Comic books in 'War'

Volume 174 - 1st printing. "Pharsalus 48 BC!" Written by Si Sheppard. Art by Adam Hook. In 48 BC, the stage was set for the final clash of the two titans of the Roman world and the odds were heavily in Pompey's favour, with 45,000 men against Caesar's 22,000. Having the dice loaded against him, however, seems to have stimulated Caesar's genius for battle. In a brilliant display of generalship he routed his rival's larger army. Pompey's army retreated, with Caesar's army in parallel pursuit, until, their general having escaped, Pompey's men finally surrendered. Simon Sheppard expertly charts the events surrounding the Pharsalus campaign, and the seismic implications of the decisive clash between the two greatest generals of their age. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 175 - 1st printing. "Remagen 1945!" Written by Steven J Zaloga. Art by Peter Dennis. In the aftermath of the Battle of the Bulge in February 1945, the Allies embarked upon the final assault of Germany. The long-delayed US thrust over the Roer River eventually took place in February, leaving the Rhine as the last major geographical barrier to the Allied advance into Germany. This book describes how the US Army, in the face of furious last-ditch German resistance, captured the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen - securing the last surviving major crossing over the Rhine and setting the stage for the defeat of the German Army in the West. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 178 - 1st printing. "The Rhine Crossings 1945!" Written by Ken Ford. Art by Howard Gerrard. 'The last great heave of war,' according to Churchill, took place with the crossing of the Rhine in 1945. No invading army had crossed this great river since Napoleon's in 1805 and the task fell to Field Marshal Montgomery's 21st Army Group. Opposing them were the forces of a failing fascist regime, including battalions of old men and boys, strengthened by several formations of crack troops including paratroopers and Panzer Grenadiers. With an elaborate description of the combined Allied attack, second in magnitude only to the Normandy invasion, this book charts the history of the last great set-piece battle of the war that ultimately brought the defeat of Hitler's Nazi regime one step closer. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 179 - 1st printing. "Sherman's March to the Sea 1864!" Written by David Smith. Art by Richard Hook. Riding on the wave of his victory at Atlanta, Union General W. T. Sherman abandoned his supply lines in an attempt to push his forces into Confederate territory and take Savannah. During their 285-mile 'March to the Sea' the army lived off the land and destroyed all war-making capabilities of the enemy en route. Despite the controversy surrounding it, the march was a success. Supported by photographs, detailed maps, and artwork, this title explores the key personalities and engagements of the march and provides a detailed analysis of the campaign that marked the 'beginning of the end' of the Civil War. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 180 - 1st printing. "Easter Rising 1916!" Written by Michael McNally. Art by Peter Dennis. When the outbreak of World War I delayed home rule for Ireland, a faction of Irish nationalists decided to take direct action. On Easter Monday 1916, a rebellion was launched from the steps of the Dublin General Post Office and the existence of an Irish Republic proclaimed. The British response was a military one and they drove the rebels back in violent street fighting until they surrendered on 29 April. The leaders of the rising were tried by court martial: 15 of them were summarily executed and a further 3,500 'sympathizers' imprisoned. This book covers this important milestone in Anglo-Irish history in detail, thoroughly examining the politics behind the Easter Rising and the tactics employed to counter it. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 181 - 1st printing. "Siegfried Line 1944-45!" Written by Steven J Zaloga. Art by Steve Noon. The campaign on the German frontier in late 1944 was one of the most frustrating and costly efforts by the US Army in the ETO. The Allies first encountered the Siegfried Line (Westwall) fortifications in September 1944, having pursued the retreating Wehrmacht through Belgium and the Netherlands. The border area around Aachen had been fortified with a double line of bunkers, and both the terrain and the weather made things difficult for the Allies. This book focuses on the involvement of the US First and Ninth armies in the six-month fighting, including the hellish fighting for the Hürtgen forest. