Andy Taylor
Reviews By Author
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Phoenix Scale Modelling International – July/August 2023Published:
Phoenix Scale Modelling International is a multi-interest modeling magazine hailing from Great Britain. While its cover price is reasonable (equivalent to $6.55 for the £5.99 price), postage will almost double that price. There is a digital version available which drops the price down to £4.99 for a single issue, or £19.99 for an annual subscription. The July/August 2023 issue of Phoenix Scale Modeller International is divided into six general interest, color coded sections:
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North American A-5/RA-5 VigilantePublished:
From the Phoenix Scale Publications website, “Phoenix Scale Publications is a partnership of four people who have worked in the modelling and aviation press for many years and have come together to produce two brand-new, high-quality modelling titles and a new book series – for modellers, by modellers – with each partner bringing their own unique talents.” This Air Profile Book is authored by Andy Evans, who, during his 40-year career has been involved with five aviation and modelling magazines, as well as an author of numerous articles. His accomplishments include over 60 aviation and modelling books to his name. The North American Aviation (NAA) A-5 and RA-5C Vigilante were US Navy carrier-based supersonic bombers (that provided a nuclear strike capability) and… more |
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The Second World War Illustrated - The Fifth YearPublished:
Perhaps the best introduction for this book comes from the book’s online description, “The Second World War Illustrated: 1944 follows the author's visual tour of the war by means of painstakingly researched and digitally restored pictures from the period of the key battlefields and events of the period from September 1943 to the late summer of 1944. This year marked a defining change in the balance of the war; by its end the Axis powers were in serious trouble on all their fronts.” This is the fifth book in Jack Holroyd’s Second World War Illustrated series. The previous four books in the Second World War Illustrated series were previously competently and eloquently reviewed by three members of IPMS Review Corps:
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WW2 Vehicles - Through the Lens, Volume 1Published:
This landscaped, hardback book is the first in a new series of books by renowned and prolific unpublished photograph collector and author Tom Cockle, published through PeKo Publishing of Hungary. This is an incredible book with many previously unpublished photos of armored vehicles in depots, in the field and after combat. The next page reveals more surprises that the previous. WW2 Vehicles Through the Lens is a new series of photographic albums presenting military and civilian vehicles used by the military during the Second World War. Each book will have six-eight chapters, each focusing on a different subject featuring mostly previously unpublished photographs. Volume 1 consists of the following six parts:
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Danger Zone US Clandestine Reconnaissance Operations along the West Berlin Air Corridors, 1945-1990Published:
Three Western Air Corridors to Berlin were established after the Yalta (February 1945) and Potsdam (July 1945) Conferences and formalized on 31 December 1945. The three corridors were 20 English miles wide, from Hamburg, Hannover and Frankfurt-am-Main to Berlin, terminating in Gatow, Tegel and Templehof Airfields, West Berlin. The final mission was flown on 29 September 1990, just a few days before formal German unification and the disappearance of the Air Corridors. The Berlin Air Route Traffic Control Centre was finally closed on 31 December 31, 1994. In between those dates is a fascinating, and very overlooked, history of over 10,000 clandestine reconnaissance flight operations against both the Soviets and East Germans in the heart of the Cold War. The author, Kevin Wright,… more |
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Rommel's Afrika Korps in ColourPublished:
Anthony Tucker Jones really doesn’t need an introduction to military history readers with his impressive book pedigree, over 500 articles and his contributions to modelers through Pen & Sword and Casemate. His latest book builds on his impressive reputation, and his ability to tie in well-known history of a pivotal and influential German Field Marshall, along with amazing color photographs from Ian Spring’s digital archive, makes this a highly recommended book. Rommel's Afrika Korps in Colour - Rare German Photographs from the Second World War, is composed of an introduction, five parts with 14 chapters, and an order of battle:
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Real WeatheringPublished:
Do modelers really need another book on weathering models? The authors defend their position in the opening paragraph of the book, “This is a book about weathering and designed with one audience in mind – the military modeler. To be sure, there are many books concerned with weathering military models available, but they all concentrate on weathering techniques – pre-shading, washes, pin-washes, dry-brushing, hairspray, you name it, it has a name and technique. This book is different; it does not tell the modeler how to achieve a particular finish. Rather, it is a reference book showing a range of real military vehicles and their components in real military environments.” The authors go on to explain their methodology why the book focuses primarily on modern… more |
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Chasing the Soft Underbelly - Turkey and the Second World WarPublished:
Chasing the Soft Underbelly - Turkey and the Second World War is an amazing, detailed and concise (for the breadth of history covered) book on Turkey’s involvement in World War II, its involvement in the Balkans, its neighboring countries, and the aftermath of World War I that saw the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. While this is not an easy book to digest if you don’t have any background with Turkey, the Balkans, or the principal players (especially the non- historically relatable Turkish leaders), it is well worth the time and money invested. It will fill in a lot of previously known factors of Turkey and its neighbors in the critical 20th Century. Turkey (officially the Republic of Türkiye) is a transcontinental country of strategic importance located mainly on the… more |
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Sappers of the Armed Forces of UkrainePublished:
ICM continues to announce new models despite the ongoing Russian initiated war in Ukraine. While most subjects released by ICM are welcome, the current conflict subjects are even more relevant and welcome. When anything military engineer-related hits the market, I am intrigued; this kit is a double hit for me. Unexploded munitions, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), booby traps and mines are hallmarks of modern warfare. Breaching obstacles and cleaning up battlefields often fall to sappers and combat engineers. This fantastic ICM kit begs to be opened upon arrival. Upon opening the colorful lid and cover of the typical sturdy ICM box, there is a reinforced white inner box that does a good job of protecting the single sprue containing the three Sapper figures and dog, along… more |
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Revolución Libertadora, Volume 2 - The 1955 Coup that Overthrew President PerónPublished:
Revolución Libertadora, Volume 2 - The 1955 Coup that Overthrew President Perón picks up where the previous book, Revolución Libertadora, Volume 1: The 1955 Coup D’état in Argentina, abruptly left off (see the previous review here for details). Author Antonio Luis Sapienza writes in the Introduction -
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