Hero

Title: “Hero: The Buzz Beurling Story”

Author: Brian Nolan

Publisher: Lester & Orpen Dennys Ltd. (1981)

A few weeks ago, I got tapped to build a Spitfire Vc for the Museum of Flight Aces display, and of course, it must be Beurling.  So, I finally read "Hero" by Brian Nolan.  I remember badly wanting a copy of this book as a kid, but never got one, even the paperback.  I bought a copy soon after becoming an employed member of society, but never got around to reading it.  As I needed to build his Spitfire, I thought it was about time.

George “Buzz” Beurling is an interesting character.  Was he someone that just loved to fly and fight?  A psychopath?  A hero?  Lucky?  A political pawn?  A spy?  Just misunderstood?

In “Hero”, Canadian journalist Brian Nolan explores the life of this complex man.  Starting with his life in Verdun Quebec as a child of a strict religious family, to becoming obsessed with aviation (Buzz earned money for flying lessons by selling models), to his time in Malta, and finally his mysterious death in Italy, Beurling is an enigma.  A great pilot and gunner, he was anti authority and mostly anti-social.  A teetotaler, he made comments about fighting that have some labeling him a psychopath.  (I do wonder how much we can take from some of his public statements.  Was he just winding everyone up?  Saying things to get attention?)

Everywhere Beurling went, controversy followed.  He tried to join the RCAF, but they turned him down.  A trip to the US bore no fruit, so he traveled to England and joined the RAF.  After the usual training, he flew with 41 Squadron and got his first two kills.  A Sergeant pilot, he was often offered a commission, and always turned it down.  (He finally became an officer over his objections.)  But it wasn’t until he flew his Spitfire off the HMS Eagle to Malta that he became a hero.  His feats in Malta are the stuff of legends, though life on the Island was hard, and Beurling had quite a few accidents.  (He was one of three survivors of a Liberator crash in Gibraltar on his way home to Canada.)

Returning home to Canada he was feted in public, spoke to sell War Bonds, and seemingly a political pawn used by Prime Minister Mackenzie King.  This is most obvious in his transfer to the RCAF and a return to Europe to fly Spitfire IXs with 403 and 412 Squadron.  He did not play well with others and scoffed at authority and RCAF fighter tactics.  The hero only got two more kills and was sent home and out of the RCAF by D-Day.  (There is a great story in the book, that Buzz approached the RCAF higher-ups to be allowed to start his own “flying circus” of four P-51s and three hand-picked pilots to cherry pick attached over Germany.  If only…)

Returning to Canada, his life gets confusing.  He married a woman from British Columbia and carried on an affair with an American socialite.  Sometimes it appeared he had unlimited wealth, other times, it was as if he was a pauper.  He told crazy stories and spent time hanging out with all sorts at Quebec ski resorts.  And it only gets more confusing when the war ended.  Beurling still wanted to fly and fight and told some he was getting paid big bucks to fight against Israel.  But it appears he joined the Israeli Air Force for no payment due to his strong religious beliefs.  Was he a spy for the English?  A mercenary? 

Everything got more confusing on May 20, 1948, when Beurling and one other pilot were killed in a crash of a Noorduyn Norseman in Rome.  Did something just go wrong, or was it sabotage?  Beurling was buried in a cemetery in Italy near Shelley and Keats.  But even in death, Beurling could not stand still.  His family was not happy that he was buried in Italy, and with the consent of his estranged wife, and in 1950 his body was exhumed and reburied in Israel.

Nolan’s book is a great examination of the man, a breezy read, and well written.  (Other than an odd blast at excessive pro sports salaries…why do so many side with the extravagantly wealthy owners?)  It asks the same questions I have above, with few answers.  But someone should option this book for a movie, some of the stories are just too good to be true.

Next on the table is Buzz’s autobiography! 

After reading the book, I compiled a list of Buzz's Spits in Malta.  Kills in brackets.  BR130 is his most flown aircraft, but not the only one he crashed.  Sadly, I haven't found the others he pranged yet.