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 182 - 1st printing. "Granicus 334 BC!" Written by Michael Thompson. Art by Richard Hook. Granicus River was Alexander's first great victory over the Persians, where he demonstrated the heroic style of active and decisive leadership that was the hallmark of his career. In the initial engagement, Alexander's 5,000 cavalry, supported by archers and javelin men, routed a force of 20,000 Persian cavalry This convincing victory was the springboard for the subjugation of the coastal cities, the neutralisation of the Persian navy and ultimately the conquest of the Persian Empire. Exploring the courageous leadership of one of the world's most inspirational yet ruthless leaders, this book provides a detailed analysis of the battle, strategy and tactics of the forces engaged. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 183 - 1st printing. "Denmark and Norway 1940!" Written by Doug Dildy. Art by John White. On 9 April 1940, German forces invaded Denmark, and then Norway, in an attempt to guarantee security of Scandinavia's vital mineral resources for their war industry. This assault, Operation Weserübung, represented the first joint air-land-and-sea campaign in the history of warfare, and was the only such campaign planned by the Wehrmacht high command, including all three services of the Wehrmacht. This book describes the events of this tumultuous campaign that not only led to Winston Churchill's appointment as British Prime Minister, but also saw the crippling of the German Kriegsmarine as a fighting force. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 187 - 1st printing. "Cambrai 1917!" Written by Alexander Turner. Art by Peter Dennis. This crucial new study on one of the seminal events in military history dispells many of the myths surrounding Cambrai 1917. Common perception classifies it as the 'world's first tank battle' but Alexander Turner shows us that the true importance of Cambrai was that it saw the first use of armour as an operational shock tactic. With this, the conduct of war was irrevocably changed. The battle also heralded the combined use of aircraft, armour and artillery, marking the birth of modern combined-arms techniques. Written by a military historian and serving soldier, this is a fascinating analysis of a battle which ended a stalemate, yet spawned a host of war-winning tactics. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 189 - 1st printing. "Sevastopol 1942!" Written by Robert Forczyk. Art by Howard Gerrard. In late July 1941, Hitler ordered Army Group South to seize the Crimea as part of its operations to secure the Ukraine and the Donets Basin, in order to protect the vital Romanian oil refineries at Ploesti from Soviet air attack. After weeks of heavy fighting, the Germans breached the Soviet defences and overran most of the Crimea. By November 1941 the only remaining Soviet foothold in the area was the heavily fortified naval base at Sevastopol. Operation Sturgeon Haul, the final assault on Sevastopol, was one of the very few joint service German operations of World War II, with two German corps and a Romanian corps supported by a huge artillery siege train, the Luftwaffe's crack VIII Flieger Korps and a flotilla of S-Boats provided by the Kriegsmarine. This volume closely examines the impact of logistics, weather and joint operational planning upon the last major German victory of World War II. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 190 - 1st printing. "Poitiers AD 732!" Written by David Nicolle. Art by Graham Turner. In the early decades of the 8th century AD, Islamic forces were flooding into Europe through the Iberian peninsula, threatening Frankish and Burgundian territory and raiding it with ever-increasing ferocity. At the battle of Poitiers, also known as Tours, Christian forces under the Frankish leader Charles Martel 'The Hammer' (grandfather of Charlemagne) confronted a massive invading Islamic army. The Franks were victorious, effectively halting the northward advance of Islam and preserving Christianity as the dominant faith in Europe. Expert medievalist David Nicolle draws on contemporary sources to reconstruct this turning-point battle, placing it in its historical context and reviewing its background and the subsequent historical consequences. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 191 - 1st printing. "Vienna 1683!" Written by Simon Millar. Art by Peter Dennis. The capture of the Hapsburg city of Vienna was a major strategic aspiration for the Islamic Ottoman Empire, desperate for the control that the city exercized over the Danube and the overland trade routes between southern and northern Europe. In July 1683 Sultan Mehmet IV proclaimed a jihad and the Turkish grand vizier, Kara Mustafa Pasha, laid siege to the city with an army of 150,000 men. In September a relieving force arrived under Polish command and joined up with the defenders to drive the Turks away. The main focus of this book is the final 15-hour battle for Vienna, which peaked with a massive charge by three divisions of Polish winged hussars. This hard-won victory marked the beginning of the decline of the Islamic Ottoman Empire, which was never to threaten central Europe again. