846039819/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281900309&sr=1-2

Fiat CR.32 Aces of the Spanish Civil War (Aircraft of the Aces) (2010)


Alfredo Logoluso's long awaited book about the Italians and Spanish that flew Fiat CR.32s in the Spanish Civil War is finally here and it has been worth the wait. A very good book that covers an area that is very difficult to find information about in English. Well-written by an expert with much (to me) new information (which will force me to do many additions and some changes to my site...). The book also includes many new images in Osprey's well-known format. I rank this one as one of the best in the whole series (and this is book number 94 in the series). This book also shows that it's time for a new book about the air war of the Spanish Civil War that covers the whole conflict to replace Jesus Salas Larrazabal's 41-years old "Air War Over Spain", which is still the best available in English.
If you the slightest interested in the SCW or in Italian aces from both the SCW and WWII this one is a must!

Rating: 10/10

Available from: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fiat-CR-32-Spanish-Civil-Aircraft/dp/1846039835/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1281895521&sr=8-1

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Desert Prelude: Vol 1


We have received a wonderful review from Stone & Stone on Desert Prelude: Vol 1 - http://stonebooks.com/archives/100801.shtml