Spitfire Vc

BR128 (1)

BR130 T-D (No kills.  Crashed 7/14/42)

BR135 T-Z (2)

BR173 (3)

BR176 (3)

BR301 UF-S (5)

BR323  S (4)

BR380 (No kills.  Flew off the HMS Eagle)

BR565 (3)

Spitfire Vb

EN973 (1)

EP135 (1/3)

EP706 T-L (4)

A Kill in the Morning

Title: A Kill in the Morning
Author: Graeme Shimmin
Publisher: Transword Publishers

I don't get to write much about fiction on this blog, but as I have mentioned before I enjoy old English paperbacks. While "A Kill in the Morning" is a reasonably new book...it was published in the U.S. in 2015...it certainly has the tone, and graphic design, of older pulp faction novels.

I was hipped to "A Kill In the Morning" a couple of weeks ago on Twitter. It is set in the 1950s when Germany controls Europe and England tries to keep their Empire afloat. Part 007, part alt-history, it is big silly fun - with the expected femme fatales - and often based...or imagined...on true events and personalities. It includes cameos by Nazi flying saucers, Guy Gibson, the EE Canberra, Fairey Rotodynes, and a supersonic Vulcan development in both civil and bomber guises. I might quibble with a paradox or two at the end, but hey, saying any more would give it all away.

Aircraft Modelling

Title: Airframe Workbench Guide - Aircraft Modelling
Author: Libor Jekl
Publisher: Valiant Wings Publishing

There are a few modelers out there on the internet whose work always catches my attention...Paul Boyer, Mike Grant, Tony O'Toole, Joe Youngerman and the author of this new book, Libor Jekl.  If the work weren't enough, the book is one of the few modeling manuals that is dedicated to 1/72 scale modeling. (The only other one that comes to mind is the previously mentioned Mr. Boyer's "Building and Displaying Scale Model Aircraft.") It appears to me that many how-to books often avoid 1/72 subjects in favor of focusing on larger 1/32 and 1/48 models. Maybe it is easier to illustrate the author's techniques?

The other unique thing about this small ring-bound book is that it is not an introduction to modeling or even a complete modeling manual. Jekl focused on more advanced skills, often related to finishing, and skipped all the basics. For example, the first chapter (on rigging) opens with the Gloster Gladiator in primer. Besides rigging, the book includes chapters on scribing, rivets, weathering, natural metal, and resin kits. The final chapter is interesting in that it gives the author's tips on how to finish models quickly...oddly named Kwik-building. All are worth considering, but the last one is possibly the most unique suggestion I've ever seen in a modeling book...to go out, take a walk, and get some exercise!

Each chapter is profusely illustrated with in-progress photos and each chapter has a gallery of the finished project. I do wish more words were included to guide the modeler in each step; the book looks like a gallery of Libor's work. (Which isn't a bad thing.  Looking at his models is fun.) The only real complaint with the book is that there is no consistent layout. Sometimes a set of steps are numbered 1-2-3, sometimes it is A-B-C, and sometimes there are no labels for the steps at all.

I enjoyed the book and it is a quick and easy read. I picked up a few tips I want to try out; especially the decal-like rivets that were used on the Hellcat. (Obviously, I spent too much of my youth building old Airfix kits, since I am excited to try to add raised rivets to a model!)

With Wings Like Eagles

Title: With Wings Like Eagles:  A History of the Battle of Britain
Author: Michael Korda
Publisher: Harper

As 2015 is the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, I decided to read a few of the newer books on the topic. The first on the nightstand was Michael Korda's entry from 2009. This is a breezy 322 page book which focuses more on the political background and tactics of the battle than individual aircrews. Korda is clearly a huge fan of Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding and much of the narrative is discusses his decisions, leadership, and conflicts with other RAF members. It is interesting to learn that while Prime Ministers Baldwin and Chamberlain are often considered as appeasers, much of the technology of the Battle...Hurricanes, Spitfires, and radar...were funded under their watch. As expected, Nazi incompetence and ignorance was a huge part of why the Luftwaffe could never wipe out the RAF, but it was interesting to read just how incompetent they actually were. (For example, German intelligence made no effort to conduct any human intelligence with regard to Fighter Command air stations.) Sadly, Korda makes a few bloopers when it comes to aviation, both in the photo section and on the dust jacket: a flight of Bf-109s are identified as Bf-110s, Keith Park is pictured in a Harvard, not his personal Hurricane as the author suggests, a photo of a Hurricane and Spitfire was not taken during the Battle, no matter what the caption says, and the Hurricane was not an all metal fighter as identified on the dust jacket. While not an in-depth study of the aircraft or aircrew that fought on the front lines, this is a good introduction to the Battle and the behind the scenes politics on both sides of the channel.

