The Eagles of Manchukuo, 1932-1945: An Illustrated History of the Civilian and Military Aviation
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Authors: George Eleftheriou & Kiri Domoto-Eleftheriou
Publisher: Arawasi
ISBN: 978-4-9904647-1-4
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 224
Every so often a book comes across the desk here at Internet Modeler that is truly exciting to see, and this is just such a title. While most aviation history books these days are derivative pieces building on previous research, this book breaks new ground. Prior to this, the only information on Manchurian aviation was minimal at best, often relegated to a small article or a paragraph in a broader regional history. The authors have undertaken an impressive amount of research to fill this fascinating gap in aviation history, and the result is a remarkable title that will have great appeal to aviation historians.
The book begins with a short introduction to aviation in Manchukuo following the First World War. This is then followed by the first of four chapters. The first two chapters make up the majority of the text and these reference the Manchukuo Aviation Co., Ltd (Manshû Kôkû Kabushiki Kaisha, or MKKK) and the Manchukuoan Air Force (MAF). The last two chapters cover the Manchukuo Maritime Police Air Unit (MMPAU) and gliders, respectively, and complete the story of aviation in Manchukuo.
The story of the Manchukuo Aviation Company is told through a description of the individual aircraft, as well as eyewitness accounts and short pieces on specific events involving the MKKK. The period between the wars in China and Manchuria was complex politically, and this book does not attempt to explain much of that. Rather, it focuses on the role of aviation during that period, and for those looking for a more complete picture, I would recommend picking up a good general history of that period to fill in the blanks. Doing so would help put this book in context, although enough information is presented here to provide a complete history of aviation in this region. The chapter on the Manchukuoan Air Force examines that unit from several angles, including the recruitment of pilots, the history of the well-known presentation aircraft, and the MAF in combat.
Of course, the title describes this as an illustrated history, and particular note must be made of the photographic content in this book. Without a doubt this is the most complete photographic record of Manchukuoan aviation ever put in print. What is really surprising is the quality of the photos. Given the region and time frame, I had expected many of the photos to be less than stellar in quality, but the ones reproduced here are clear and detailed. In addition to the photographs, there are images of period memorabilia, such as post cards, stamps, stickers, advertising, and pamphlets, many of which are in color. These help to verify the colors of the aircraft, as well as provide beautiful examples of the artistic style popular during that era. Finally, there are dozens of superb color profile illustrations covering all the major aircraft types, showing how these aircraft would look in full color.
The history of aviation in China is not well documented, so the release of this book is very welcome. The quality of research and production is outstanding, and the result should be an important part of any Asian aviation historian's library. My sincere thanks to the authors and publisher for presenting this book to the aviation history public.
Visit the Arawasi website for ordering information on this and other Arawasi titles.