Wildcat: The F4F in World War II, 2nd Edition [Paperback]

Barrett Tillman (Author), Marion E. Carl (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2001

The dramatic study of the U.S. Navy's famous F4F fighter, from factory floor to action against the Axis powers.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Barrett Tillman has also written books on the Corsair, Crusader, and Dauntless Dive bomber.

Product Details

• Paperback: 223 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press; 2 edition (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557508194
• ISBN-13: 978-1557508195
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #970,628 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good history of the plane that held the line..., August 5, 2001

By 

William Barritt (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wildcat: The F4F in World War II, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

I personally have been fascinated by the history of the war in the Pacific. In particular, it is the carrier battles that have held my interest and fascination. Barrett Tillman provides an excellent account of the history of one of the most important naval fighters of all time. The F4F held the line against the superior Japanese A6M Zero until more advanced and capable fighters (the F4U and F6F) could be introduced to push the Japanese back across the Pacific Ocean. This book gives the details of the Wildcat's development and battle history, from Midway until the end of the war where it was serving on the escort carriers. This book is highly recommended!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well written, entertaining book for any WW II aircraft history buff, February 23, 2011

By 

Timothy C. Lee "car enthusiast" (Philippines) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wildcat: The F4F in World War II, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

The book is well written as are, in my opinion, all of the books I have read so far by Barrett Tillman. But most of you may already know this about the author if you are into WW II aircraft history books. It's both informative and entertaining and not just a run-of-the-mill narrative of the development and operational history of the aircraft, the F4F Wildcat. This comes as a pleasant surprise considering the other books I have read on the operational histories of WW II aircraft. Very good reading for any WW II aircraft history buff.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Operational Overview, November 8, 2009

By 

cpt matt (tanktown, DE) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Wildcat: The F4F in World War II, 2nd Edition (Paperback)

Barrett Tillman has written many books about the Pacific War and aviation in WW2. I have several of these books, which follow the same format - a very brief review of the history and development of the plane, followed by many narratives from the pilots who flew them.

That's ok, but the book gets boring after awhile, so and so shot down this plane on such a date, the Zeros jumped a formation of Wildcats on that date and such and such happened. If you want a nuts and bolts history of the F-4 Wildcat, look elsewhere. There are several pages of good black and white photographs but no line drawings.

Don't get me wrong - the F-4 Wildcat was very important to the US until it could get more modern designs in there such as the F-6 Hellcat or F4U Corsair. I just think there could be a better balance between the pilot's stories and the development of this warbird that gave great service in the Atlantic, Pacific and on escort carriers giving better than it got.