The Canadair Argus

Title: The Canadair Argus:  The Untold Story of Canada’s Cold War Maritime Hunter
Authors: Major Cary Barker and Major Bert Campbell

During the Cold War, the Canadair Argus plied the skies of Canada’s East and West Coast and, outside of a few preserved airframes, is almost forgotten.  Even in books about the RCAF, it only gets mentioned for a few pages in chapters on Maritime Command.  This 190-page hardcover book changes all that.  It tells the story of the Argus from development to retirement and everything is here; weapon’s trials, stories of patrols, crew and maintenance tails, etc.  I was fascinated by the Bullpup missile trials and the references to the Argus's use during the Cuban Missile crisis.  The book is well illustrated with both colour and black-and-white photos and nicely done aircraft paintings.  A must for an RCAF fan of Maritime operations.

Modeling Airliners

Title: Modeling Airliners
Author: Aaron Skinner
Publisher: Kalmbach Publishing

Airliners are something that I’ve always wanted to build, but for which I never really found the time , nor have I, shockingly, ever purchased any kits.  However, it appears to be the golden age of airline modeling with new kits being released every month, so I decided to order this book from Amazon and see what it had to offer.  (That, and I’m kind of addicted to modeling books.)  My order was not without some trepidation, as Mr. Skinner is a Fine Scale Modeler Editor and FSM has reached a level of simplicity to be almost useless.  Vapid articles with no detail and the most basic tips and techniques pummeled into the ground issue after issue.

However, I should not have been worried; this is a nice book.  It is an 80 page softcover book with colour throughout.  Chapters include construction, painting, decals, conversions, detailing, weathering, and of course a model gallery.  All the models are very well done, and each chapter is well illustrated.  What it does not do is skimp on words, and there are clear, but not overly simplified, descriptions of each step and technique.  Mr. Skinner’s technique to fill windows is both backwards of what I would have tried and quite genius.  Shockingly for 2013, there is even a vacuform build!  Everything you need to know to build airliners is here.  Sure, all the basics are covered, but there is enough meat here that even the experienced modeler will pick up a few tips and techniques.  Very well done.  Now to get a DC-8 and some Canadian Pacific decals...

Landfall

Title: Landfall
Author: Nevil Shute

I am a big fan of old English paperbacks, especially Ian Fleming and Nevil Shute novels.  Something about them is just timeless.  Landfall is a good example of a Nevil Shute book, combining a war story and a romance.  Here we have Jerry Chambers, a hapless RAF Anson pilot who is involved in a friendly fire incident while courting Mona Stevens, a barmaid.  After sinking the British sub, he skips town to join Bomber Command, ending the romance, only to redeem himself later in the book while involved in secret testing flying a Vickers Wellington.  And that friendly fire incident?  There might have been a mistake there, and Mona helps solve that mystery using gossip and hearsay heard at the bar.

Outside of his overuse of the word, presently, Shute is an enjoyable writer and the banter between the couple is both amusing and at at times dated.  (Though some of their dialogue must have been possibly scandalous for 1940...)  Of course the class issues, so omnipresent in England at the time, also sound incredibly dated.

Shute writes well about the boredom of Coastal Command and Bomber Command ops, but the most shocking part of the story revolves around Mona's father's view of Jerry after he kept her out too late one night.  He opines "It made a difference, certainly, that the young man had build a (model) galleon.  If it had been anyone else, he have been really angry."  Wow, for the first time in recorded dating history, a father of a woman thinks that her suitor being a modeler is a good thing...

The Ice Pilots

Title: The Ice Pilots
Author: Michael Vlessides
Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre

I'll admit it, watching Ice Pilots NWT is a guilty pleasure of mine and this book is an equally guilty supplement.  Less a history of Buffalo Airways, it is more of a combination of company stories, tales of other northern bush pilots, the author's experiences at Buffalo Airways, and, oddly, his own experience with the North.  The book is easy to digest and fun, but made me wish for more depth.  While the author's experiences at Buffalo seem germane to the title; especially his interactions with Joe McBryan, his history with the North really doesn't matter to anyone but himself.  Additionally, his little history vigenetes of other bush pilots come off as oddly placed as some have no context to the story at all.  But the book does provide good insight into the behind the scenes (or is it screen) operations at Buffalo and there are some interesting interviews with Mikey McBryan that show more depth than viewers of the TV show might expect.  

