Ace of Aces Books

Williamson's book is simply magnificent, the best introduction to the great array of land, sea and air aces that Germany produced during World War II. The reader who does not have any idea about the levels of heroic achievements that the Wehrmacht individuals made, will be surprised to say the least. The Germans had a different view toward medals, prefering to honor the great scores or the unique records in order to produce idols for the youth, in a similar way that modern athletes do their utmost for medals and victories. Germans also had the habit to wear their decorations all the time, even in the heat of battle! In the process they produced the most specatcular fighter, submarine and tank aces, as well as scores of daring commandos, paratroopers and brave officers. If you are interested in World War II Germany don't miss this book!

I'm selling a copy, but I'm just going to opine that whoever Kookaburra Technical Publications Pty Ltd of Melbourne was, they generated some quality WWII aviation books about 25-30 years ago.

Cloth over hardback boards with dustcover. Large format, 144 pp, something like over 300 illustrations. Black and white photos. Over 14 pages of color plates, including paintings of 16 specific aircraft in profile. Lots of shots of nose art.

Table of Contents:
- Three Air Forces on Operations
- The Aces Part 1
- the Pilots
- The Aces Part 2
- Ploesti and Ziegenberg
- Aircraft Markings
Appendix I: 9th, 12th & 15th Air Forces Aces
Appendix II: Squadrons and Groups of the 9th, 12th & 15th
Color Plates
Bibliography
Index of Illustrations

When I was a little girl (45 years ago,) my grandmother would read aloud to me from this book over and over again. I absolutely loved it and can still quote from it. One of the most wonderful events of my childhood was discovering the ENTIRE SERIES in my other grandmother's attic. I didn't even know there was a series. It was like finding gold!
Years later, my own children loved these books. There were so many titles that reading them spanned most of their childhood.
These are wonderful books for younger children and lend themselves very well to reading aloud. The characters are vivid and display a broad range of very human attributes. There are heros and cowards, false friends and loyal friends, wise individuls and those not to be trusted and most characters grow and learn in the course of the books. The main players seem to be about the developmental level of a typical 8 year old, so children relate to and understand their motivations.
These books are quick and easy reads,and a little dated (well, maybe a lot dated now) but children slip very easily into the cadence of the language and become "hooked."

Billy is so silly in this silly Billy book! Join him on the adventure of a lifetime. He goes on a voyage many people only dream of. But while going on this adventure, he does silly things! That's how he got his name.

Mongol General: We have won again. That is good! But what is best in life?
Mongol Warrior: The open steppe, fleet horse, falcon on your wrist, wind in your hair!
Mongol General: Wrong! Conan, what is best in life?
Conan: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!
Mongol General: That is good.

What is second best...these books!

Agrippa's Daughter is an emotional, deep, compassionate and compelling historical novel. It tells the story of Queen Berenice Bat Agrippa of Israel.
Born in 28 CE, Berenice was the daughter of the King of Israel, Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great. A Hasmonean Princess, Berenice was strikingly beautiful, with the flaming red hair of the line of King David Ben Jesse, and fierce green eyes.

It is also the story of the Nation of Israel, in the years before the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, and the cruel exile of the Jewish people, from their ancient homeland.

After her arranged marriage to King Herod of Chalcis (in Lebanon), who died when Berenice was 23, she married the physician Shimeon Ben Gamaliel, of the House of the great Rabbi Hillel, to whose teachings she became a committed disciple. Later after the murder of Shimeon in Jerusalem, she would travel to Rome , as the mistress of Titus , destroyer of the Temple and later Emperor of Rome.

It is a novel of colour, sound and passion. I was deeply moved for my Nation of Israel , reading about the massacre of Jewish children in Jerusalem in 66 CE by the order of the cruel Roman procurator Gessius Florus. Especially, since last year, in August 2003, there was another massacre of Jewish children, by Palestinian terrorists.

Through the conflict at the time between Pharisee and Sadducee, Hillelite and Zealot, Sicarii and Hellenist, this is ultimately the story of the Land of Israel and the attachment through the ages of the Jewish Nation to that land. It is the story of the dreams and future of the children of Israel.

Well written, easily followed text accompanies the stories and backgrounds of "Air Aces" from WWI right up to the end of the Falklands campaign. Illustrations include many not seen before by this reviewer. Author provides excellent facts and details throughout

During the 1941-45 timeframe the Hawker Hurricane saw action in every theater around the world as day fighters, fighter-bombers, night intruders and nightfighters. These combats added an additional 60+ names to the Hurricane aces list. Andrew Thomas wraps up Osprey's coverage of the Hurri's combat career in this nicely done volume, #57 in the 'Aircraft of the Aces' series.

Thomas summarizes the Hurricane's global combats in chapters devoted to the ETO, Mediterranean, North Africa and Far East, chapters that illustrate how varied the aircraft's later-war career was. In the 'Offence and Defence' chapter for example, Thomas relates Hurricane use in cross-Channel fighter sweeps, nightfighter/intruder ops and service on board CAM ships and Royal Navy carriers in the Atlantic and North Atlantic.

The aces encountered in this book read like a Who's Who of RAF fighter pilots - Pat Pattle, Frank Carey, Bill Vale, 'Boy' Mould, Karel Kuttelwascher, Willie McKnight, Jack Storey and so on. That they accomplished so much, given that by 1941, the Hurricane was getting long in the tooth, speaks volumes for their piloting skills and fighter spirit.

Thomas' book is a well-done, broadbrush chronicle of victories, defeats, rough times and ultimate victory. The comprehensive text is illustrated with over 100 photographs and ten pages of color profiles by John Weal.

Air combat enthusiasts and fans of Hawker's humpbacked warhorse will enjoy this book.

*****
The initial Osprey 'Hurricane Aces' volume, authored by Tony Holmes in 1998, added an extra 32 pages to tell the 1939-40 Hurricane story. I would have liked Osprey to have done the same with Thomas' book. Given the scope of the subject, extra pages would have been great.

Subtitled 'Legends of the Skies,' this is one stunning book! It combines the wonderful air combat artwork done by Iain Wyllie and Mark Postlethwaite with detailed stories of the actions depicted in the artwork. Something for everyone; what a treat!

The 30-odd paintings featured in this book were drawn from the Osprey "Aircraft of the Aces" series and depict air combat scenes from 1917 to 1973. So you have a sweeping vista ranging from Sopwith Pups to Fokker D VIIs to Hawker Hurricanes, P-51 Mustangs, P-40s, Me 109s, F-86 Sabres and, lastly, McDonnell Douglas F-4s. Much background information is given for each scene along with photos and, in some cases, color profiles of the aircraft.

Buy this book. It is a great introduction to the subject with wonderful artwork, history to back it up and all at a very affordable price.

Both volumes are wonderful photo references (and updated from the original Kookabura issues) and contain the bulk of the existing photos of the aircraft of the Luftwaffe Aces. There's not a lot of text. If memory serves correctly, Vol 1 covers JG1-JG51 and Vol 2 covers JG52-JG300. Both are a must for the Jagdwaffe historian. Excellent reference for the aircraft model builder