Air forces and warfare Books

2082 products


  • paddlesthefoiblesandfinesseofoneworldwariilandings

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd paddlesthefoiblesandfinesseofoneworldwariilandings

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    3 in stock

    £19.54

  • The Nieuport 28

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd The Nieuport 28

    15 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    15 in stock

    £46.74

  • themesserschmittbf109

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd themesserschmittbf109

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    3 in stock

    £9.49

  • Dornier Do 335

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd Dornier Do 335

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    3 in stock

    £9.49

  • The JG 7

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd The JG 7

    15 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    15 in stock

    £25.59

  • German Fighter Ace HansJoachim Marseille

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd German Fighter Ace HansJoachim Marseille

    15 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    15 in stock

    £39.09

  • Martin B57 Canberra

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd Martin B57 Canberra

    15 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    15 in stock

    £34.84

  • McDonnellDouglas F15 Eagle Schiffer

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd McDonnellDouglas F15 Eagle Schiffer

    15 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    15 in stock

    £16.14

  • Messerschmitt BF 109 GK Luftwaffe Profile S

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd Messerschmitt BF 109 GK Luftwaffe Profile S

    15 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    15 in stock

    £12.59

  • The Luftwaffe Profile Series Number 3 003 Heinkel

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd The Luftwaffe Profile Series Number 3 003 Heinkel

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    3 in stock

    £12.59

  • Battler Britton: War Picture Library

    Rebellion Publishing Ltd. Battler Britton: War Picture Library

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisTwo stories of soaring combat as the master of Euro comics, Hugo Pratt, meets the classic comic book air ace who's as skilled a fighter on land as he is in his Spitfire!Reprinted in graphic novel form for the first time, these two fast-paced Battler Britton stories from 1960 - Wagons of Gold and Rockets of Revenge - are drawn by the legendary artist behind Corto Maltese. In this thrilling collection, Britton helps resistance fighters smuggle gold from Nazi occupied Yugoslavia, before escorting a ballistics expert on his mission to analyse an unexploded V2 rocket in Poland!

    5 in stock

    £13.49

  • Messerschmitt Bf 110Me 210Me 410

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd Messerschmitt Bf 110Me 210Me 410

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £57.59

  • The Great War in the Air Military Aviation from

    The University of Alabama Press The Great War in the Air Military Aviation from

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade ReviewMorrow's encyclopedic examination of aviation's part in World War I concentrates on aircraft engine and airframe production, but the emotional content of contemporary accounts rises to the surface to put a human face on the brutal use of an infant technology.... a serious yet readable history of this vital part of the conflict, meant for any reader. - Library Journal ""A comprehensive study of the totality of the air war in its military, political, industrial, and cultural aspects distinguish this book from other treatments of military aviation during this period.... Morrow's efforts have yielded new insights into the evolution of military aviation and corrected previous oversights. The author's attention to developments in production and logistics, as well as events at the front, provide the most complete understanding of the development of air power and its role in the Great War."" - American Historical Review