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 192 - 1st printing. "New York 1776!" Written by David Smith. Art by Graham Turner. General Sir William Howe's New York campaign gave the British their best chance of destroying the Continental Army and George Washington's resistance to colonial power. Howe succeeded in dividing the Continentals, defeated them on Long Island and forced Washington to retreat to Brooklyn Heights. Under siege there, Washington successfully crossed the East River to Manhattan but soon had to fall back on Harlem Heights. After a few weeks Howe forced the Continentals north to White Plains and defeated them again. However, he allowed Washington to withdraw and preserve his army when a more aggressive pursuit could have ended the war. Instead, with the British army rapidly weakening and facing huge manpower shortages, Washington emerged from a succession of defeats to produce what was ultimately a war-winning strategy. The author provides fascinating insights into a unique campaign in which a string of British victories ultimately led to failure and defeat. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 194 - 1st printing. "Liberation of Paris 1944!" Written by Steven J Zaloga. Art by Howard Gerrard. In July 1944, Operation Cobra broke the stalemate in Normandy and sent the Allies racing across France. The Allied commanders had ignored Paris in their planning for this campaign, considering that the risk of intense street fighting and heavy casualties outweighed the city's strategic importance. However, Charles de Gaulle persuaded the Allied commanders to take direct action to liberate his nation's capital. Steven J Zaloga first describes the operations of Patton's Third Army as it advanced towards Paris before focussing on the actions of the Resistance forces inside the city and of the Free French armoured division that fought its way in and joined up with them to liberate it on the 24th August. On the back of this morale-boosting victory, De Gaulle could finally proclaim Paris to be liberated, as one of the world's loveliest cities survived Hitler's strident command that it should be held at all costs or razed to the ground. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 201 - 1st printing. "Brandy Station 1863!" Written by Dan Beattie. Art by Adam Hook. The road to Gettysburg began at Brandy Station on 9 June 1863. Early on that morning, General Pleasanton launched his men across the Rappahannock at Beverley's Ford to the north of Brandy Station and Kelly's Ford to the south. General JEB Stuart was caught unaware by these maneuvers and his lines and headquarters were nearly overrun until reinforcements helped to stabilize the situation. Following 12 hours of bitter fighting the Union forces withdrew back across the river in what was the largest and most hotly contested clash of sabres in the war. This book describes the battle with a step-by-step analysis, illustrated with detailed maps, birds-eye-views and full colour battlescene artwork. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $19.95.

Volume 2 - 1st printing. " B-26 Marauder Units of the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces!" Written by Jerry Scutts. Art by Tom Tullis. The medium bomber 'workhorse' of the Ninth Air Force, Martin's much-maligned B-26 Marauder recovered from its poor start with the Eighth Air Force to go on and equip no less than eight bomber groups in the ETO. Although initially dubbed 'the widow maker', a change of tactics from low- to medium-level bombing for the Marauder soon improved the crews' chances of survival - indeed, by war's end it boasted a lower loss-per-sortie ratio than any other twin-engined bomber in the USAAF. This volume covers all aspects of Marauder operations in Western Europe, featuring first hand accounts from surviving B-26 crews, plus an analysis of the tactics employed. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 3 - 1st printing. " Helldiver Units of World War 2!" Written by Barrett Tillman. Art by Tom Tullis. The most numerous Allied dive-bomber of World War 2, the Curtiss Helldiver endured a prolonged gestation period to mature into one of the most effective aircraft of its type to see service in the Pacific theatre of war. Some 7200 aircraft were built between 1942 and 1945, the type making its service debut over Rabaul on 11 November 1943 in the hands of VB-17, this unit flying SB2C-1Cs from the deck of USS Bunker Hill. Although hated by the myriad crews sent into combat strapped to a Helldiver, the bomber was responsible for the destruction of more Japanese targets than any other dive-bomber. