Andy Taylor
Reviews By Author
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For Now and Forever! The 1992 Coup D’ État Attempts in Venezuela - Volume 1: Causes and the Opening Moves of the February 1992 CoupPublished:
This is the first volume of the 1992 coup d'état attempts in Venezuela, focusing on the causes and the opening moves of the February 1992 coup. Author José Daniel Fernández Dugarte’s original manuscript was too large for the @War series, so the editors decided rather than break the book in two, leaving the volumes unbalanced, the book was partitioned part way through. This first volume focuses on the background and history of the Venezuelan armed forces and the beginning of the first coup. As the editors note, “We recognize this leaves the reader with something of a cliff hanger ending to this volume and hope that you will understand this decision and pick up the story and discover the conclusion presented in Volume 2.” The author did a great job relating this complex story, and while… more |
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Pacific Profiles Volume 16 Allied Bombers: B-17 Flying Fortress series Australia, New Guinea and the Solomons 1942-1944Published:
B-17s didn’t just serve in the European Theater but began the war under the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor and the Philippines on 7 and 8 December, respectively due to the international date line. The Flying Fortress served on the front line as bombers from December 1941 through late 1943 before transitioning to B-24D Liberators. Flying Fortresses continued to serve throughout the war as transports and commander/VIP transports. This book does a tremendous job of telling the important role B-17s served in the Pacific Theater. The author does a fantastic job of highlighting the various models (B-17D, E and F), their evolution in fighting, markings, paint schemes, missions and histories of the bombers, squadrons, groups and conditions in New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and… more |
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They Also Serve - RAF Reconnaissance and Support Projects Since 1945Published:
Occasionally, you need to get out of your comfort zone and see what else is out there. I was intrigued to read about the Royal Air Force’s reconnaissance and support projects as I didn’t know much about them. When the 336-page, hardcover book arrived, I questioned why I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and figured I could skim the pages. Wow, I was wrong and ended up reading every single word and devoured the book. Author Chris Gibson is an amazing writer, who writes from a position of knowledge born of passion and engages the writer with his great story telling ability. Initially I had an issue with the title of the book, as it lends itself to self-pity and relegation to a subordinate role. As I mentioned above, the author didn’t have this problem and explained the title… more |
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Panzer CrewmanPublished:
This book’s title is a little misleading. While Panzer Crewman, does focus on the Germans in the Panzerwaffe, it is also an excellent primer and one-stop shop for history of Germany’s World War II panzers, tactics, and how they were employed from the first offensive battles to the grinding defensive battles on three fronts. The authors wrote,
German panzers achieved almost… more |
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Pz.Kpfw. V Panther Ausf. APublished:
“Seidentasche aus dem Ohr einer Sau” is German for “Silk purse from a sow’s ear.” I like older kits and have a soft spot for building something beautiful from an old kit; however, when a kit is newly released, I expect more than a model from the 1970s. This kit traces its lineage to ESCI Kit No. 8026 (first released in 1974). This version of the kit first entered Italeri as Kit No. 7018 in 2004 with new decals. This kit (7018 on Italeri’s website, 557018 on MRC’s website) has amazing box art of a Panther Ausf A with Zimmerit, schürzen, new decals for five versions, link-and-length tracks, and one figure. Apart from the decals, this kit is the same as the previous Italeri version from 21 years ago, which is the same Esci kit going back over fifty years. Reference the MRC… more |
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The Allied Neutralization of Rabaul - Japan’s Major South Pacific BasePublished:
I am an unabashed fan of the Images of War book series and enjoy author Jon Diamond’s writing style. Having read many of his books before, particularly his books on Burma Victory 1944-1945 and the Allied Victory Over Japan 1945, this book fills a huge void in the South Pacific War and its larger part in the Allied operations to defeat the Imperial Japanese… more |
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WW2 Vehicles - Through the Lens, Volume 4Published:
This landscaped, hardback book is the fourth in a new series of books by renowned and prolific photograph collector and author Jon Feenstra, published through PeKo Publishing of Hungary. This volume continues its proven formula of amazing photographs, many previously unpublished, of armored and soft skin vehicles in depots, in the field and post combat. Each page reveals more surprises than the previous. Previous editions of this great series have been reviewed: The first volume in this series was reviewed here at WW2 Vehicles Through the Lens Vol.… more |
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The Soviet Battle for Berlin, 1945Published:
The Battle for Berlin was the cumulative battle in the European theater in World War II. Three massive Russian Fronts aligned from north to south (Second Belorussian, First Belorussian and First Ukrainian Fronts) had battered two German Army Groups (Vistula and Center) and the three armies (Third and Fourth Panzer Army and Ninth Army) westward from October 1944 to mid-April 1945 to set the stage for the final onslaught and bloody Battle for Berlin. Author Ian Baxter has once again provided a succinct, well researched and presented book on a complicated and seminal campaign.Using period photographs, illustrated pages, tables and immaculate references, this book provides the reader with the harrowing and horrifying last months and days of the Third Reich. The Soviet Battle… more |
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German 2 cm Flak 38 with CrewPublished:
From the ICM website
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Model Dioramas HandbookPublished:
This is a good introduction book to the world of dioramas by author Mat Irvine. His English roots are evident throughout this amazing book, and it is great to see his perspective across multiple genres of modelling, and not just fixated on one sub-genre. While some want dioramas for a specific style, this book does a great job of covering dioramas from basic to movie sets and museum displays. I also appreciate the author’s Dedication page to Andrew Yanchus before the table of contents. Andy worked for Aurora, a “colorist” for Marvel Comics, and as an advisor for the newly formed Atlantis Model Company. He was a friend of author Mat Irvine for almost 50 years and was a “highly knowledgeable historian on all matters to do with model-making, and I still often think, when tackling a… more |