Though appearantly good for a novice (excuse me fellow reviewer), I have seen in the years between my sixteenth and my fortythird better books about the Bf109, offering more text, more photographs and more information to both historian and modeller. Most of these books share the distinction that they are out-of-prints (OOPs), but both the Squadron/Signal issues will soon follow. Amongst the books which in my eyes offer more are "Bf109, Classic aircraft no. 2, their history and how to model them" (offers a wealth of information about the early Bf109's); "Messerschmitt 0-nine gallery"(offers a wealth of information about the later Bf109's); the three books in the Monogram close-up series (Gustav 1 and 2 and Bf109K) and "The Ausburg Eagle, a documentary history", but generally these books are bigger and therefore able to pack more information. This doesn't go up for the Monogram series, these are really much sought after!

This small book (just 72 pages, 10 x 7,5 inches) consists basically of a collection of (very good) pictures, with its respective legends, most of them unpublished until now (at least in the books I got). All the books of the "Luftwaffe at War" series have this same size and format. The stile is similar to "Aircraft of The Luftwaffe Fighter Aces", from Bernd Barbas's, made only over pictures and practically without technical text. Noteworthy is the initial section, with 10 (ten) WWII original color pictures, from the author and other sources. A small four pages introduction summarizes the action and operation of the 109 from Spain to Battle of Britain. Of course, because that, the book cover only the versions until the "Emil" (Bf 109E). The photo collection includes a rare image of the first 109 sent to Spain (the V-4) for evaluation, piloted by Hannes Trautloft. The pictures, most in close-ups, are an excellent reference for modelers. As this book is part of a collection, which covers the Luftwaffe action over all fronts, I recommend the purchase of all of them. (Note: Although all these qualities, I ranked this book only 3 stars because it is edited based only in photographs, without any other technical information. As just an image bank, it could be, perhaps, a five star one).

This is a well organized, 50 page, inexpensive book on one of the Luftwaffe aircraft. The book contains specifications, illustrations, developments, assembly, and a wide variety of many clear pictures which I had never before seen. It's an interesting, straightforward book. I'm glad I found it.

Here is the definitive history of the battle of Midway, an American victory that marked the turning point of the war in the Pacific during World War II. Told with the same stylistic flair and attention to detail as the bestselling "At Dawn We Slept", "Miracle at Midway" brings together eyewitness accounts from the men who commanded and fought on both sides. The sweeping narrative takes readers into the thick of the action and shows exactly how American strategies and decisions led to the triumphant victory that paved the way for the defeat of Japan. "A stirring, even suspenseful narrative . . . The clearest and most complete account so far." ("Newsday") "Something special among war histories . . . No other gives both sides of the battle in as detailed and telling a manner."("Chicago Sun-Times") "A gripping and convincing account." ("The Philadelphia Inquirer")

This atlas gives a two-page spread of the world for each month of the war, with text descriptions and small maps detailing the major events that month (e.g., Operation Crusader, Stalingrad). I find the text to be usually quite detailed and succinct for the small space it inhabits. Full-page text blocks detail the big operations, such as D-Day, Barbarossa, the Japanese expansion into the Pacific, etc. This format works very well for seeing the global scale of the conflict, and makes a very good general reference. Worthy of note are the front- and endpapers that show the pre- and postwar situations.

I originally purchased this book in 1979, a year after it was first published. I have had to buy it again because my original paperback simply fell apart. Thoughtful, thorough, witty and absolutely fascinating, R.V. Jones is one of the people I would most have liked to meet during my lifetime (he passed away in 1997). I can't recommend this book highly enough.