 Planes & Pilots Book no. 3
"Curtiss P-40 from 1939 to 1945"
Authors: Anis Elbied & Daniel Lurelut
Translated from French to English by Alan Mckay
Publishers: Histoire & Collections (Paris, France)
ISBN: 2-913903-47-9
MSRP: $19.95
The Curtiss P-40 has been immortalized in most people's minds as the mount of the AVG (American Volunteer Group), better known as the Flying Tigers. Although it was never an exceptional thoroughbred, like the P-51 Mustang, it is remembered as one of America's most numerous and reliable fighters when the war began. It had a strong and reliable airframe, driven by an Allison engine which was also used on the P-39 Aircobra and the P-38 Lightning.
This new book, the third in the Planes and Pilots series, covers the development of the P-40 and all its subsequent variants. There are short biographies about each variant. The book is soft-cover 9 1/2" x 7" format. It contains 82 pages. There are no less than 163 different color profile paintings (three of which are multi-views). There are 49 different nose arts and insignias, in color, that were used on P-40s. Add to this 18 different shark mouth drawings, again in color and the different Flying Tiger markings. There is also a page showing the different bombs and drop tanks used (in color) and a map of the different theatres of operation that the P-40s flew in. Finally, you get 32 black and white photos. All in all, quite the book. Conclusion I thoroughly enjoyed Histoire & Collection's first two books, covering the Bf109, and looked forward to more books by them. This new one sure doesn't disappoint. Highly recommended. By the way, their next book will be on the Junkers Ju-87 Stuka. I look eagerly forward to getting that one. My example was purchased at the local Barnes and Nobles book store. | 
|