Reviews of books or magazines relating to scale modeling.

Review Author
Michael Novosad
Published on
October 10, 2023
Company
Phoenix Scale Publications
MSRP
$7.33

Regulars

Pages 6-7 The Newsstand. Here this publications previews new model kits and accessories. The paragraphs are short and are accompanied with color images of the subject matter.

Pages 8-10 Czech News. New releases from Airmastr and Planet Models/Special Hobby are featured with the primary focus on the latter's 1/72 and /48 scale kits of the HESA Shahid 136/Geran suicide drones. Color images included. AZ Model, Valom, Eduard and Kovozavody Prostejov (KP) offerings are also featured.

Pages 12-13 In The Box. The Infinity Models 1/32 Aichi D3A1 Val is featured with a two page spread including some images of the kit contents plus information on Infinity aftermarket accessories for the kit.

Book Author(s)
Robert Pied and Nicolas Deboeck
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
October 8, 2023
Company
HMH Publications
MSRP
$36.00

The Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback is the latest publication from Duke Hawkins Books and is the twenty-ninth volume of a series of books that they have recently published highlighting modern aircraft. This series got its start with The Sepecat Jaguar in July 2017 and has been quite successful. There is also a special limited edition on the Belgian Air Force F-16 and on the Juan Carlos I Aircraft Carrier. This series of publications fall under the name of Duke Hawkins, but it is not clear exactly who Duke Hawkins is. If you check out other retail sites on this series, you can find Robert Pied and Nicolas Deboeck listed as authors, but there is not much additional information on them. One of the bylines goes like this:

Book Author(s)
Tom Cockle
Review Author
Peter Bucher
Published on
October 8, 2023
Company
Peko Publishing
MSRP
$30.60

The Book “Sturmgestutz- ABT-226 On the Battlefield World War Two Photobook Series” is a book published by Peko Publishing. The book is written by Ton Cockle and is in both Hungarian and English. The Book is 132 pages and takes you on a photographic journey in World War II with the German Army Sturmgeshutz unit ABT-226. The book is Hard Cover and is in Horizontal format. Much like the Squadron in Action books. The Book has a photograph and caption describing the photograph on almost every page.

Book Author(s)
David Grummitt, Managing Editor
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
October 8, 2023
Company
Guideline Publications
MSRP
$15.00

Military Modelcraft International is a military modeling magazine produced by Guideline Publications and hails from Great Britain. According to the Military Modelcraft International Magazine website,

Military Modelcraft International is the UK’s leading military modelling magazine, with a truly global reach attracting the best modellers in the world to its pages. Each month MMI brings you a mixture of in-depth build articles, reviews of the latest kits and accessories, superb reference articles, and reports from model shows across the world. MMI’s focus is on providing you with the inspiration and knowledge to improve your own modelling skills and gain more from the hobby whether that be from archive photos and references or modelling tricks and tips.

Book Author(s)
David Grummitt, Tom Foxon, and Andy Whittaker
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
October 8, 2023
Company
Guideline Publications
MSRP
$15.00

Fantasy Figures International is a figures, fantasy and Sci-Fi modeling magazine produced four times a year by Guideline Publications out of the United Kingdom. The cover price is £5.99 ($15 in the US), with an annual subscription or £20. Digital editions are available for £3.99 per issue or £11.99 for an annual subscription. In this era of increased publishing and shipping prices, digital editions are a viable option, especially for those modelers who don’t want a physical copy to read.

Book Author(s)
Ian Baxter
Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
October 8, 2023
Company
Pen & Sword
MSRP
$24.95

The book is another in the great Images of War series. This book covers the history and actions of the German Self-Propelled Artillery at war 1940-1945 in rare photographs.

The book covers all the major battles as shown in the Chapter titles.

  1. 1940-1941.
  2. 1942-1943
  3. The End 1944-1945
    • Appendix I – Vehicle Specifications
    • Appendix II – Camouflage and Zimmerit

The images in the book are excellent and cover all the various Self-Propelled Artillery Vehicles used by the German Army in WWII.

The book is full of amazing photos, many gave me an insight into the conditions I have not considered before. There is a lot of Diorama inspiration in this book.

Thanks go to Pen and Sword / Casemate Publishing for providing this book to review and IPMS USA for allowing me to review it for them.

Book Author(s)
Richard Marmo
Review Author
Damon Blair
Published on
October 4, 2023
Company
Scale Publications
MSRP
$3.99

The Convair B-36 Peacemaker was an enormous bomber built in the early days of the Cold War as a deterrent to a Soviet attack. The largest piston-driven production aircraft, the 384 Peacemakers built were in service from 1948 to 1959.

Richard Marmo’s book is an excellent reference on the dismantling and preservation of B-36J III Serial Number 52-2827. This is the last Peacemaker built and is named “City of Fort Worth” in honor of where the factory was located. This is Volume 2 of a planned multi-volume series. Part 2 primarily involves removing the 6 massive piston engines, the ailerons, and the outer wing panels.

Detailers will also like this book as it has many hard-to-find images taken during the dismantling process, such as a good view of the Pratt & Whitney R4360 both installed in the nacelle and by itself. Also covered is the General Electric J-47 jet engines in the wing pods.

Book Author(s)
Richard Marmo
Review Author
Damon Blair
Published on
October 3, 2023
Company
Scale Publications
MSRP
$3.99

The Convair B-36 Peacemaker was an enormous bomber built in the early days of the Cold War as a deterrent to a Soviet attack. The largest piston-driven production aircraft, the 384 Peacemakers built were in service from 1948 to 1959.

Richard Marmo’s book is an excellent reference on the dismantling and preservation of B-36J III Serial Number 52-2827. This is the last Peacemaker built and is named “City of Fort Worth” in honor of where the factory was located. This is Volume 1 of a planned multi-volume series. Part 1 primarily involves disassembling and removing both wing jet pods.

Detailers will also like this book as it has many hard-to-find images taken during the dismantling process, such as a good view of the Pratt & Whitney R4360 both installed in the nacelle and by itself. Also covered is the General Electric J-47 jet engines in the wing pods.

Book Author(s)
Mick Davis
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
October 1, 2023
Company
Cross & Cockade International
MSRP
$39.00

Cross & Cockade International is a non-profit UK based group known as the First World War Aviation Historical Society that publishes their journal four times a year. Issues are available as printed as well as digital copies (or both). They also provide a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publish WWI themed books like the Sopwith Dolphin monograph I reviewed earlier for IPMS USA. This Journal is the sister of the US Journal, Over The Front.

Book Author(s)
Javier Garcia de Gabiola
Review Author
Orlando Reyes
Published on
October 1, 2023
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

This book is number 82 of the Africa at War Series and deals primarily with the Rif War in the so-called Spanish Moroccan Protectorate between 1921 and 1927. This is the second volume dealing with the conflict in north-west Africa. The book is divided into nine chapters, each dedicated to a specific year. Each chapter in turn is subdivided into sections. These sections deal with specific events that took place during the year to which the chapter is dedicated.