B-52 Stratofortress (General Aviation) (Hardcover)

~ Robert Dorr (Author) "GO TO ANY AIRPORT IN THE WORLD and ask any member of the travelling public to name an aircraft manufacturer and the chances are you'll..." (more)
Key Phrases: bomb wing, main undercarriage units, radar navigator, Air Force, Hound Dog, South Vietnam (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

An icon of the Cold War, Boeing's mighty B-52 is undoubtedly the most famous jet bomber ever built, having served now for almost 40 years. The last in the line of Boeing "heavies", the Stratofortress has gone on to break all records for longevity, firstly with Strategic Air Command, and more recently with Air Combat Command. Built to wage war against America's communist foes across a truly global battle field, the B-52, rather ironically, has only seen action in "isolated" engagements, firstly over the jungles of Vietnam and then two decades later during the brief "Desert Storm" campaign.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (July 17, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855324520
• ISBN-13: 978-1855324527
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,094,142 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big Useful Fact Filled Book, December 29, 2001

By	Erik J. Fortmeyer "beerisjoy" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: B-52 Stratofortress (General Aviation) (Paperback)

This book is arguably the best book overall on the US Air Force's B-52 heavy bomber covering it's first 40 years, i.e. up to 1995. The B-52 has seen much action in Bosnia and Afghanistan since this book's publishing in 1995, so be aware of this if you are looking for the most recent chapters in the life of this venerable warhorse. Robert Dorr's excellent writing combined with Lindsay Peacock's fascination with the aircraft of the now defunct Strategic Air Command make this book a necessary purchase for all people who have been associated with or are interested in Boeing's bomber masterpiece. Walter Boyne's (a former B-52 pilot) 144-page "Boeing B-52: A Documentary History" first completed in 1981 is also an excellent book but, more for the serious historian or former crew-members due to it's in-depth discussions on equipment and tactics. "B-52 Stratofortress" totals 229 pages and covers a broader range of topics with only slightly less depth. The readability is excellent even to those not intimately familiar with "B-52ese" and/or Air Force acronyms. Chapters include development of the B-52, nuclear bomb tests in the Pacific, technical features, newer models, ground alert operations, weapons, B-52s in combat in VietNam, action in Desert Storm, and aircraft/unit attrition up to 1994. Also included are nine separate appendices covering 39 pages listing each model's specifications, production details, variants, unit usage of each aircraft, B-52 usage of each wing and squadron, base assignments, modifications on each model, a cutaway drawing of a B-52G, individual aircraft distribution of the B-52 fleet in 1964, unit distribution over the years, individual aircraft losses, and details on aircraft consigned to storage. A tremendous variety of excellent photos with informative captions are used showing most every aspect of the "BUFF" in use. Of particular interest to the laymen or Carswell AFB veteran is a chapter describing a low level mission one of the authors got to fly in a B-52H out of Carswell in early 1991.

If you are fascinated by B-52s, this is the book for you... It is not a "general" coffee-table book for the "general" public, though. There is no war-mongering in this book either. It is an excellent survey of a remarkably versatile aircraft.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good introduction to a classic strategic bomber., June 15, 2000

By	Dilip Susruta Samarasinghe (Colombo, Sri Lanka) - See all my reviews

This review is from: B-52 Stratofortress (Combat Aircraft Series) (Paperback)

This is a well-presented and useful introduction to anyone interested in the B-52 bomber. Its only drawback in my view is that being printed before recent crises such as the 1991 Gulf War and the 1999 Kosovo crisis, the action of B-52s in recent years are not featured. But if not I liked this book, its text as well as the excellent photographs. line drawings and colour plates.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars bring back memories!!, November 6, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: B-52 Stratofortress (General Aviation) (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book! It was very well written and the photos are also great. I remember my time in the Air Force and this book really was accurate.