| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Tadpole dressed up to look like a Shark.,
By Ned Middleton (British professional underwater photo-journalist & author) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)
This review is from: The Raf at War (Epic of Flight) (Hardcover)
Time Life books have a reputation for being thorough and, generally speaking cover the subject (whatever that subject might be) as completely as one might hope to find. They do, however, lack passion and if an author (or authors!) cannot get passionate about the subject of aircraft during WW2, then one wonders whether or not such people possess a soul.
In 1934, the RAF was a little more than a gentleman's flying club with as few as 30,000 personnel - most of whom were employed to keep those privileged minority of pilots airborne. It was, however, at this time that Churchill warned parliament about the threat posed by the ever-growing German air force (the Luftwaffe). Despite subsequent measures to keep pace with German aircraft production and pilot numbers, by 1939, when war finally arrived, the RAF had increased in size to 118,000 personnel - whereas the Luftwaffe was 500,000 strong. This is one of a series of books under the title of "Epic Flight." In this instance Time Life have reduced the RAF's role in WW2 to 5 segments (or chapters) which are headed; 1. The first taste of combat: A bitter surprise, 2. The battle for survival, 3. Striking back with bombs, 4. Defending the Empire's distant skies and 5. A winged thrust at the heart of the Reich. Not exactly how anyone else would have divided that War with it's poor start and final victory. The book itself is approx A4 size with hard cover and contains 171 pages plus bibliography and index. When I say "approx" A4 size - it is actually a little shorter and a little wider than that familiar format and that width is important when considering my next point. Many pages contain text in a vertical column covering the right or left hand two thirds of the page with the remaining third left blank. On the 9 occasions (pages 28/29 and 36/37 to name but two) where the reader is confronted by no images at all, the inside third of "both" pages are simply blank. As I have just suggested, an image of some description greets the reader at all but 9 of the book's double-page spreads. Many of the images, however, especially, for example, the blurred images of aerial combat, are afforded a double page spread when a quarter page - or even less, was sufficient. This is especially so with the double page spread of distant parachutes falling (pages 166/167). In other words, with a subject as wide-ranging and as well documented as the RAF during World War Two, Time Life have confined that subject to 171 pages - although the book doesn't actually commence until page 6 and even then the content is padded out with huge gaps and over-enlarged pictures. Altogether, I found the equivalent of 60 pages where one third of the page was blank and a further 65 pages which were occupied by only photographs or illustrations. Taking these simple factors into consideration, there really isn't much room left to tell the central story at all. I don't know how many words are used in the actual text but, quite frankly, there are insufficient to do justice to a subject which is far more complex than portrayed here. Add to that, my aforementioned lack of passion for a passionate subject and you are left with a very mundane product which is no more than a Tadpole dressed up to look like a Shark. My overall view is one of an inferior product which leaves me very disappointed. This is not what I have come to expect from Time Life. Consequently, I am now reviewing my own perception of this particular publisher which I had always regarded as rather prestigious. It seems that perception may have been incorrect. NM
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Tadpole dressed up to look like a Shark.,
By Ned Middleton (British professional underwater photo-journalist & author) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) In 1934, the RAF was a little more than a gentleman's flying club with as few as 30,000 personnel - most of whom were employed to keep those privileged minority of pilots airborne. It was, however, at this time that Churchill warned parliament about the threat posed by the ever-growing German air force (the Luftwaffe). Despite subsequent measures to keep pace with German aircraft production and pilot numbers, by 1939, when war finally arrived, the RAF had increased in size to 118,000 personnel - whereas the Luftwaffe was 500,000 strong. This is one of a series of books under the title of "Epic Flight." In this instance Time Life have reduced the RAF's role in WW2 to 5 segments (or chapters) which are headed; 1. The first taste of combat: A bitter surprise, 2. The battle for survival, 3. Striking back with bombs, 4. Defending the Empire's distant skies and 5. A winged thrust at the heart of the Reich. Not exactly how anyone else would have divided that War with it's poor start and final victory. The book itself is approx A4 size with hard cover and contains 171 pages plus bibliography and index. When I say "approx" A4 size - it is actually a little shorter and a little wider than that familiar format and that width is important when considering my next point. Many pages contain text in a vertical column covering the right or left hand two thirds of the page with the remaining third left blank. On the 9 occasions (pages 28/29 and 36/37 to name but two) where the reader is confronted by no images at all, the inside third of "both" pages are simply blank. As I have just suggested, an image of some description greets the reader at all but 9 of the book's double-page spreads. Many of the images, however, especially, for example, the blurred images of aerial combat, are afforded a double page spread when a quarter page - or even less, was sufficient. This is especially so with the double page spread of distant parachutes falling (pages 166/167). In other words, with a subject as wide-ranging and as well documented as the RAF during World War Two, Time Life have confined that subject to 171 pages - although the book doesn't actually commence until page 6 and even then the content is padded out with huge gaps and over-enlarged pictures. Altogether, I found the equivalent of 60 pages where one third of the page was blank and a further 65 pages which were occupied by only photographs or illustrations. Taking these simple factors into consideration, there really isn't much room left to tell the central story at all. I don't know how many words are used in the actual text but, quite frankly, there are insufficient to do justice to a subject which is far more complex than portrayed here. Add to that, my aforementioned lack of passion for a passionate subject and you are left with a very mundane product which is no more than a Tadpole dressed up to look like a Shark. My overall view is one of an inferior product which leaves me very disappointed. This is not what I have come to expect from Time Life. Consequently, I am now reviewing my own perception of this particular publisher which I had always regarded as rather prestigious. It seems that perception may have been incorrect. NM
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
