DC-3: A Legend in Her Time: A 75th Anniversary Photographic Tribute [Hardcover]

Bruce McAllister (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2010

Documenting the legacy of this beloved aircraft, this comprehensive photographic history celebrates the 75th anniversary of the DC-3. First appearing during the golden age of aviation in the 1930s, the versatile Douglas DC-3 has been used in numerous situations from the Berlin Airlift to Vietnam and has outlasted every other commercial aircraft in the world. Offering insight into why the DC-3 has outlived its contemporaries, this homage also discusses what role this aircraft plays today, such as how updated turboprop versions are used in polar research missions, firefighting, and military operations.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bruce McAllister is a writer, photographer, publisher, and pilot with more than 5,100 hours of flight time. His previous works include Vagabonds of the Sky, Wings Above the Arctic, Wings Across America, Wings Over Denali, Wings Over The Alaska Highway, and Wings Over The Yukon. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Roundup Press (April 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0615228771
• ISBN-13: 978-0615228778
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 11.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #605,601 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite aircraft, February 14, 2010

By 

Stephan Wilkinson (Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: DC-3: A Legend in Her Time: A 75th Anniversary Photographic Tribute (Hardcover)

As a DC-3 enthusiast and occasional pilot--once even copiloting with the late, great Ernest K. Gann, the finest aviation writer ever to two-block a fistful of throttles--I thought I'd seen every Doug Racer snap ever shot. Yet there are maybe two photos among the 250-odd in this wonderful book that I've ever seen before, and some of them are priceless. (My personal favorite is the conga line of eight American Airlines DC-3 crewmembers and dressed-to-the-nines lady passengers, the captain and copilot obviously wondering why they'd ever agreed to pose for this classic publicity shot.)
That Bruce McAllister has a photographer's eye--not surprising, since that was his day job--is obvious in the selection and layout of the photos in this book, and that he's a highly experienced aviator, bush pilot and airplane owner is made clear in the text and captions that he's written. His book covers not just DC-3 airliners but every military version from the earliest C-47/Dakotas to the Vietnam AC-47 gunships, from the Soviet Li-1 copy to the most recent Basler BT-67 turboprop conversions.
This is a high-quality coffeetable hardcover that should be enjoyed not only by pilots and aviation buffs but by anybody who appreciates industrial design in its finest form.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfect Gift for Any Aviator..., February 16, 2010

By 

R. Thompson - See all my reviews
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This review is from: DC-3: A Legend in Her Time: A 75th Anniversary Photographic Tribute (Hardcover)

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking: Please fasten your seat belts. Once you crack this book open, you won't be able to stop turning the 250 pages of incredible photography. This book had me flying all over the world. From the South Pole to Siberia to Stuttgart, this ship has seen it all and this book put's you right there. It's one adventure after another, carefully organized and narrated by a world class pilot and historian.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm No Aircraft Geek, But..., February 21, 2010

By 

C. P. Herrmann (Longmont, CO United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: DC-3: A Legend in Her Time: A 75th Anniversary Photographic Tribute (Hardcover)

This book is chock full of photos that are excellent and show the DC-3 and its variations in an incredibly diverse number of settings and uses. Pilot/photographer McAllister has assembled photographs that cover the history of the venerable Douglas aircraft in commercial passenger and freight roles, all over the world. It appears as a military aircraft in photos from World War II, the Korean Conflict and in Vietnam. There are many pictures of DC-3s in frigid polar settings - Arctic and Antarctic. The text, in deference to the photos, is brief and informative with solid historical documentation of the evolution of the aircraft in various applications. There are wonderful anecdotes that made me smile. The photos range from artistic shots that will have you staring at them for their beauty to historical photos that will take you back in time, remembering historical events. McAllister employs photos with people in them which brings a liveliness and intimacy to the story. This is a terrific coffee table book for the aviation enthusiast, for anyone who loves good photography and for 20th century history buffs. After reading it, one wonders if the growth of aviation would have been nearly as swift without the DC-3.