Book Reviews!

Lots of us on here find time to read some interesting books. SOme of us, like me, read a LOT. Come on, besides typing here, playing guitar at an obscene volume, and blowing away forumgoers on XBox Live’s Halo 2, I have to have something to do, right? 😀

That being said, here’s a convenient place to throw aviation-related book reviews. If you find a great book, tell us about it. If you find a book that is just horrible, warn us. And do note that this is not a depository for authors to promote their own wares.

I’ll kick this off with some reviews of the most recent additions to my ever-expanding collection.

Aerofax’s Lockheed-Martin F/A-22 Raptor: This is by far the definitive work on the subject to date. There are massive amounts of details (well duh, it is Aerofax) and a number of never before published photos and design concept illustrations. The FB-22 and NATF designs are given attention as well, the former lending the book a tone of superiority when compared to others on the subject, thanks to it’s 2005 publication date. JDAM integration, SDB trials, all of this is covered. There’s even a few photos of Raptors with external fuel tanks! The downside is that very little attention to the YF-23A is given. However, that’s a pretty tiny downside-the book is about the F/A-22, after all, not the (superior…heh) YF-23A. Find this. Order it. Whatever. You will NOT be disappointed.

Aerofax’s Yakovlev Yak-25/-26/-27/-28: Another great Aerofax addition. Between Aerofax and the Red Star series, Soviet and Russian aviation history books are pretty well set for a while. While the book does contain a lot of really detailed tech-talk, there’s a great deal of operational history to be found here. Plus, there are a huge number of typically outstanding drawings and color profiles. Can’t go wrong here, especially given that the aircraft being covered is relatively obscure in terms of literary coverage.

Aerofax’s Sukhoi Su-7/-17/-20/-22: Last Aerofax title, I promise 😀 As usual, there are a lot of details covering variants, obscure and mass-produced, up to and including the latest upgrade proposals. Ever seen a FITTER with a glass cockpit? No? There’s one in here! A great read, even if Gordon does take a rather anti-American view of the Libyan FITTER shootdown for some reason.

Red Star Volume 11-Myasischev M-4 and 3M: For Soviet Strategic Aviation fans, this has to be considered a must-read. There are a lot of details in here on the tanker and VM-T Atlant variants as well. Red Star’s series has always been a favorite of mine ever since the first volume came around, and this is a worthy addition to the series.

Red Star Volume 18-Antonov’s Heavy Transports: This one covers the An-22, An-124, An-225, and An-70. There’s a lot of good stuff in here including variant details and a lot of great illustrations, but this one is slightly flawed. In my opinion a lot more attention could have been given to both the An-22 and the An-124/225 series had each been given it’s own volume. This seems like a rush job to get another volume out, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great reference source. I just wish it was either larger or split in half. I’d also have liked to see photos of Libyan or UAE operated An-124s.

Red Star Volume 21-Antonov’s Jet Twins: Much better. Although, BE WARNED. Due to the fact that Volume 22 or 23 will cover Soviet/Russian AWACS aircraft, there is no data on the An-71. Had I known that fact, I might have passed on this one, but I’m glad I got it anyway after giving it a quick run through. This aircraft has always fascinated me for some reason, and I’m glad I have a good reference work to read through sometime in the near future. The Red Star series are always excellently illustrated, and this is no exception. I do like the coverage of the An-72P, as well as arctic shots of the An-74. If you’re into COALERs, go find this book ASAP.