Boeing B-17 Fortress in RAF Coastal Command Service

Today we have a guest book review by David Geldmacher.  Over to you David...

Title: Boeing B-17 Fortress in RAF Coastal Command Service
Author: Robert M. Stitt

Publisher: Mushroom Model Press

I admit it. I’m a sucker for interesting operational paint schemes.   Way back in 1981, I came across Flying Colors, a compilation of color profiles that has often driven my modeling choices over the years.  One standout profile for me in Green’s book was an RAF 220 Sqn B-17E (Fortress IIA), in Coastal Command’s striking antisubmarine variation of the Temperate Sea Scheme with ‘slime and sewage’ colors above and white fuselage sides and belly.    Since then, I’ve collected references, kits, and decals in support of modeling Coastal Command Fortresses whenever I’ve seen them.  Imagine my excitement when I saw that MMP was bringing out a book focused exclusively on these unusual aircraft.  I was dissuaded by the steep price for a few years, but a bit of a windfall on my tax refund this year was enough to trigger me to buy a copy.  I’ve been more than pleased with the results.

Robert Stitt has certainly done his research in preparing this meticulously researched volume. The book is packed with detailed and newly reported information on development of the ASW versions of the Fortress, modification and delivery to the RAF, and operations from the UK and the Azores.  Personal recollections are also well represented, with many anecdotes from both air and ground crew members.  Stitt stands out from many military writers in painting clear pictures of the men in service and the tragedy of their losses in accidents and combat.  He also is able to report detailed operational histories in a lively and engaging manner without resorting to a sequential laundry list of captains’ names, aircraft serials, and mission outcomes.  Stitt’s skills in recounting factual history, engaging the reader in the human experience, and lucid writing makes this one of very best focused military histories I’ve ever read.  

However, the story doesn’t end there for a modeler.  Numerous black and white photographs from both official and informal sources decorate nearly every one of the 248 A4 size pages.  Some of these are incredibly useful for the modeler, like the near planform underside view of an inflight aircraft showing the exhaust stain and weathering patterns. There are also reproductions of the two known color photos of Coastal Command Fortresses.  The rich photographic information is supported by 6 pages of detailed drawings that cover all aspects of the Fortress IIA (B-17E) and Fortress II (B-17F).  The basic drawings are in 1/108 scale; while this seems like an odd scale, it is large enough to work with as is, and has convenient enlargement factors of 150% for 1/72 scale and 225% for 1/48 scale.  There are numerous scrap views of radar installations, bomb racks, turrets, etc in 1/72 scale, and even the windshield wiper/deicer assembly in 1/32.  There are also 15 well-researched full color side profiles (a la Flying Colors) with additional full color views of the standard top and bottom camouflage schemes. 

While I am well satisfied with this book’s value for the fairly steep price, there is a downside to all this bounty.  You see, Mr.Stitt has introduced to me many more interesting aircraft than I’ll be able to model, so now I’ve got the tough job of deciding which ones to build.

Publicity shot purporting to show the captain of a Boeing Fortress Mark II of Coastal Command holding a final conference with his crew before taking off. The photograph was taken at Lagens, Azores, in front of a Fortress Mark II, FL462 'W' of No. 220 Squadron RAF. The 'crew' were, in fact, an ad hoc group drawn from No. 206 Squadron RAF, and the 'captain' (3rd from right, wearing SD Cap) was Flying Officer L W Taylor RAAF, an Air Ministry public relations officer.  © IWM (TR 1082)

Jet Age

Title: Jet Age

Author: Sam Howe Verhovek

Publisher: Avery

About a month ago I was in Seattle and had finished the book I had brought with me.  Searching the shelves at the Barnes & Noble at Pacific Place I spied this book, which is subtitled "The Comet, the 707, and the Race to Shrink the World."  Being in the land of Boeing, it seems like a good choice.  I will admit sheepishly that the review snippets also were attractive.  The Wall Street Journal mention the book features "big money, war, sex, and power."  Wowie, sex in a plane book?  The New York Times says "Jet Age is a page-turning detective story."  Cool.

