Mike Spick

I'm not usually that fond of pure alternate history, but this is a very good example of the type. Mike Spick simply asks what would good leadership and a viable long-range strategic bomber force have meant to the Luftwaffe. The answer is quite a lot. Would it be enough? That would be telling; and would take the suspense out of the story. This book really does strike me as being better than most of the Greenhill 'Victorious' series, if only because this is the work of one man and Spick has show more written sufficiently about the German air effort in World War II that he seems capable of covering all the bases. show less

Small physical size and awkward layout in paperback format leads to text and pictures obscured by the deep cleft between pages, and makes the book vulnerable to breakage. Odd choices of planes for inclusion.
A fairly comprehensive coverage of fighters from WW1 to the present including specs, variants, and production dates, extensively detailing the craft's history and significance.
includes the Su-35 Super Flanker, F-22, F-35, and Eurofighter).
The list of fighters included seems to me quite show more random, and rather poorly. Obscure and insignificant prototypes such as the XP-79 and Pogo are included in the book, but historically significant full-production fighters such as the Grumman biplanes, the Bearcat, Tigercat, P-35, Nieuport 28, P-59, and such are omitted. The Curtiss XP-55 is included but it's competitors in the WW2 pusher-prop competition, the XP-54 and XP56 (which were arguably more significant and innovative) are not.
A to Z reference features extensive data (including dimensions, performance, armaments, and variants) on more than 200 of the world's fighter aircraft from World War I to the present day, not to mention hundreds of photos, most of them in color, illustrating the aircraft in action. In addition, each fighter is accompanied by expert commentaries detailing its development, service, and combat histories. show less

This is essentially a potted history of the Luftwaffe, with special attention for bomber units and some anecdotes thrown in. It is all rather superficial, with most of the attention going to the early war years, and the Atlantic. If you are already reasonably familiar with the course of the air war in WW II, you will learn not much new.

Accurate descriptions profile the futuristic F-117A Nighthawk; the all-wing B-2B bomber; the carrier-borne F/A-18 Hornet and F-14 Tomcat; the battle-hardened A-10 Warthog, Harrier/AV-8B and Tornado; the ubiquitous F-16 Fighting Falcon; the F-15 Eagle; America's next-generation F-22 Raptor; Sweden's Saab Gripen; France's Rafale and Eurofighter; plus Russian MiGs, Sukhois and more. Development history, powerplants, weapons and avionics, performance and handling, and combat analysis stats show more accompany each aircraft. Complete with three-views and cutaways. show less