Customer Reviews

Bomber Missions: Aviation Art of World War II

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One word can describe this book......AMAZING!.....This book has great art work of american, british, german, and japanese bomber planes, and some fighters. Most of the illustrations were based on actual events which took place in the air, and the illustrations make those events come alive. This book was definitely worth the price, and i would recomend it to any war buff, plane buff, or artist........either way, its a great book to have.

This book echos the one liner "Fighter pilots make movies, bomber pilots make history."

Seldom do the pilots who made the history have the gift of communicating it to us through art, but Pacific B-17 pilot Paul Eckley's watercolor "Mareeba Maintenance" does just that.

The book serves as a tribute to the bomber aircrews of many nations who fought in WWII. The artwork is excellent. There is not a single mediocre painting reproduced in the book. I own other aviation art books that I cannot say that about... The selections show a variety of styles from a variety of artists. Far more than a collection of "airplane portraits" these paintings showcase aviation art as serious fine art, from landscapes and seascapes to compelling character studies. Among the the treats are the otherwise unpublished works that appear in this book- such as Bill Phillips' Martin B-26 Marauder "Flak Bait".

The text is entertaining and overall, acceptable. As others have already noted, the occasional small errors tend toward the obvious. It is unfortunate that no one noticed that precisely rendered Douglas A-26 Invaders were identified as A-20 Havocs in the manuscript. This is a small disappointment, and should not discourage you from enjoying the book.

For me "Bomber Missions" is an affordable way to enjoy some of the best bomber art ever produced. Paintings demand to be hung, prints insist on being framed, but the aviation art published in books rests comfortably on the shelf, ready to be enjoyed.

Last but not least, far too little mention has been made of the fact this book serves as the companion volume to "Flying Aces" containing WWII fighter aviation art. If you liked one, chances are you'll want the other.