    1 in stock

    £28.86

  • Fighters of the Dying Sun: The Most Advanced

    Fonthill Media Ltd Fighters of the Dying Sun: The Most Advanced

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe first B-29 flew over Tokyo on 1 November 1944. It was a photographic reconnaissance aircraft ironically named ‘Tokyo Rose’. The Ki.44 fighters of the 47th Sentai took off to intercept it but as it turned out the Superfortress flew at such an altitude and speed that they could not reach it. The Ki-44-II-Otsu had been specifically designed for this type of interception and could reach the astonishing rate of climb of 5,000 m in four minutes; however it was not good enough. During the following ten months, a devastating bombing campaign of thousands of Superfortress destroyed 67 Japanese cities and half of Tokyo. The cultural shock and the political consequences were huge, when it was realised that the Japanese industry was not able to produce the specially heat and stress-resistant metallic alloys that were required to manufacture the turbo superchargers needed by the fighters in charge of defending the Japanese mainland. They lacked the essential chromium and molybdenum metals to harden the steel. This fact thwarted the manufacturing of numerous advanced projects of both conventional fighters and those derived from the transfer of German technology fitted with turbojets and rocket engines. They are thoroughly described in this book.Table of ContentsThe Japanese Aggressor (28 January 1932 to 15 August 1945); Imperial Japanese Army Aircraft and Projects; Nakajima Ki.44 Shoki; Kawasaki Ki.45 Toryu; Mitsubishi Ki.46 Shin Shitei; Kawasaki Ki.60/Ki.61/Ki.100 Hien; Nakajima Ki.62, Ki.63, Ki.84, Ki.106, Ki.113, Ki.116 and Ki.117 Hayate; Kawasaki Ki.64, Ki.78 (Ken-3) and Ki.88; High-altitude interceptors Nakajima Ki.87 and Tachikawa Ki.94; Manshu Ki.65 and Ki.98; Rikugun Kogiken Heavy Fighter; Nakajima Ki.201 Karyu; Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft and Projects; Mitsubishi A6M Zero; Mitsubishi J2M Raiden; Kawanishi N1K1-J Shiden; The IJN “20-shi-Ko” specification; Mitsubishi J4M Senden; Kyushu J7W1 Shinden; Nakajima Kikka; Yokosuka R2Y2 Keiun; Mizuno Shinryu II; Kakukyoku Rammer; Kayaba Katsuodori; Rocket Fighters; Night Fighters; Nakajima J1N1 Gekko; Kawasaki Ki.45 Toryu; Mitsubishi Ki.46 Shin Shitei (Dinah); Nakajima Ki.84 Hayate; Yokosuka D4Y Suisei; Nakajima C6N Saiun; Yokosuka Ginga, Kawanishi Kyokko, Nakajima Byakko and Kugisho Tenga; Aichi S1A Denko; Kawasaki Ki.102; Mitsubishi Ki.109; Mitsubishi A6M2, A6M3, A6M5 and A6M5-S Zero Sen; Mitsubishi J2M3 and J2M4 Raiden; Schräge Musik; Radar Warfare; Operation Downfall; Bibliography.

    5 in stock

    £24.00

  • Silent Invaders

    Fonthill Media Ltd Silent Invaders

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisCombat gliders were called by some as Death Crates, Purple Heart Boxes, Flying Coffins and Tow Targets . They were not pretty and had no graceful lines. Viewed from the front, they had a pug nose and a sloping Neanderthal forehead. Their wings looked like the heavily starched ears of a jackrabbit placed at right angles on a canvas-covered frame. Twice the length of the body, these wings were eighty-four feet in length, 70 per cent as long as the Wright Brothers first powered flight at Kitty Hawk. They could not become airborne, let alone fly, unless assisted by an engine-powered tow plane. And for those riding in the back, it was like flying through the gates of hell . The men who were trained and assigned to guide gliders into battle were said to be the only pilots who had no motors, armament, parachutes and no second chances. Like the aircraft they commanded, they were called inglorious names such as The Bastards Nobody Wanted, Glider Gladiators in Wooden Chariots; Hybrid Jackasses and Glory Boys. Beautifully written, profoundly illustrated and researched, Silent Invaders: Combat Gliders of the Second World War is a work that is dedicated to those brave men under impossible odds from the British and American servicemen on D-Day, the doomed Operation Market Garden in Holland and Hitler s radical commando raid to rescue Mussolini."Table of ContentsForeword; Preface; Part I The Machines: The Beginning; Pug Ugly and Deadly; Gliders in the UK; German Gliders; Japan and the Soviet Union; Tugs and Tows; PART II The Men and their Training: The Men; Training: Washed Out, RTU, and LMF; The Devil is in the Details; Part III The Missions (In Chronological Order): “Far Away Places, With Strange Sounding Names”; Another Route to War, Another Destination to Combat; Eben Emael: Old and Conventional vs New and Unconventional; Unternehmen Merkur Operation Mercury Crete; Operation Freshman; Sicily “This was a bad time for the Regiment”; Commando Skorzeny; Burma Operation Thursday/Project 9 “Tonight you’re going to find out if you have a soul”; D-Day Operation Overlord: Voices from Normandy; Southern France Operation Dragoon: Dingson 35A; Silent Invaders; Operation Market Garden; Nuts!; Operation Varsity 3 Hours, 20 Minutes: The Summer of ’45; Endnotes; Acknowledgements; Bibliography; Photographic Appendix; Index.

