Historical Background

This book is part of a series of detailed accounts of the developments of Arab air forces in the Middle East, concentrating mainly on the World War II era. One of the authors was a postwar pilot in the Egyptian Air Force, and the other was a PhD in Middle East History. The authors have divided the book into four major sections, the Anglo-Iraq War (May, 1941), Rebuilding the Royal Iraqi Air Force (1941-1942), the Development of the Royal Egyptian Air Force (1941-1945), and Local Involvement in Air Operations in Other Arab Lands, (1941-1942.

One interesting feature of this book is the detailed treatment of specific events, as recorded in orders, logbooks, and other accounts of the events. Not commonly known is the fact that during this time period, there was a movement in the Arab World to expel the British and French from the region, even to the extent that that there was some activity in Arab military circles to air and assist the Germans and Italians in their attempts to conquer the region. Some of the people involved were high ranking military officers, and many survived the war to become active in postwar activities. These actions were described in detail, and help the reader understand the complexity of what was actually going on. One detracting factor is the appearance of a small number of grammatical and spelling errors, which do not really affect the description of events.

Book Features

Aside from the usual description of events, a large number of photographs from personal collections are included, many of which, unfortunately are of poor quality. The most useful material for modelers is the series of color profile drawings of British, Egyptian, Iraqi, Syrian, German and Italian aircraft, along with extensive descriptions of the subjects. In addition, several maps show some of the places being described, although this could have been more detailed for added effect.

Recommendation

This is a series of books that provides extensive coverage of events in this part of the world. A lot of detail is provided, as this is primarily a historical account, and the reader should come out with a clear understanding of what happened during a very confusing part or World War II. If you have an interest in the subject, this is certainly worth obtaining a copy. Highly recommended.

THANKS TO:

Thanks to Casemate Publications, Helion Company, for the review copy.