The KC-135 started as the Boeing Model 717, which was based on the Model 367-80. Boeing delivered 820 KC-135 and derivative models between 1957 and 1966. The KC- 135 has gone through many modifications over the years and is still in active U.S. Air Force service today.

This is the first time that I have ever gotten a Squadron Signal book upon its release and all I can say is wow! The book consists of eighty-eighty pages with almost every single photograph being in color except with a few that shows the KC-135 early in life.

Originally designed as a nuclear response aircraft, the F-105 Thunderchief was always one of my favorite jet propelled fighter/bomber aircraft from the Vietnam war. Its sleek and aggressive lines and large presence were quite intimidating and left no doubt as to its mission in life. The Thud compiled a distinguished service record, flying over 20,000 combat missions by the end of the war and proving to be a rugged and capable aircraft in the Republic tradition. However, despite its durability, losses were heavy, with over 330 F-105s lost in the skies of Southeast Asia.

Osprey’s latest title in their Air Vanguard series is Republic F-105 Thunderchief. Although I refer to the Vietnam war above, it is just one of six sections of this interesting and insightful read:

Osprey Publishing’s latest monograph focuses on the waning years of the Habsburg Empire, and the Kaiserliche und Konigliche (k.u.k) Kriegsmarine's effort to protect its southern coast on the Adriatic Sea before and during WWI. Today, the coast and the cities along the coast, Trieste, Pola, and Fiume, among others, are parts of present day Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The book features fine illustrations of the 5 ship classes, 2 “in action” paintings, and many sharp black and white photos, sure to be of interest to ship modelers. The only weakness is the lack of a map of the 1914 Habsburg Empire's coast, and theater of operations during WWI.

More often than not, books reviewed by the IPMS Reviewer Corps are targeted for the scale modeling enthusiast, history buffs, or a combination of the two. Wayne Vansant’s Normandy: A Graphic History of D-Day is a little different. Unlike more traditional narratives or photo references, it brings the events of the Allied invasion of "Fortress Europe" to life in vivid color in a comic book format – a 104-page comic book, to be exact. It seems well-suited for younger readers and comic enthusiasts.

The author chronicles the prelude events leading up to Overlord all the way through the liberation of Paris in the summer of 1944. Each of the 5 beach invasions is documented, as well as several key engagements leading up to the 2nd Free French Armored Division’s triumphant entry into Paris. The illustrations and the accounts of the battles and some key characters, although brief, are absolutely riveting for young and middle-aged readers alike.

This is the first in a new series of books by Landscape Publications. The series is built around highly-detailed profiles, with supporting text and photos. This particular volume is broken down into two sections: Insignia & Nose Art (featuring American Indian artwork & emblems), and Hangar Special (featuring P-47s of the 19th Fighter Squadron on Saipan).

This publication seems to fall somewhere between a book and an extremely high-quality magazine. I say this because the subjects in the two sections are completely different, and are presented as though they are separate articles in a magazine. The unifying feature is the profile artwork (hence the title). I assume future volumes will have a similar format, and it is possible they will each have the same two sections.