    15 in stock

    £18.70

  • The HAWK Air Defense Missile System

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The HAWK Air Defense Missile System

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis is the first history of the legendary US Army''s HAWK missile system, the world''s first mobile air-defense missile system, which saw service and combat around the world.Designed to counteract the threat posed by advanced 1950s Soviet-built aircraft, the first HAWK unit became operational in 1959. At its peak, it saw frontline service in the Far East, Panama, Europe, and in the Middle East. Units were also used during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War, and Persian Gulf War. In the hands of other nations, HAWK proved its efficacy in combat during the Arab-Israeli Wars, Iran-Iraq War, Chadian-Libyan War, and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Credited with shooting down more than 100 aircraft during its combat career, the HAWK system was respected for its lethality. Such was Soviet concern, that the USSR developed electronic jammers, anti-radiation missiles, and other countermeasures specifically to degrade its effectiveness. The US retired its HAWK systems Trade ReviewMuch investigative work has gone into this little researched AA missile system -- John Ham * Tankette *As there is now a fine1/35 model of the HAWK missile unit on the market from AFV Club, I am sure many modellers will enjoy this new book and get plenty of ideas on how to set their model into a diorama scene. -- Robin Buckland * Military Model Scene *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT - Basic HAWK – the 1960s - Self-Propelled HAWK - the early 1970s - Improved HAWK – the 1970s - Product Improvement Program – the 1980s - Post-Cold War – the 1990s SYSTEM OPERATION - Unit organization - Operations OPERATIONAL HISTORY - Panama - Korea - Okinawa and the Far East - Florida and the Cuban Missile Crisis - Vietnam - Germany and Cold War Europe - Middle East and the Gulf War - US-based battalions LEGACY OF THE HAWK MISSILE SYSTEM BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

    15 in stock

    £11.39

  • Desert Cats: The RAF's Jaguar Force in the First

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd Desert Cats: The RAF's Jaguar Force in the First

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisOn 2 August 1990, Saddam Hussein's armed forces invaded and occupied Kuwait. A swift international response followed, which, led by the United States and the United Kingdom, saw the formation of a coalition that formed the largest military alliance seen since the end of the Second World War. Among the many RAF units deployed under Operation Granby, the codename given to the British military operations during the conflict, was 41 Squadron, with elements taken from 54 Squadron and 226 OCU, which was equipped with the ubiquitous Jaguar GR1 single-seat all-weather tactical strike and ground-attack fighter. In late 1990, the squadron duly despatched a total of twelve aircraft, which soon became known for their distinctive desert pink camouflage, and twenty-two pilots from their base at RAF Coltishall. Initially conducting low-level strikes, for which the Jaguar Force had always been intended, over the weeks that followed 41 Squadron switched to more unusual medium-level missions. In total, the men and machines of 41 Squadron conducted a total of 617 sorties during Operation Granby. To complete this remarkable description of 41 Squadron's part in the liberation of Kuwait, the author has interviewed a number of these pilots. As well as these veterans' personal reflections, Danny Burt also explores the Jaguars' record on air-to-ground combat and its performance in theatre, the various upgrades the type receive, and the unique nose art that each aircraft carried. Many of the pictures in this highly illustrated publication have never been published before. The story is completed by the recovery by the author of one of the Jaguar GR1s flown in the Gulf War Rescued from an Army range in South Wales, the aircraft was moved to RAF Coningsby where its restoration, including the return of its Operation Granby camouflage, is underway.

    3 in stock

    £25.50

  • Spitfire Vol. 1

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd Spitfire Vol. 1

    15 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    15 in stock

    £15.19

  • Solomons Air War Volume 2

    Avonmore Books Solomons Air War Volume 2

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis second volume of Solomons Air War chronicles aerial warfare in the Solomon Islands theatre during the critical month of October 1942. It can be read alone or as part of the ongoing Solomons Air War series.

    15 in stock

    £33.26

  • Visitor's Guide to the U.S. Air Force Academy

    American Traveler Press Visitor's Guide to the U.S. Air Force Academy

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    3 in stock

    £7.59

  • 9781560989493: Smithsonian History of Aviation

    Smithsonian Books 9781560989493: Smithsonian History of Aviation

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisTaught to fly by the Wright Brothers, appointed the first and only five-star general of the Air Force, and remembered as the man who won World War II’s air war, Henry Harley “Hap” Arnold is one of the most significant figures in American aviation history. From 1938 to 1946, as the first Commanding General of the US Army Air Forces—the largest, most powerful air armada that has ever been assembled—Arnold fought World War II not in the field but in Congress, on the Army General Staff, in factories, and in universities. His vision of airpower as more than just sophisticated aircraft not only established US air supremacy during the war but also laid the foundations for the technology, infrastructure, and philosophy of today's air force.In the thoroughly detailed Hap Arnold and the Evolution of American Airpower, biographer Dik Alan Daso draws on Arnold’s personal papers and declassified documents to sketch out the adventurous career, dynamic personality, and bold vision of the “father of the Air Force.” Daso traces a career centered around the airplane, the technological achievement that revolutionized twenieth-century warfare.Describing the technology, institutions, and individuals—from the Wright Brothers to the president of Caltech—that influenced Arnold's decisions as a general, Daso shows how the peacetime experiences of World War II's foremost military airman shaped the evolution of American military aviation as a whole.

    10 in stock

    £18.04

  • Fighter Pilot

    Amberley Publishing Fighter Pilot

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA family-authorised biography of one of the top-scoring aces of the Battle of Britain.Trade Review‘Among all the many stories of the Battle of Britain, Bob Doe’s stands out. In this sensitive and well-researched biography we see the modest man behind the fighter ace.’ -- Richard Overy‘Compelling and moving.’ -- Stephen Bungay‘[A] truly wonderful biography ... meticulously researched and referenced and also expertly written in a fashion that makes it an exceptionally good read ... If one were to recommend a single fighter pilot biography ... this would be it.’ -- Britain at War'This book is probably the best biographical account I have read of anybody in any walk of life and I recommend it without reservation. Whilst the final comment from Doe, that he and his colleagues should not be seen as heroes but remembered for what they did, is probably a good reflection of the man but perhaps too modest, given the pivotal importance of the Battle of Britain and its place in history.' -- Royal Air Force Historical Society, Journal 65 (2017) pp. 129-131

    1 in stock

    £10.44

  • Fighter Ace

    Amberley Publishing Fighter Ace

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe truth & the myths about the legless Battle of Britain fighter aceTrade Review‘At long last, the definitive account of Bader’s career by his most knowledgeable biographer’ -- Professor Paul Mackenzie

    1 in stock

    £13.49

  • Spitfire Ace of Aces

    Amberley Publishing Spitfire Ace of Aces

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisThe biography of the RAF's top fighter pilot, Johnnie Johnson, who shot down more enemy aircraft than any other pilot during the Second World War.Trade ReviewSarkar has interviewed veteran pilots over the years and has drawn upon letters, diaries and family memories... to present this complete first person account of the air battles, bail-outs and crashes' * THE DAILY MAIL *Excellent... essential reading.' * SPITFIRE: THE JOURNAL OF THE SPITFIRE SOCIETY *

    Out of stock

    £11.69

  • 6th Airborne: Normandy 1944

    Casemate Publishers 6th Airborne: Normandy 1944

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisOperation Tonga began at 22:56 on the night of 5 June, when six Halifax heavy bombers took off from Tarrant Rushton towing six Horsas carrying a coup–de–main force consisting of D Coy, Ox and Bucks LI reinforced with two extra platoons from B Coy and a party of sappers, who were tasked with capturing the bridges over the Caen Canal and the River Orne. 6th Airborne Division—which included 1st Canadian Para Bn–had been allotted three specific tasks to achieve, apart from protecting the eastern flank of the Allied seaborne landings. First, it was to capture intact the two bridges over the Caen Canal and the Orne River at Benouville and Ranville. Second, the division was to destroy the heavily fortified Merville coastal artillery battery located at Franceville Plage, to ensure that it could not shell the British forces landing on Sword Beach. A third task was to destroy several bridges spanning the River Dives–at Varaville, Robehomme, Bures, and Troarn. The division would then hold the territory that it had seized until it could be relieved by advancing Allied ground forces.Trade ReviewPast & Present is in an easier format for the battlefield visitor, as these are relatively compact paperback titles. * Recollections of World War II *For a visitor to Normandy, this will be a very handy little reference if you want to travel around the area, and understand a bit more about some of the places that today are quiet and peaceful and which you might otherwise drive past without appreciating what happened there back in June 1944. * Military Modelling.com *These books are great for all ages but the younger me would have loved them and each volume is an ideal present for the history mad youth in your family. * War History Online *The "then and now" photograph on the front cover is fascinating, as is the story of the 6th Airborne Squadron and its allotted tasks… * Books Monthly *They are lavishly illustrated…good value for money and are recommended. * FSG (Casemate magazine) *

    Out of stock

    £12.77

  • Hurricane I vs Bf 110: 1940

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Hurricane I vs Bf 110: 1940

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisThe Hurricane was the RAF's first monoplane fighter and saw significant combat during the fight over France and the Battle of Britain. One of its principal opponents in 1940 was the Bf 110 twin-engined, two-seat heavy fighter. Following the invasion of France, these fighters clashed regularly as the RAF's Hurricanes attacked German bomber formations defended by Bf 110. Although the Hurricane had the upper hand when it came to manoeuverability, the Bf 110 outclassed it in terms of fire power, with its mix of machine guns and cannon. This is the story of the dramatic battles in the skies over France and the Channel as Britain desperately tried to hold back the German onslaught from her shores.Table of ContentsIntroduction /Chronology /Design and development /The Strategic Situation /Technical Specifications /The Combatants /Combat /Statistics and Analysis /Conclusion /Further Reading

