Israeli Fighter Aces [Hardcover]

Peter B. Mersky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1997

This is the first account of the individual experiences and backgrounds of what many people consider to be the most successful group of combat aviators of the post-World War II era. More than just a general history of the Israel Air Force, this book presents, in chronological order, specific personal recollections of these highly trained, highly motivated pilots: the cream of their small nation's society.

"Israeli Fighter Aces" recounts names, individual engagements, and individual claims with material never before seen in the West and only previously known to a small circle within the IAF. Never has such a wide window been opened on this unique and fascinating subject.

Peter Mersky is known for his books and magazines on the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aviation.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Voyageur Press (MN) (February 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883809150
• ISBN-13: 978-1883809157
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,036,189 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book on a little known air force., April 9, 1998

By 

Chris Banyai-Riepl ([e-mail]) (Washington State) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Israeli Fighter Aces (Hardcover)

One of the most effective air forces in the world has to belong to Israel. Fighting pretty much every day since its existance in 1948, the Israel Air Force has played a major part in protecting Israel from its Arab neighbors. This book tries to tell about those fighting men who obtained the status of ace in the Israel Air Force. What is surprising is that the first Israeli ace didn't obtain that until the 1967 war! From flying Spitfires and Avia S199s to Mirages and Phantoms to F-15s and Kfirs, this book takes you through all the conflicts with lots of first hand information. The text is superb, but the pictures are even better. Not one picture in this book has been censored, so all the markings are clearly visible. Some of those planes were quite colorful! Overall, I can highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in Middle Eastern air forces, or for someone who just wants to see what it was like to fly and fight with one of the best air forces in the world.

Chris Banyai-Riepl
Aviation What-Not

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Rare Collection of First-Hand Accounts, December 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Israeli Fighter Aces (Hardcover)

Israel's fighter pilots form a special elite, in a nation whose survival is owed to its men at arms. As such, free access to these national heroes is only rarely granted, which is what makes Peter Mersky's book such a special treasure. Together with "Israel's Best Defense" by Eliezer Cohen, and "No Margin for Error" by Ehud Yonai, Peter Mersky's "Israeli Fighter Aces" rounds out a trio of the best collection of books currently available on the Heyl HaAvir. All of these books pay heed to the fact that it is the men of the Israel Air Force, not the machines, that have made the Heyl HaAvir the premier air force of the jet age. But Peter Mersky has taken this axiom a step further, devoting his text almost exclusively to the first-hand accounts of the pilots. Although not as well rounded as the other two volumes mentioned above, Mersky's approach provides for a collection of first-hand battlefield accounts that is unequaled.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Astonishing, January 17, 2001

By 

Rene Armando Giron Amaya (San Salvador, El Salvador) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Israeli Fighter Aces (Hardcover)

For a aviation history fan, this book is a MOST WANTED ITEM, certanly reveled some stories of only found in web pages without any autor; It focus in fighter pilots, their experiences and oppinions, interesting is the part of the early days

Its easy to read, but certanly needs more photos, specially in color and more photos of the victims

I hope that Peter B. Mersky write another one focus in atack aircraft or special misions

Well done