Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)For a detailed look at the Boeing 707 and 720, the most comprehensive books are those by Rene Francillon and Jim Winchester. Nevertheless, this little volume offers a personal glimpse of this classic airliner no other book I know does and, therefore, deserves a place on the civil aviation enthusiast's bookshelf. This book's strongest point is that it shows in considerable detail the 707 and 720 in service with the airlines that originally ordered the airplane; in fact, I can think of no other book that accomplishes this as well. Mr. Cearley is also to be commended for his inclusion of pictures of the cabin in its various guises in the world's major airlines, back when the moniker "Intercontinental" held a mystique we take for granted nowadays. Again, Mr. Cearley's book does a better job in this respect than any of the other volumes.
I found the book to be an enjoyable read as well. Though Mr. Cearley is not one of the big-name aviation historians, he is a knowlegeable enthusiast, which gives this book a highly personal feel. I felt as if he and I were two aviation geeks enjoying one another's company, sharing a common passion. The line sketches show various aspects of the aircraft in greater detail, both inside and outside. As with the pictures, they have a scrapbook feel to them but, then again, that is part of the charm of this book.
The photos are mostly black-and-white and quite small. Many were taken by amateurs, as the composition is off. If you want glossy, sexy shots of this bird, you will need to look elsewhere.
For me, though, the pictures were sufficiently interesting that I did not care about the format or quality. Many of the pictures are rare. Braniff's 707-227s and 720-027s get extra attention, as it was that airline with which author Cearley was most familiar. For me, seeing the cabin of a Pan American 707-321 with its black-and-white TV video monitors mounted atop the hat racks was a real treat for me, as I remember flying on one of those planes as a young lad. The photos and sketches offer the builder of one of the 1/72 scale kits plenty of ideas for superdetailing.
Unlike other books on the Boeing 707, this one does not include any of the military variants, whether based on the Model 717 or the 707-320 airframes. This book is strictly for civil airliner and airline aficianados.
As I said, this may not be the most scholarly presentation of the Boeing 707 and 720, but it certainly has been enjoyable and well worth the purchase price.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Boeing 707 & 720: A Pictorial History
Click here for more information about Boeing 707 & 720: A Pictorial History
0 comments:
Post a Comment