    Out of stock

    £14.39

  • From Hitlers U-Boats to Kruschevs Spyflights

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd From Hitlers U-Boats to Kruschevs Spyflights

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis book tells the tale of the illustrious Royal Air Force career of Tom Clark, a World War Two gunner and post-war signaller in action during some of the most pivotal events of the twentieth century. Lovingly penned by his son, it provides an authentic insight into this dynamic period of world history. From work as an air gunner, involved in the daunting task of taking on the might of Hitler's U-boat fleet, to post-war involvement in an Intelligence capacity during the dramatic events surrounding Khrushchev and the atomic threat of the late 1950s, Clark's career was dramatic and varied to say the least. Having joined the RAF as an aircraft man just before the Second World War, Clark was destined to take part in a whole range of wartime operational engagements. His career featured involvement in the famous 1941 hunt for the elusive Bismarck, the dangers of life as part of an Air Sea Rescue squadron in conflicted waters, and the experience of training as a gunnery leader (later an instructor), training air gunners for the famed Desert Air Force. His career also took in a fraught period behind enemy lines, when his crew of four were shot down in enemy territory in Northern Italy. Seven weeks in a safe house in Florence are relayed in engaging and dramatic style, as are a raft of other personal and professional achievements, set within the context of the wider conflict. Here is a career that deserves to be recorded and celebrated, and there is perhaps no-one better placed than the subject's son to act as custodian to his thrilling story.

    2 in stock

    £18.75

  • Mosquito Attack!: A Norwegian RAF Pilot at War

    Fonthill Media Ltd Mosquito Attack!: A Norwegian RAF Pilot at War

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn 1943, the Norwegian forces formed No. 333 Squadron-their third detachment to fly under RAF command. One of its Flights was equipped with de Havilland's modern wonder, the Mosquito, and among its pilots was twenty-one year- old Finn Eriksrud. Mosquito Attack! A Norwegian RAF Pilot at War charts his escape from occupied Norway, his travels across the world, his bomber training in Canada, and the reconnaissance and patrol missions he flew over his homeland. By December 1943, all of the original pilots of Finn's squadron had died, either in flying accidents or shot down around the Scandinavian Peninsula. That winter, Finn would himself be forced to bail out over the coast of Norway. He was captured and later imprisoned by the German Luftwaffe in Lower Silesia, and spent the rest of the war as a POW in Stalag Luft III Bellaria. In spite of thoughts of escape, Finn was only able leave the camp when the Germans abandoned it in early 1945. Tor Idar Larsen's narrative is a compelling and well-researched interpretation of Finn Eriksrud's original memoirs, written upon his return to Norway after the war.The result is a unique perspective on the Second World War: it offers fresh insight, not only into the experiences of a Mosquito pilot, but also into the friendships, personal development, and adventures of a young man far from home.

