Weapons of the Eighth Air Force Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Part of the 'Battle Gear' series, WEAPONS OF THE EIGHTH AIR FORCE is a colorfully illustrated guide to the bombers, fighters and assorted aircraft utilized by the wartime Eighth Air Force. Falling somewhere between a dry nuts-and-bolts tech manual and a Roger Freeman-ish combat history, Frederick Johnsen's book is a good intro to the 'heavy metal' flown by the Mighty Eighth.
Johnsen's book runs to 127 pages. The bulk of those pages are devoted to chapters on the B-17, B-24, P-38, P-47 and P-51 with shorter sections on the other aircraft. Within each chapter he breaks down the aircraft into the different models flown (i.e. B-24D, B-24H, B-24J, B-24L, B-24M) and discusses their general characteristics, combat history, camouflage and markings, etc. The text is concise yet very informative. Appendices include listings of major 8th AF units, significant Mighty Eighth dates and a brief comparison of opposing 8th AF and Luftwaffe aircraft.
The text is well-illustrated with 140 black and white photographs, 54 color shots and 24 color profiles by Sonny Schug. Visually the book is a treat!
Given the wealth of photographs, especially all those color snaps, and a $24.95 price tag, WEAPONS OF THE EIGHTH AIR FORCE is a keeper.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Weapons of the Eighth Air Force

Flying at 25,000 feet, loaded with 6000 pounds of bombs, bristling with thirteen .50 caliber machine guns, and with a highly trained and motivated flight crew, the B-17 Flying Fortress became the physical symbol of America's Mighty Eighth Air Force.Arrayed against the Eighth Air Force was Nazi Germany's veteran, battle tested air armada the Luftwaffa.But the B-17 didn't go to war alone.The Eighth Air Force also deployed some of the most famous aircraft: the rugged B-24 Liberator, the nimble P-38 Lightning, the P-47 Thunderbolt with its four pairs of deadly wing mounted .50 caliber machine guns, and the quick and high flying P-51 Mustang.

Click here for more information about Weapons of the Eighth Air Force