Should you be looking for a little something different to build, I would like to point you in the direction of this one-quarter scale instrument panel that is being offered as a Limited Edition release by the folks at Eduard. The kit assembles with relative ease, and is a good representation of the instrument panel used in the Messerschmitt Bf-110C variant, although the variant is only mentioned once on the side of the box. The needles used in the various gauges are the only tricky items to handle during construction, so this would be a good item for modelers fourteen and up, as the box recommends.

Have you ever struggled over a problem or edited your own writing, only to have someone look at it and see the thing that you couldn’t find or solve in seconds? That’s how I felt reading this book. The Greeks dominated the fourth and fifth century BC battlefields with the Phalanx form of warfare, which combined the use of specially armed and armored soldiers (or Hoplites) in specialized formations. As the title implies, the author has taken a fresh look at old evidence of ancient Greek writers and artists and coupled that with modern research, primarily in the form of re-enactors who put on the Panopy, (or armor) and the weapons – in this case, the thrusting spear of the Greek solders – and tests his theories of methods and tactics. In the process, some interesting and groundbreaking developments emerge that shed new light on just what the ancient writers meant and how much artistic license was used in creating the vase paintings we envision when we think of this period of history.

Model Art Modeling Magazine is a Japanese publication that is released monthly. The text is mainly in Japanese with some English subtitles throughout. One feature of these magazines is the high quality of the photographs and the models that are used.

The feature article in this months issue showcases the IDF (Israel Defense Force). They use a multitude of well-built models, photographs, and drawings to represent the aircraft and armor that the IDF use.

There are two short articles following the IDF’s. One pertains to Republic of China destroyers that were American at one point, the DDG-995 USS Scott and DDG-994 USS Callaghan. This is followed by a quick preview of Model Art Modeling Magazines JASDF (Japanese Air Self-Defense Force).

Model Art Modeling Magazine is a Japanese publication that is published monthly. The text is mainly in Japanese with some English subtitles throughout. One feature about these magazines is the high quality of the photographs and the models that are used.

In the December issue of Model Art, they start out with a modeler’s how-to guide. In this section they cover how to replicate wood on WWI aircraft, accenting panel lines (washes), and shading.

The next article covers the 2012 All Japan Plamodel Hobby Show. While there does not seem to be much coverage on built models, they do several pages of new releases. To modelers, it looks like 2013 will be another banner year for new kits in all genres.

Following that is a comparison review of six different Tony fighters in 1/72nd scale. They compare Fine Molds, Hasegawa and RS Models kits.

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.