So, does the book live up to this billing?  Of course not.  Well, unless you think sex is about how flight attendants were conceived and implemented.  (Get your mind out of the gutter, I don't mean conceived in that sense...)  And in my opinion, this isn't much of a detective story.  What the book is however; is a really great, though at times simple, telling of how jet airliners "shrunk the world" and changed all of our lives forever.  I wished for more detail about the men and the planes, and the inner-workings of Boeing and DeHavilland, but upon reading that the author was a journalist it is clear that he intended this book as an extended newspaper piece.  Cover the basics, include some socio-economic thoughts, maybe a tad bit of personal observation, and not get too in-depth.  Please don't get me wrong, it is a good book and a fun, quick read, but after recently reading Empire of the Clouds I was hoping for a little bit more than the book delivered.  Also, as a Canadian I was disappointed that the Avro Canada Jetliner was relegated to little more then a paragraph.  I have to admit I'm not sure you can tell the story of the rise of jet airliners without a more detailed account of Avro Canada's project, but maybe that is just national pride talking.

All in all it was a fun starting point on the subject and the perfect choice for a flight back to Akron on "a big ol' jet airliner."  It also is interesting to think...and as noted by the author...that without the events told in this story, there is no way I'd be involved in a bicoastal relationship in 2012.  Thanks Boeing and DeHavilland (and Avro Canada)!

The Desert Hawk

Title: The Desert Hawk

Author: Barbara Hehner

Publisher: Harper Trophy Canada

I picked this book up on the advice of Jon Bius of agapemodels.com and was very glad I did. This slim volume is a biography of James "Stocky" Edwards and his time in the RCAF flying Kittyhawks, Spitfires, and Tempests targeted to young readers. While not as expansive as Edward's autobiography "Kittyhawk Pilot" this is a quick, breezy, and fun read even for adults. (As it is a children's book, most adults should be able to finish it in one sitting.) Stocky served with the RAF in the Desert Air Force and the majority of the book focuses on his time in Kittyhawks, though his time on Spitfires is also covered. (Sadly the Tempest only gets a mention in passing.) About the only flaw I found with the book is that a photo caption of Mr. Edwards in front of a group of Tiger Moths is mis-captioned as being in front of Harvards. (NEVER misidentify the Harvard!) I also wish the author had spent a little more time on Stocky's post war exploits flying Vampires and Sabres. Highly recommend to young readers interested in the RCAF, as well as their parents too.

Empire of the Clouds

Title: Empire of the Clouds
Author: James Hamilton-Paterson
Publisher: Farber and Farber

This rather interesting book is a combination memoir, biography of Canadian test pilot Bill Waterton, and indictment of the British aviation industry. Hamilton-Paterson tells the story of a bloated industry that started out with such promise, but was able to squander that promise through inefficiency, political meddling, and just plain ignorance. (It is shocking to read just how many prototypes were scrapped just before flight testing was to begin.) Oddly, it seems the engineers were successful in-spite of themselves and the RAF never insisted that they had a functioning product before taking an aircraft on strength. (For example early Hunters that couldn't actually fire their guns.) The sections on Bill Waterton are quite eye opening in that his employer Gloster seemed to not value any of his input as Chief Test pilot. Cockpit ergonomics, heck at times pilot safety, didn't appear to be of much interest to the industry. (Let alone paying a living wage.) There area few hilarious stories, such as the Valiant being built on a field without a runway that the Valiant could be operated from, the the need to end flight testing in order to not miss lunch. It appears that many British lament the failures of their aviation industry, and often blame the politicians, but it appears that they were only part of the problem, and there was much blame to go around and much of it may be placed on the aviation companies themselves. A fascinating and enjoyable, but very British read.

Phoenix Squadron

Title: Phoenix Squadron

Author: Rowland White

Publisher: Corgi

It is not often that a book on a historical military subject is as fast paced and page turning as a novel, but Phoenix Squadron surely is. Ostensibly about the Fleet Air Arm's "raid" on British Honduras (now Belize) to deter a Guatemalan invasion, it does an amazing job of illustrating FAA carrier aviation in the 70s and the political process that would put an end to the UK's use of "real" aircraft carriers. Quite honestly it boggles the mind that the politicians didn't see just how successful the operation was, and were unable to foresee how invaluable an aircraft carrier was for future power projection. (Maybe even deterring an invasion of the Falklands?) The book is gripping and covers it all, flying Phantoms, Buccaneers, and Gannets, the political maneuvering both of the crisis itself and the the cost cutting folly that would lead to the end of the Ark Royal. Highly recommended.

