 Patton's Eyes in the Sky
USAAF Combat Reconnaissance Missions
North-West Europe 1944-1945
By Tom Ivie
Color Profiles by Tom Tullis
Classic Publications, ©2003
ISBN 1-903223-26-1
Hardbound, 176 Pages
Available from Specialty Press for $44.95 There has been many books written on the fighters of the 8th Air Force during World War Two, but not much has been done on the reconnaissance end of things. This book changes that, and in a big way. The author did his homework with this title, and his hard work shows. This book takes you through the interesting world of tactical reconnaissance over Europe during the last years of the war, and is full of interesting tales from those who were there. From the beginnings stateside to the eventual European deployment, this title follows the 10th Photo Reconnaissance Group all the way to the end of the war. The gripping stories from the pilots who flew dangerous low-level missions are difficult to set down, and I found myself reading this almost as a novel. The photos complement the text, with many that I've never seen before. I can see several photo-recon Mustangs in my future. The color profiles are up to Tom Tullis' usual high quality and feature some interesting nose art. In addition to the usual P-38s and P-51s, there's a couple of interesting P-39s and even a P-40 in there. This book is a definite must-have for anyone interested in the 8th Air Force, as it covers in detail a branch that has not had enough exposure in the past. The quality of the text and interesting photos make it a great modeler's reference as well. Highly recommended. My thanks to Specialty Press for the review copy. Be sure to check out their website for other great books from Classic Publications.
| 
|