Customer Reviews

Pride of Seattle: The Story of the First 300 B-17Fs - Aircraft Specials series (6074)

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From the mid-1960s to the late 1990s, Australian author Steve Birdsall produced a number of first-rate aviation history titles such as FLYING BUCCANEERS, LOG OF THE LIBERATORS, CLAIMS TO FAME: THE B-17 FLYING FORTRESS and SAGA OF THE SUPERFORTRESS. Though he wrote about various military aircraft, the B-17 seemed to be his favorite. PRIDE OF SEATTLE, a Squadron/Signal book from 1998, is yet another volume on the B-17 but one with a somewhat novel focus. Birdsall's book concentrates at the combat careers of just the first 300 B-17F models built by Boeing.

Almost all of the F models were sent overseas, serving in the ETO, MTO and PTO. PRIDE OF SEATTLE first describes those Fs kept stateside or delivered to the RAF then looks at PTO, MTO and ETO Fortresses. Within each section Birdsall lists the aircraft by serial number and then summarizes its combat career. Though most of the summaries are just a few sentences long, others run to almost a full page.

Many of the F models covered in the book - 'Memphis Belle,' 'Cap'n & The Kids,' 'Hell's Angels,' 'All American,' 'Knock Out Dropper' - were legends in their own times. Leafing through PRIDE OF SEATTLE makes for fascinating reading!

Birdsall includes over 120 photographs in the book, many being close-up views of nose art. Don Greer contributes eight pages of side-profiles depicting 'We the People,' 'Little Audrey,' 'Black Jack,' 'Red Gremlin' and other Forts in all their glory.

All in all, PRIDE OF SEATTLE is a lovely package - and tribute - to the B-17F and its crews that made history 'way back when.' Recommended.

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Apparently PRIDE OF SEATTLE was Birdsall's last book. If so: 'Thanks Mate' for all the great books you wrote!