    5 in stock

    £17.09

  • Air Battle of Malta: Aircraft Losses and Crash

    Pen & Sword Books Ltd Air Battle of Malta: Aircraft Losses and Crash

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisIn the Second World War, Malta was subjected to continual air attacks during a siege lasting nearly two and a half years.This is part of that story, from the early days in June 1940, when only a few Gladiator biplanes were available to combat Italian bombers and fighters, to the intervention of the Luftwaffe and the tenuous defence by outclassed Hurricanes, culminating in the desperate months of fighting following the arrival on Malta of the first Spitfires in March 1942.Of more than 1,000 aircraft destroyed during the battle, many fell into the Mediterranean or were written off in landing, and at least 200 crashed among the Maltese Islands.This book documents all known aircraft crashes that occurred in and around Malta and Gozo during 1940-42, describing in detail the circumstances of each loss and what became of the pilot or crew, including some who even today are officially listed as missing.The immediacy of eyewitness accounts from both sides provide a fascinating perspective of an epic battle - much of the material is previously unpublished, not least the narratives by those who were there. Meticulously researched ... not only documents the location of all known air crashes - Allied and Axis - that occurred in and around the Maltese Islands ... but also tells the often fascinating story of each and every one ... This engagingly-written tome details the various crashes in chronological order, and includes in its appendices a table containing all the details of each crash, full endnote references and a properly compiled index, making it a valuable work of reference. - NICK STROUD - THE AVIATION HISTORIAN Unbiased, poignant, tragic - but also humorous - account of events during [the] air battles over Malta. - LUKE VINCENTI - THE SUNDAY TIMES OF MALTA Compelling and utterly fascinating. - JAMES HOLLAND Excellent. - FLYPAST Recommended. - AVIATION HISTORYTrade Review"A compelling and utterly fascinating account of one of the greatest air battles of the Second World War and the crash sites that exist today" --James Holland, author of The War in the West and The Battle of Britain "This book documents all known aircraft crashes that occurred in and around Malta and Gozo during 1940-42, describing in detail the circumstances of each loss and what became of the pilot or crew, including some who even today are officially listed as missing.The immediacy of eyewitness accounts from both sides provide a fascinating perspective of an epic battle - much of the material is previously unpublished, not least the narratives by those who were there. "--Recollections of WW2 Meticulously researched. Not only documents the location of all known air crashes -- Allied and Axis -- that occurred in and around the Maltese Islands during those years, but also tells the often fascinating story of each and every one. Malta's strategic location in the Mediterranean was of vital importance to both sides, and the fighting that took place in its skies was brutal and frequent. This engagingly-written tome details the various crashes in chronological order, and includes in its appendices a table containing all the details of each crash, full endnote references and a properly compiled index, making it a valuable work of reference.--The Aviation Historian, Issue 20 "These stirring black and white images have shed light on the RAF air battle over Malta, a ferocious but often forgotten chapter of the Second World War. The stunning pictures show British Royal Air Force pilots proudly displaying Swastika-clad trophies from downed Luftwaffe planes on the island, a strategically situated outpost of the British Empire. Other shots show children playing among the plane wreckage, pilots posing with their planes and surviving participants of the battle revisiting Malta - a British colony at the time - years later."-- (04/01/2018) "This comprehensive volume documents all known aircraft crash sites in and around the Maltese Islands and provides the circumstances of each loss are related in detail with accounts from both sides. In Germany especially there are many still unaware of the fate of family members who never returned after the Second World War. This book reveals what happened to some who even today are still officially listed as 'missing'."--Desert Stories "Rogers puts us in the seats of the doomed aircraft, together with the airmen who fought in them, allowing us to see through the eyes of those who witnessed with jubilation or shock at the destruction of aircrafts of their friends or foe. The relief at the escape and survival of its crews; and the sorrow at the demise of their fellow airmen, friends, countrymen or enemies in the sky... through Rogers's words, we feel all this and more."--Times of Malta

    Out of stock

    £21.25

  • Yakolev Aircraft of World War Two

    Hikoki Publications Yakolev Aircraft of World War Two

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisFounded in 1927, the design bureau headed by Aleksandr S. Yakovlev started out with light aircraft but soon became a "fighter maker" when the prospect of war loomed large. Originally designated I-26, Yakovlev''s first simple but rugged fighter, first flew in 1940 and entered production at the end of the year as the Yak-1. The Yak-9 followed in 1942 and brought a greater proportion of metal to the airframe design leading to the development of the long-range Yak-9D, the up-gunned tank buster versions (Yak-9-37, Yak-9T, Yak-9K etc.) and the Yak-9B light bomber. Later flown by the French pilots of the Normandie-Niemen squadron of the Soviet Air Force the Yak-3 introduced in 1943 came to be recognized as one of the best fighters of WW II. This detailed history is richly illustrated with unit badges, nose art, scale drawings, colour side views and three-views. Previously unreleased photos and personal stories from pilots in the Great Patriotic War ensure Yakolev Aircraft of World War II is a detailed reference source for modelers, enthusiasts and historians alike.

    Out of stock

    £29.71

  • A Higher Call An Incredible True Story of Combat

    Dutton Caliber A Higher Call An Incredible True Story of Combat

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER: “Beautifully told.”—CNN • “A remarkable story...worth retelling and celebrating.”—USA Today • “Oh, it’s a good one!”—Fox News A “beautiful story of a brotherhood between enemies” emerges from the horrors of World War II in this New York Times bestseller by the author of Devotion, now a Major Motion Picture. December, 1943: A badly damaged American bomber struggles to fly over wartime Germany. At the controls is twenty-one-year-old Second Lieutenant Charlie Brown. Half his crew lay wounded or dead on this, their first mission. Suddenly, a Messerschmitt fighter pulls up on the bomber’s tail. The pilot is German ace Franz Stigler—and he can destroy the young American crew with the squeeze of a trigger...What happened next would defy imagination and later be

