Reviews of books or magazines relating to scale modeling.

Book Author(s)
Jon Feenstra
Review Author
James Kelley
Published on
Company
Peko Publishing
MSRP
$41.95

“WW2 Vehicles, Through the Lens 6” is a captivating installment in the "Through the Lens" series, authored by Jon Feenstra. This book delves into the world of World War II vehicles, showcasing an impressive collection of historical photographs and detailed descriptions that bring to life the engineering marvels of the era.

The book is structured in a way that balances visual appeal with informative content. Each chapter focuses on different classes of vehicles, including tanks, armored cars, and transport vehicles. The photographs are the standout feature, providing readers with a rare glimpse into the operational history and design of these machines.

Book Author(s)
Stefan Draminski
Review Author
Hub Plott
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$15.34

This is a nice compact publication filled with scale drawings of the various versions of the Ta-152. Accompanying these drawings are six color profiles and one over/under color profile. A nice edition is a decal sheet for two different Ta-152s in 1/48 and 1/72.

This is a nice, inexpensive book detailing the specifications and differences between the model C and model H variants. The addition of decals in two of the major scales is a genuinely nice touch. I can recommend this to anyone with an interest in Focke-Wulf aircraft. I thank Kagero for the review item and IPMS/USA for the opportunity.

Review Author
Steve Zajac
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$15.15

This book, covering the SBD Douglas Dauntless, is #13 (of 19 published to date) of a reference series devoted to famous WWII aircraft. It is published by Kagero Publishing (Poland). The book begins with excellent WWII era black and white cockpit pictures of the pilot's cockpit, though there are no pictures of the gunner's area. Next comes 4 pages of color paintings of a US Navy SBD-3 (USS Yorktown, Battle of Midway 1942), a USAAF A-24B, two late 1940's French navy SBD-5s, a US Navy SBD-5 (USS Lexington, 1945), a Mexican AF SBD-5 (1944), and finally a yellow wings US Marine SBD-1(1940).

Book Author(s)
Holger Müller
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

I thought the Chinese Chengdu J-7 was a copy of the Soviet MiG-21 (even the NATO names are similar with Fishcan and Fishbed, respectively). This was but the first of many misconceptions put to rest by author Holger Müller. As stated in the Introduction,

The development of the Chinese MiG-21 derivatives is not only an interesting technological history in itself, but also reflects the changes in the politics of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on a smaller scale: from its alliance with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) to rapprochement with the West and the PRC’s own path of state capitalism.

Book Author(s)
Carlo Cestra
Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$49.00

This is part of a series of books by Kagero on warships and I have a few of these and are truly indispensable when building a model of the subject matter. I was glad I got to review this book now as I am in the middle of building the Very Fire 1/350 Deluxe Edition and it was invaluable in helping with the Photo Etch and finals details on the build.

This book goings into great detail via illustrations of the Imperial Japanese Navy Battleship Yamato as it was in 1945.

The book is lavishly illustrated and includes a few 3D drawings, many of which are stunning.

The illustrations give so much details as one could wish for as a modeler or history buff.

I cannot recommend this book enough as its gives as much details as available on Yamato. Thank you to IPMS USA and Kagero for allowing me to review this great book.

Book Author(s)
Waldemar Goralski and Janusz Skulski
Review Author
David Wrinkle
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing

As a regular at IPMS shows, I’ve often seen Kagero’s Super Drawings in 3D series on display, and I’m kicking myself for not picking up a copy sooner. After diving into Takao, the latest installment in this impressive series, I can confidently say that it was well worth the wait.

This softbound book boasts excellent print quality, with full-color gloss A4 pages that bring every detail to life. The vintage photographs have been colorized, offering a fresh perspective on the Takao, and there’s even a few images of a stunningly detailed scale model of the ship.

Book Author(s)
Editor of series, Damian Majsak, color art by Janusz Swiatlon and technical drawings by Mariusz Lukasik
Review Author
Chris Smith
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$15.00

Kagero has issued a series of “References for Modelers”, each focusing on a specific subject. In this case, the P-51B Mustang. The format consists of color artwork, photos, and line drawings in two scales. A bonus decal sheet is included, along with color artwork in the centerfold showing their placement. Up front, the book explains that most of the photos have appeared elsewhere, but this series presents them differently. They have been enlarged enough to show details lost in smaller formats. Two great examples appear on pages four and five, one showing a close-up of the equipment behind the pilot’s seat and the other a nice view of bazooka tubes on a P-51 in China.

Book Author(s)
Witold Koszela
Review Author
Luke R. Bucci, PhD
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$23.00

TopDrawings18 is a magnum opus of research and detail. Oddly, but luckily, this older Top Drawings from Kagero Publishing from 2013 was up for review. No complaints, and had to bring out the drool cup again. Kagero's Topdrawings softbacks are legendary for scale modelers. For ship modelers, they are an ultimate reference of appearance at a particular time, or sometimes several timepoints. Glossy color plates from covers and inserts are welcome, but color renditions of more views are found in the hefty companion 3D Drawings books of the same subjects. TopDrawings are specifically handy for scale modeler workbenches. Scale line drawings can be easily resized to fit whatever scale the modeler is building by modern copiers, a boon for scratchbuilding or replacing inaccurate parts.

This TopDrawing of HMS Warspite from WWI to WWII is larger than most, perhaps because of the illustrious career Warspite enjoyed. Even the history is two pages instead of one.

Book Author(s)
Steve Ginter
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Ginter Books
MSRP
$26.95

Author Steve Ginter is a noted military historian who publishes the Naval Fighter series that was founded in 1980. After graduating from California State University-Northridge, Ginter became a US Navy pilot, serving from 1966 to 1972. Upon leaving the US Navy, Ginter held a series of management positions within the Thrifty Drug chain for the next twenty-one years. In 1996, he became the CEO of Sentai Distributors, where he directed company operations until 2011.

Book Author(s)
Damian Majsak
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$15.30

While Kagero has an established reputation for quality books that modelers appreciate and use on their library shelves, the References for Modellers series focuses on WWII aircraft. The series is now listed at 19 with Number 18 focusing on the Focke-Wulf (Fw) 190D. The brief, 26 pages are filled with visual information and captions provided in both Polish and English. While no table of contents is provided, nor necessary, the book is broken into the following sections: