The Big Macks book is part of Ampersand Publishing Company’s Visual History Series - single-subject reference books featuring a historical introduction followed by extensive black-and-white period and walk-around photographs. The book is by renowned military author David Doyle, has 112 pages with two pages of text, and the remaining pages are all photographs. There are no ads.

The two pages of text is the Introduction, which provides a brief history of development of the various Mack truck models from the early NO-1, 2, 3, which were all prime movers. The introduction also describes the next two models, NO-4 and NO-5, which were wreckers rather than prime movers. The NO-4 trucks were used by the Army Air Forces as aircraft wreckers, whereas the NO-5 was intended for field artillery use. The NO-6 trucks were intended for Allied use through the Lend-Lease program, and the NO-7 was the final model of the wartime prime movers.

Sections include Mack NO-1, NO-2, brief descriptions of NO-3, 4, 5, 6, and NO-7. These first sections show detail close-ups of the different truck models, proving ground photos, and a few photos in operational conditions.

The section, Into The Field, includes photographs of Mack trucks in operational situations during World War II. There are many great modeling and diorama ideas in this section.

There are also sections on the Mac NQ, Mack M125, and Mack M125A1. There are a few photos of the Mack NQ, of which only three vehicles were built. These trucks included a strengthened front axle compared to the NO trucks.

Proving ground photos of the 10-ton Mack M125 are provided, along with the diesel engine version of the Mac M125A1.

In summary the book is an excellent visual history of the Mack trucks with many detailed photographs and many great ideas for diorama settings. The book is highly recommended for those interested in World War II, in particular prime movers, and is a must-have reference for those building any of the Mack truck kits.

My thanks to Ampersand and IPMS/USA for the chance to review this excellent book