    2 in stock

    £17.42

  • The Battle of Britain Book 2 of the Ladybird

    Penguin Books Ltd The Battle of Britain Book 2 of the Ladybird

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisUNDERSTAND AND EXPERIENCE THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY AERIAL EVER FOUGHTPart of the new Ladybird Expert series, Battle of Britain is an accessible, insightful and authoritative account of the most famous aerial battle in history.Historian, author and broadcaster James Holland draws on the latest research and interviews with participants to bring colour, detail and a fresh perspective to the story.Inside, you''ll discover how tactics, organisation and new technologies were brought to bear, about the different challenges faced by both the RAF and the Luftwaffe, and, above all, the skill, bravery and endurance of the airmen engaged in a contest that was of critical importance to the outcome of the war. Written by the leading lights and most outstanding communicators in their fields, the Ladybird Expert books provide clear, accessible and authoritative introductions to subjects drawn from science, history and culture.Other booksTrade ReviewBattle of Britain shines a light on some of the darkest and most dramatic moments of the six-year conflict. * The Daily Mail *

    1 in stock

    £9.49

  • Bell 47H13 Sioux Helicopter

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd Bell 47H13 Sioux Helicopter

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis book is a must for anybody who is interested in machines that have changed the world of aviation and have been instrumental in the development of other iconic aircraft. It could also be used as reference for plastic modellers who may find it useful for some of the finer detail they require. The author has delivered another excellent volume and this will be a very welcome addition to any discerning aviation enthusiast. Anyone with a general interest in aviation will enjoy this book. Sven Atkin

    1 in stock

    £18.04

  • Vulcan 607

    Transworld Publishers Ltd Vulcan 607

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisIt was to be one of the most ambitious operations since 617 Squadron bounced their revolutionary bombs into the dams of the Ruhr Valley in 1943 . . . April 1982. Argentine forces had invaded the Falkland Islands. Britain needed an answer. And fast. The idea was simple: to destroy the vital landing strip at Port Stanley. The reality was more complicated. The only aircraft that could possibly do the job was three months from being scrapped, and the distance it had to travel was four thousand miles beyond its maximum range. It would take fifteen Victor tankers and seventeen separate in-flight refuellings to get one Avro Vulcan B2 over the target, and give its crew any chance of coming back alive.Yet less than a month later, a formation of elderly British jets launched from a remote island airbase to carry out the longest-range air attack in history. At its head was a single aircraft, six men, and twenty-one thousand-pound bombs, facing the hornet's nest oTrade ReviewExciting and breathtakingly pacy...This is exactly how modern history should be written * Andy McNab *Gripping, endlessly fascinating detail. I read the book in one sitting: it is an utterly compelling war story, brilliantly written * Simon Winchester *A masterwork of narrative history. Brilliantly described, the story of an impossible British mission is a compelling one; it's telling long overdue * Clive Cussler *Big heavy bombers. Proper old-fashioned heroism. And triumph of ingenuity over limited funding. So far as I'm concerned, it has the lot and to cap it all it reads like fiction when it's actually fact. I more than enjoyed it, it could have been written specially for me * Jeremy Clarkson *Exceptional...Written like the very best thriller, it draws the reader into the exclusive world of the combat crew in a unique and truly gripping way * John Nichol *

    5 in stock

    £10.44

  • Into the Black

    Transworld Publishers Ltd Into the Black

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisOn 12th April 1981 a revolutionary new spacecraft blasted off from Florida on her maiden flight. NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia was the most advanced flying machine ever built the high watermark of post-war aviation development. A direct descendant of the record-breaking X-planes the likes of which Chuck Yeager had tested in the skies over the Mojave Desert, Columbia was a winged rocket plane, the size of an airliner, capable of flying to space and back before being made ready to fly again. She was the world's first real spaceship.On board were men with the Right Stuff. The Shuttle's Commander, moonwalker John Young, was already a veteran of five spaceflights. Alongside him, Pilot Bob Crippen was making his first, but Crip, taken in by the space agency after the cancellation of a top secret military space station programme in 1969, had worked on the Shuttle's development for a decade. Never before had a crew been so well prepared for their missionTrade ReviewThe Right Stuff of our times * Daily Mail *

