From the About the Author section,

Ian Baxter is a military historian who specializes in German twentieth-century military history. He has written more than fifty books. He has also reviewed numerous military studies for publication, supplied thousands of photographs and important documents to various publishers and film production companies worldwide, and lectures to various schools, colleges and universities throughout the United Kingdom and Southern Ireland.

In short, Ian Baxter is a respected historian and an author I actively seek out for his insight and amazing photographs for World War II. This book continues its amazing legacy, does not disappoint, and is worth the price for the photographs alone.

Hope you understand if this review contains some insight into the After The Battle standard presentations. These books, of which there are now over 86 issues (and this number does not count the WWI, Military, Aviation, Maritime or Ancient History books), take a photographic trip through the battles or campaigns named (e.g. Arnhem, Bastogne, Omaha Beach). These publications take great pains to compare the war time photographs to modern day images of the same location, which in most cases still stand today. Most of the titles are available as eBooks, Audiobooks, DVDs, and the original magazines.

“The History of Science Fiction and Its Toy Figurines” by author Luigi Toiati is a substantial and weighty hardback of 528 glossy pages with 470 pictures (See Photo 1). Although it may feel like one, the author claims in the Forward that it is not an encyclopedia or boring treatise or catalogue, but instead the reader should “consider it a promenade through sci-fi and the toy figurines linked to the subject.” And while the author doesn’t necessarily agree with those science fiction (SF) authorities he cites who trace the origins of the genre back to the ancient times of the Bible, Hinduism, Plato, or Lucian of Samosata (a 2^nd-century Syrian satirist and rhetorician), his review of the aforesaid genealogy is extensive and at times tedious.

The book goes into great detail of the development, service, variants, and full history of a classic British World War Two and post-war aircraft manufactured by Vickers under the names Viking, Valetta, and the Varsity. These were aircraft developed in response to the British review of the post-war Civil transportation needs. Later to be known as the Brabazon Committee.

I found this book so informative and full of facts and details of very little-known aircraft.

The articles on the variants that were explored during the development were especially interesting.

The book is full of extremely interesting photos of the aircraft in development, manufacturing, in service, etc. These would be great as references for aircraft enthusiasts.

Another nice touch is the inclusion of the “In Detail” section, showing aircraft profiles and 1/144 scale plans.

Carnation Revolution Volume 2: Coup in Portugal, April 1974 is a part of Helion and Company’s Europe@War series, No. 39 (HEL 11844). This is the third book about Portuguese forces that I have read, authored by José Augusto Matos (he co-authored Sanctuary Lost, Portugal’s Air War for Guinea 1961-1974, Volume 1, with Matthew M. Hurley, reviewed, and the first volume by authors José Augusto Matos and Zelia Oliveira.

For those who have not read Volume 1, or the previous review, a recap is necessary as the title states, this book is the second volume of this coup that re-shaped Portugal’s future and starts where the first volume leaves off.