Key publishing specializes in books covering aviation, transport history and sport. This book is a fairly compact, paperback full color book. There are two primary sections, U.S. Customs and Border protection in the first section and U.S Coast Guard in part two. In each section are two chapters further breaking down into further sub groups.

Most of the aircraft featured are currently use with each organization but a few notable aircraft that have been retired are covered. With each aircraft covered, detailed information on the aircraft, capabilities and missions performed are discussed. Locations for each group is also covered along with a thorough description of each air station. I did not realize how large of a variety of aircraft the Dept of Homeland security operated and the unique marking on some of the aircraft. Aircraft from UAV’s, small fixed wing aircraft (Cessna 206) up to the C-130 is all covered.

Phoenix Scale Publications is a new publishing company in the world of scale models but the team is made up of several veterans of the business. They have released two modeling magazines, one on all types of models and this one which is just on the aviation side of builds. They also have released several aviation modeling books.

Do we need another scale modeling magazine about aircraft? The more the merrier I say but Phoenix has put together a quality product that covers a lot in its 82 high quality, glossy pages.

The first quarter of the book covers news and what’s new information starting with the Newsstand and the Czech News. In The Box looks at what comes in one kit in detail and then we have Accessories, Decals and Bookshelf. The end of the magazine has a section providing news from IPMS (UK).

Marmo’s Model Building Guides

Richard Marmo publishes model building guides for specific kits that provide greater insight than is usually included in the kit’s basic instructions. Richard uses photographs plus thorough written descriptions of his actual build to aid the modeler step-by-step building the kit. Richard‘s writing style is very informative and often includes humorous advice on how to avoid the pitfalls of model building. His written narratives go into much more detail than can be provided in the basic kit instructions. The photographs are high quality and because they are in a digital format can be zoomed in to magnify detail. This is particularly useful when a kit has many small parts like the one reviewed here. The guides provide additional tips on modeling techniques, tools, and materials, to expand the modeler’s knowledge. At four bucks each these model building guides are a must have for modelers.

The book is volume 39 of Helion & Company’s Middle East @ War series and, as noted in the title, is the first volume of its coverage of Czechoslovak Arms Exports to the Middle East. It examines the re-birth of the Czechoslovakian arms production business in the aftermath of World War II and Czechoslovakia’s first attempts to find a market for its products

The book presents Operation Zitadelle-Operation Citadel- from the German side. This was the German offensive operation in July 1943 against the Soviet forces in the Kursk salient during World War II in the Eastern Front. This operation basically started the Battle of Kursk. It is considered as the biggest tank battle that has ever taken place.