When I was a young modeler in the late 80s, Detail and Scale publications were a revelation. Walkarounds, history, and modeling all in one book. What more could a teenage modeler in a pre-internet world want? However, I did not have the chance to see any of their publications for quite a while.

Detail & Scale now publish both digital and print books, and I was given the paper copy of the F2H Banshee Part Two which covers the “big banjos,” the F2H-3 and F2H-4. The book looks very similar to the vintage D&S paperback books, but is longer with less glossy paper. Topping out at 103 pages, the book follows the typical style in the series, with 282 photos and 15 colour profiles. One nice thing about the upgraded series is much more colour in the book, including all the profiles and 170 of the photos.

In this follow up to his volume on German aircraft, author Mark Wilkins takes an in-depth look at the concepts, design, and construction of the fighters from five of Britain’s most prominent Great War aircraft manufacturers. This profusely illustrated book uses images taken from manufacturers’ drawings and plans, period photographs and advertisements as well as numerous images of museum and privately built and owned replicas.

As an avid reader of books regarding the various aerial campaigns of World War Two, when I saw the title of this book I realized that other that reading about The US Army Air Corps’ campaign against the Romanian oil fields I really did not know much about the air war that was fought between Germany and its allies against the Soviet Air Force in southeastern Europe. Given the title of the book, I was looking forward to stories of air combat between Russian Yaks and Laggs and German Messerschmitts and Focke Wulfs, however, this book is actually more of a broad overview of the Russian campaign to drive the Germans from Hungary, particularly the city of Budapest.

The MiG-25 conjures up, at least for me, huge engines and wicked speed. I remember when the Russian pilot defected to Japan in one. It was impressive looking. That was at a time when the Russian military was very secretive. I’ve always had a love of the bad guys, and in my early military days there was none badder than the MiG-25.

This paperbound book contains 122 pages of information that is easy to read. Once I sat down with the book, I did not want to put it down. There are close to 50 black and white photos, some show unique markings. This book is unique in its ability to follow the combat career of this fighter type. Starting in the first chapter we are taken through the development of the aircraft.

As a figure modeler for roughly half a century, I’d like to think I know a wee bit about the Napoleonic Wars. And yet, up until recently I really had no idea that the Danes were much involved in that series of scuffles until I sat down with this little volume. Although the author David Wilson doesn’t dwell a great deal on Denmark’s direct involvement, apparently Denmark joined sides with Napoleon when the British attacked the Danish fleet in Copenhagen’s harbor in 1801 and then the city itself in 1807. Napoleon’s eventual defeat also led to the disintegration of the Denmark-Norwegian union and the end to almost a century of peace in the region.