Casemate Publishing continues to release and distribute Helion’s ongoing series on wars in the twentieth century. This particular volume is part of their collection dealing with conflicts in the continent of Africa and covers the United Nation and United States intervention in Somalia from 1992 to 1994. As with other works in this series, they provide text, contemporary photographs that are mostly black and white with a smattering of color photographs. The center of the book has some color profiles of ground equipment and aircraft. Apparently the difference between the first edition and second edition of the book is not the content, but a new cover and color profiles.

The Fairey Swordfish needs no introduction, it being one of those classics of aviation that find themselves famous for being available in the right place at the right time. This new book from Morton Books is the second in their Fleet Air Arm Legends series and is written by noted aviation historian Matthew Willis.

Author Willis weaves a tight story of the need and development of the Swordfish in the early 1930’s, the entry into service and the emergency measures taken to ensure that this obsolescent aircraft was made available in the numbers needed by the FAA when it’s replacement – the Albacore – hit development issues.

SAC is an interesting company; started around the year 2010 or so, they continue to provide model landing gear and other stress-handling parts in a world that some would say at the time “has no place for them here”. I differ in this view, one of their first sets was for the Italieri S-3 Viking, and I learned they had released a 1/32 set to replace the Revell JU-88 plastic set that was notorious for breaking off the wheel axle just in moving the model around; I was sold. SAC proves itself resilient where the naysayers are proven wrong (continually, I add) in the value of these vital bits. Others make stronger brass versions, but you will pay dearly for them in my experience, and they are more difficult to install due to being too stiff. I like SAC’s choice of metals.