Douglas A-20 Boston/Havoc

Warpaint No. 32
By Richard J. Caruana
Hall Park Publications, ©2001
48 Pages, Softbound

Reviewed by Chris Banyai-Riepl

The latest title from Hall Park covers one of the unsung bombers of the Second World War, and does the usual good job of combining photos and profiles with a well-written text. The Boston/Havoc family started out quietly and actually received no US support initially.  The first country to receive the Havoc was France, who received several via Casablanca, but it was too little, too late.  Next up came England, and they proved the viability of the airframe.  From there the USAAF received their Bostons, but the largest operator was the Soviet Union who put the plane to work in just about every role they could think of.

This book takes a close look at the plane, with a strong focus on the RAF examples.  The profiles included are different from the ones seen in previous Warpaints, with these examples being shaded illustrations.  I feel that these do a much better job of demonstrating the shape and outline of the aircraft.  There's a total of 47 side view illustrations, five top views, and one five-view spread included. A center pullout with 1/72 plans provide a nice addition (with the pullout roughly 22" x 17").  A handful of color photos coupled with plenty of black and whites round out the book, making this an excellent reference for the upcoming MPM Boston/Havoc kits.

If you're interested in bomber twins, or the Boston/Havoc in general, you'll definitely want to get this title.