No. 441 (RCAF) Squadron 1944-1945

Title: No. 441 (RCAF) Squadron 1944-1945
Author: Phil H. Listemann
Publisher: Philedition

Subtitled RAF, Dominion, & Allied Squadrons at War: Study, History, and Statistics, this 18 page privately published booklet does what it says on the cover. You get a short history of 441 Squadron, a quick history lesson on RCAF Article XV squadrons, and then the rest is tables, listings, photos, and profile drawings. The tables list such items as awards, flight and squadron commanders, bases of operations, sorties per month, a victory list, aircraft lost on ops, aircraft lost in accidents, serials and codes, squadron pilots, and a roll of honor. Four pages of photos include both aircraft and pilots and the booklet closes with five Spitfire and a Mustang III side views.

The data included is neat and well presented. Sadly the photos are indifferently printed and repeated from Larry Milberry's Fighter Squadron: From Hurricanes To Hornets, with credit of course. The profiles are well done and printed. While this book suffers in comparison to the history provided in Fighter Squadron, it has a much more narrow focus and provides some data that the Milberry's book does not. Therefore, it works both as an introduction to 441 Squadron and as a more statistic focused supplement to Fighter Squadron.

Mayhem to Mayday

Title: Mayhem to Mayday - The Two Air Wars of Andy MacKenzie, DFC
Author: Norman Avery
Publisher: Lulu.com

Andy MacKenzie was the only RCAF pilot show down in Korea. Added to that years as a POW with the Chinese, and being an Spitfire ace in World War Two you would expect his biography to be fascinating. It is, but sadly the power of the story is marginalized with poor production values and terrible editing. Much like Mr. Avery's Spartan - Seven Letters That Spanned the Globe, this is a decent book that would have been a great book with better editing. The first page of Chapter one is basically unreadable because of typos, the writing could use a general tightening up, and apparently Mr. MacKenzie flew F86Fs in Korea with the 139th Squadron, USAF. (Maybe the author means F-86Fs with the 39th FIS?) When the author can't get basic facts correct it makes you call into question the veracity of the rest of the book. Still an eye opening story, I just wish the book could have done it better justice.

Airfix Kits

Title: Airfix Kits
Author: Trevor Pask
Publisher: Shire Library

In 2010 it seems like you couldn't go a month or two without a new book on Airfix hitting the shelves. This little book is simply a short history of Airfix. While not nearly as detailed as the Ward books, it is much better edited. There are many pictures of built kits and box art with lots of images from Airfix catalogues of the past. While there are some mentions of other Airfix related lines, the book solely covers Airfix's plastic kits.

Outside of the overly 70s cover...those are some dodgy haircuts...this is a really nice short history of the famous manufacturer.

The Vought F4U Corsair

Title: The Vought F4U Corsair - A Comprehensive Guid
Authors: Rafe Morrissey and Joe Hegedus
Publisher: SAM Publications

Over the last few years, it seems that SAM Publications have decided to become less identified as a modelling publisher and more as an aviation publisher. In fact, the formerly titled Modeller's Datafiles are now known as Comprehensive Guides. As this shift has happened, the books have become less impressive. Some of the titles on modern aircraft have had no modeling content, and quite honestly seem thrown together. That being said, some titles, for example Paul Bradley's Hunter Guide, have been excellent. Seeing both Rafe Morrissey's and Joe Hegdus's name attached to this title made it a must buy.

While the modeling content is only 15 pages long, this is a pretty good one stop modeler's book on the Corsair. Lots of pictures and drawings provide detail, and there are quite a few neat wartime pictures I've never seen before...for example there are some neat Kiwi birds included; as well as, a shot of one of the Corsair wind tunnel models. All the variants are covered and the differences are explained. Plus, I'm going to give at least one thumb up to any book that includes a story from RCAF trained Black Sheep wildman Chris Magee. (And at least part of a second thumb for including a profile of one of the aircraft he flew.) But how do you do a Corsair book and not mention Hammy Gray, VC? Especially when there is a model of his aircraft in the book! Additionally, while I have no problem with poor photo colour reproduction of photos from Korea and World War II, why are a few of the current warbird pics so poor. (The three photos on Page 96 look especially washed out.) But for the most part this quibbles are minor...well outside of I would like to see more modeling in the book.

All and all I'm pretty happy with this volume, outside of the rather high price, and I think it is perfect for the modeler interested in the Corsair, but not having a full library of Corsair books on the shelf.

