Customer Reviews

Allied Bombers 1939-45 (The Essential Aircraft Identification Guide)

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

 

 

Allied Bombers 1939-45 has many useful tables and illustrations and goes a ways toward helping me reach my goal of understanding the WWII air war in terms of major air engagements, raids, and types of aircraft engaged.

BUT - the book's advertised descripion overpromises what what the book delivers. E.g., "the definitive study of the equiment and organization of the Allies' bomber units throughout the war" and "describes the models of aircraft in service withwith each unit along with their individual squadron markings".

While what is provided is indeed very interesting, there are glaring omissions:
1. The air war in the Pacific and the CBI theaters - totally.
2. The bomber units of Poland, Denmark, Norway, and Greece.
3. The Italian Co-belligerent Air Force.

purchased book for my husband, it isn't exactly what he is looking for. not the sellers falult, but my won for not doing more research!

How do you write a book on allied bombers and totally neglect the B29? Not even the index at the back of the book lists the aircraft that won WW2 in the Pacific. Ironically there is an entry for Major Paul Tibbets who later became the Colonel Tibbets that dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan.
Many beautiful side views of most of the major bombers of the Second World War but there is also a total neglect of any top or bottom views.
This entire series of books could have been an excellent addition to any aviation enthusiast's collection but it appears to have been slapped together with an eye towards saving a few bucks rather than presenting any concise or original information. If you can get it cheap ($5?) then spend the money but otherwise pass it up.

Like its companion volume ALLIED FIGHTERS, Chris Chant's ALLIED BOMBERS is an uneven guide to its subject. While it too claims to be an "authoritative guide," in this case, to Allied bomber units, I beg to differ. Like its mate, it has strengths and weaknesses that result in a 3-star rating.

In brief: ALLIED BOMBERS has tons of color side-views; many have been recycled from previous Aerospace Publishing magazines and books. It covers French, Low Country, British, American and Russian bombers; several countries are left off and there's no coverage of PTO bombers. ALLIED BOMBERS sells for $19.95; its arrangement is scattershot. While ALLIED FIGHTERS stressed fighter units over general WWII fighter ops, ALLIED BOMBERS' emphasis is more on general bomber ops than units. The RAF section, for example, swings from RAF Bomber Command, 1936-45 to 1939/40 Nickel Raids, Night Bombing, the 16/17 December 1940 Mannheim raid, 1941-42 Ops, the 1,000-bomber raid and the Dambuster raid then switches to 2nd TAF!?!

Depending on your interests, ALLIED BOMBERS may be just what the doctor ordered but I had mixed feelings about it. I'd pass on it - and ALLIED FIGHTERS as well - but, since it's also priced at $19.95, it's your call, folks!

Like the similar 192-page volume on 'Allied Fighters' this book was never going to be a 'comprehensive' account of the subject, and especially when you consider that it mentions nothing at all from the massive Asia-Pacific theatre. Allied Pacific theatre aviation could easily be a book on its own!
Still, I find what it does have pretty useful for a quick-and-easy reference guide, and can see the benefits for the modellers too. Good value for money in my opinion, but not perfect by any means. If you want more than a mere summary on the subject, one would recommend dedicated volumes on the various allied air forces.

The book came in 3-5 days, super quick, and was in mint condition. My dad was so thrilled with my Christmas gifts (all war plane books)!!!