    1 in stock

    £11.69

  • Legacy Hornets

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd Legacy Hornets

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    2 in stock

    £18.04

  • Aufklärer Volume One: Luftwaffe Reconnaissance

    Crecy Publishing Aufklärer Volume One: Luftwaffe Reconnaissance

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe first in a two volume series, this book provides a study of another significant arm of the Luftwaffe that has not been covered to date, Aufklarungsflieger or reconnaissance units. Although such operations are sometimes erroneously perceived as being of lesser importance due to their apparent lack of an offensive function, the Luftwaffe was very advanced in its espousal of the importance of the doctrine of reconnaissance and fully understood its benefits. in fact, no single arm of the Luftwaffe operated such a wide range of aircraft types and many of the operations conducted by the Aufklarungsflieger units were of vital importance to the German war effort.This title covers the aircraft and operations of the reconnaissance units from their origins, in clandestine survey and photographic work over Poland and the United Kingdom in the 1930s, through the first part of World War 2 when they were used during the Spanish Civil War. Aufklarungsflieger were involved on every front where the Luftwaffe fought, from Poland in the east to Britain in the west and they also played their part in operations in the invasions of the Balkans and Russia. On the Russian and Mediterranean fronts, short-range reconnaissance usually involved low-level missions over enemy territory using the ubiquitous Fieseler Fi 156 Storch and Hs 126 biplanes, though Bf 109s and Fw 190s were also employed in such activities. Also included is coverage of the ''Wekusta'' weather reconnaissance units, responsible for the collection of meteorological data, where, because of the proximity of the enemy, normal land based observation was not possible. These units were assigned directly to the Meteorological Service of the Luftwaffe High Command and were considered very valuable assets.In the style of the already published Jagdwaffe, Kampflieger, Nachtjager, Transporter and Zerstorer series, this latest addition to the range will be welcomed by the many modelers, aviation enthusiasts and historians who are still interested in the activities, colours and markings of the Luftwaffe during the Second World War.

    1 in stock

    £15.29

  • De Havilland Vampire in Italian Service Aviolibri

    2 in stock

    £17.95

  • US Army Twin Beeches

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd US Army Twin Beeches

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    3 in stock

    £31.44

  • MIG PILOT SURVIVAL Russian Aircrew Survival

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd MIG PILOT SURVIVAL Russian Aircrew Survival

    7 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    7 in stock

    £17.09

  • Vultures Row

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd Vultures Row

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £23.79

  • Range Unlimited History of Aerial Refuelling

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd Range Unlimited History of Aerial Refuelling

    7 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    7 in stock

    £15.19

  • 82nd Airborne in Normandy

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd 82nd Airborne in Normandy

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £43.99

  • A A HISTORY OF THE MEDITERRANEAN AIR WAR,

    Grub Street Publishing A A HISTORY OF THE MEDITERRANEAN AIR WAR,

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe fourth volume in this momentous series commences with the attacks on the Italian island fortress of Pantellaria which led to its surrender and occupation achieved almost by air attack alone. The account continues with the ultimately successful, but at times very hard fought, invasions of Sicily and southern Italy as burgeoning Allied air power, now with full US involvement, increasingly dominated the skies overhead. The successive occupations of Sardinia and Corsica are also covered in detail. This volume, then, is essentially the story of the tactical air forces up to the point when Rome was occupied, just at the same time as the Normandy landings were occurring in north-west France. In its pages are found what can justifiably be considered the story of `the soldiers’ air force’. Frequently overlooked by more immediate newsworthy events elsewhere, their struggle was often of an equally Homeric nature. With regards to the long-range tactical role of the Allied heavy bombers, only the period from May to October is examined herein, while they remained based in North Africa. Thus the period from November 1943 when the US 15th Air Force was formed to pursue the strategic air offensive against the Reich, together with the RAF’s 205 Group of night bombers, will be covered in a future (sixth) volume. Volume Five will deal with the rest of the tactical war in Italy and Greece, over the Adriatic and Aegean, and with the entry into the South of France to join forces advancing southwards from Normandy.Trade ReviewVolume four is highly recommended, one of the best books of the year, and we're already impatient to see volume five. -- Bill Stone * Stone & Stone *

    15 in stock

    £37.50

  • Warbirds of the Sea

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd Warbirds of the Sea

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    3 in stock

    £36.79

  • NATOPS Flight Manual F4J Navair 01245FDD1

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd NATOPS Flight Manual F4J Navair 01245FDD1

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £31.44

  • Stuka Pilot HansUlrich Rudel Schiffer Military

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd Stuka Pilot HansUlrich Rudel Schiffer Military

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    1 in stock

    £43.99

  • The Kettenkrad

    Schiffer Publishing Ltd The Kettenkrad

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    3 in stock

    £9.49

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