One Man's War

Title: One Man's War
Author: Stuart E. Soward
Publisher: Neptune

I picked up this short book after hearing that the author died in January and that the subject of the book, Richard Bartlett, passed away in December. Dick Bartlett was a farm boy from Saskatchewan who joined the Fleet Air Arm and flew Skuas off the HMS Ark Royal. The book focuses mostly on the ill-conceived attack by the Skuas on the German battleship Scharnhorst in a Norway fjord, and Mr. Bartlett's time as a Prisoner of War after being shot down in that attack. Both sections are eye opening. It is hard to believe a human could survive some of the treatment he received at the hands of the Germans, and that the FAA leadership could have held out any belief that the Scharnhosrt attack was anything but a suicide mission. Mr. Bartlett's will and tenacity to survive both the raid, and his time as a POW, are impressive. The book is a quick, breezy, and interesting read and well worth the time for the Canadian aviation fan and/or students of the Fleet Air Arm.

The Airfix Handbook

Title: The Airfix Handbook
Author: James May
Publisher: Conway Publishing

Ostensibly this slim volume is a tie in to the recent James May Toy Stories television show. However, it also functions as a short and sweet Airfix history and a good reason to never judge a book by its cover. (Ouch, is that ever a ugly cover!)

This small format hardback opens with a short history of Airfix drawing much inspiration from the Arthur Ward books, a short photographic tour of molding defects, some Roy Cross boxart, and a listing of all Spitfire kits issued by Airfix. We then have a modeling tip interlude by Chris Ellis on "10 things I wish I known when I was 10" before we get into Mr. May's project to create a 1/1 scale Airfix Spitfire. Obviously this project was better illustrated on the TV show, but it still an interesting read. Sprinkled throughout this section of the book is a short chapter on making a war movie out of Airfix tanks and a listing of the "10 Airfix kits every modeler should build." (I would quibble with the choices and suggest that most of the kits listed as honorable mentions (the 1/72 Pup, Lancaster, Vulcan, and Hurricane), should be on the main list, but isn't that what these kind of lists are for...disagreement?) Finally the book wraps up with a short build of the newer Spitfire XIX by Jonathan Mock, and, again drawn from the Ward books, a listing of Airfix kits issued year by year.

This is far from a definitive history of Airfix, but a quick and enjoyable read written by an Airfix fan. Fun.

P.S.: David, I looked in the whole book and never saw the phrase "Finish the Spitfire!"

How to Build Tamiya's 1:32 Spitfire

Title: How To Build Tamiya's 1:32 Spitfire Mk. IXc
Author: Brett Green
Publisher: ADH Publishing

As I have mentioned before I'm a sucker for both modeling books and Spitfires books. So much of a sucker I bought a book on a model I'll probably never own or build...

Brett Green's entry in the How to Build series is a timely volume on the newer Tamiya Spitfire. Much hyperbole has been lavished on the big Spit, but it appears that it is justified. The book features three builds, an out of the box build of the Spitfire in RAAF markings by Brett, a desert bird by Marcus Nicholls, and a Spitfire HF Mk. VII conversion by Roy Sutherland. As is usual with Mr. Green's articles it is clear, concise, and has some useful tips. Mr. Nicholls's desert Spitfire is more an exercise in painting. One odd thing about his build, is he twice alludes to problems with fitting the cowling over the engine, but he never states what his problems were. Finally we have Mr. Sutherland's conversion. I found this the most interesting of the three articles and it certainly is a stunning finished model. However, Roy mentions a couple times that he used custom mixed Tamiya colours on his model, I just wish he had listed out the mixes so the modeler could attempt to replicate them. You gotta love the Medium Sea Grey over PRU Blue scheme.

In addition to the builds, there is a short page on the Pacific Coast Models 1/32 short run Spitfire, some profiles by Richard J Caruana, and a short walk around section on the two Spitfires at the Temora Aviation Museum.

I enjoyed the book, but I like Spitfires. Of course the real question is as a 1/72 scale modeler why did I buy this book? Well as I said I like Spitfires, but I think subconsciously I knew that I'd never finish the Tamiya kit if I bought one. So in order to avoid buying it and seeing it reside in the closet of no hope for an eternity, I bought this book, enjoyed some other modelers' builds, and now I can focus on finishing my 1/72 Airfix Spitfires.