Customer Reviews

B-52 Stratofortress (General Aviation)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is arguably the best book overall on the US Air Force's B-52 heavy bomber covering it's first 40 years, i.e. up to 1995. The B-52 has seen much action in Bosnia and Afghanistan since this book's publishing in 1995, so be aware of this if you are looking for the most recent chapters in the life of this venerable warhorse. Robert Dorr's excellent writing combined with Lindsay Peacock's fascination with the aircraft of the now defunct Strategic Air Command make this book a necessary purchase for all people who have been associated with or are interested in Boeing's bomber masterpiece. Walter Boyne's (a former B-52 pilot) 144-page "Boeing B-52: A Documentary History" first completed in 1981 is also an excellent book but, more for the serious historian or former crew-members due to it's in-depth discussions on equipment and tactics. "B-52 Stratofortress" totals 229 pages and covers a broader range of topics with only slightly less depth. The readability is excellent even to those not intimately familiar with "B-52ese" and/or Air Force acronyms. Chapters include development of the B-52, nuclear bomb tests in the Pacific, technical features, newer models, ground alert operations, weapons, B-52s in combat in VietNam, action in Desert Storm, and aircraft/unit attrition up to 1994. Also included are nine separate appendices covering 39 pages listing each model's specifications, production details, variants, unit usage of each aircraft, B-52 usage of each wing and squadron, base assignments, modifications on each model, a cutaway drawing of a B-52G, individual aircraft distribution of the B-52 fleet in 1964, unit distribution over the years, individual aircraft losses, and details on aircraft consigned to storage. A tremendous variety of excellent photos with informative captions are used showing most every aspect of the "BUFF" in use. Of particular interest to the laymen or Carswell AFB veteran is a chapter describing a low level mission one of the authors got to fly in a B-52H out of Carswell in early 1991.

If you are fascinated by B-52s, this is the book for you... It is not a "general" coffee-table book for the "general" public, though. There is no war-mongering in this book either. It is an excellent survey of a remarkably versatile aircraft.

I found this book to outstanding.This book is full of memories of my life at Castle afb,ca. 1981-1984.

I really enjoyed this book! It was very well written and the photos are also great. I remember my time in the Air Force and this book really was accurate.

This book gives you an extensive history about the B-52 along with a great number of photos. The best part is the listing of aircraft assigned to each SAC wing! Brings back a lot of memories of my days in SAC. JCM