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 5 - 1st printing. " Blenheim Squadrons of World War 2!" Written by Jon Lake. Art by Chris Davey. Built in large numbers in the years leading up to World War 2, Bristol's Blenheim saw use as both a fighter and bomber thanks to its high speed in relation to the biplane types it was then replacing. Aside from its work as the staple medium RAF bomber from 1939 through to 1942, Blenheims also served as pioneer radar-equipped nightfighters in 1940/41 and long-range patrol aircraft with Coastal Command. Obsolete in Europe by the end of 1940, the Blenheim continued to serve as a frontline bomber in North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Far East well into 1943. Softcover, 106 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 9 - 1st printing. " Mosquito Fighter/Fighter-Bomber Units of World War 2!" Written by Martin Bowman. Art by Chris Davey. The second volume in the trilogy of Combat Aircraft titles devoted to de Havilland's 'wooden wonder', this book focuses on the Mosquito fighter/fighter-bomber variants, and their users. From its earliest development phase, the aircraft was considered as much a fighter as a bomber, and this was duly reflected when the original 1940 Air Ministry order for 50 Mosquito bombers was modified to 20 bombers and 30 fighters. This volume is the first of its kind exclusively dedicated to the fighter/fighter-bomber variants of de Havilland's classic wartime aircraft. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 10 - 1st printing. " SBD Dauntless Units of World War 2!" Written by Barrett Tillman. Art by Tom Tullis. Unquestionably the most successful dive-bomber ever to see frontline service with any air arm, the Douglas SBD Dauntless was the scourge of the Japanese Imperial Fleet in the crucial years of the Pacific War. The revolutionary all-metal stressed-skin design of the SBD exhibited airframe strength that made it an ideal dive-bomber, its broad wing, with horizontal centre section and sharply tapered outer panels with dihedral, boasting perforated split flaps that doubled as dive brakes during the steep bombing attacks Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 12 - 1st printing. " RF-8 Crusader Units over Cuba and Vietnam!" Written by Peter Mersky. Art by Tom Tullis. Although the Crusader was built first and foremost as a Navy interceptor, as has often been the tradition with US fighters, a photo-reconnaissance variant was also produced by Vought. The photo-bird's first operational test came in the autumn of 1962 when its overflights of Cuba alerted the world to the likely presence of medium-range ballistic missiles on the Caribbean island. The recce Crusader's next action came during the long years of the Vietnam War. This volume is the second of two in the Combat Aircraft series devoted to the Crusader, the first title (again by Peter Mersky) having covered the F-8 fighter variants, and their MiG-killing exploits, during the Vietnam War. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 19 - 1st printing. " Sunderland Squadrons of World War 2!" Written by Jon Lake. Art by Chris Davey. The elegant Sunderland was the RAF's staple maritime patrol aircraft throughout WW2. Crucial in the Battle of the Atlantic, the Sunderland was instrumental in defeating the U-Boat menace which threatened to starve the UK into submission. Nicknamed the Flying Porcupine due to its heavy armoury of 14 guns, the Sunderland proved an immediate success in battle. Aside from its worldwide use with the RAF, it saw action with the RAAF, RNZAF and RCAF. This is the first book devoted to the Sunderland's WW2 service to be published in over a decade. Softcover, 112 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 20 - 1st printing. " TBD Devastator Units of the US Navy!" Written by Barrett Tillman. Art by Tom Tullis. The first monoplane aircraft ordered by the US Navy for carrier operations, the Douglas TBD Devastator was designed to fulfil a requirement for a new torpedo bomber. Just 129 were built, and when it entered service it was the most modern aircraft of its type anywhere in the world. Its only real taste of action came on 4 June 1942 in the pivotal Battle of Midway, when 35 were shot down in a clash with Japanese A6M Zero fighters. The aircraft was replaced by the Grumman Avenger weeks later. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 21 - 1st printing. " B-24 Liberator Units of the Fifteenth Air Force!" Written by Robert F Dorr. Art by Mark Rolfe. The B-24 was heavily utilised in the North African and Mediterranean theatres by the USAAF's Fifteenth Air Force, with operations over the Ploesti oilfields in Rumania being some of the most famous missions undertaken by the big American 'heavy' in World War 2. The stirling work of the Fifteenth Air Force is often overshadowed by the glamorous 'Mighty Eighth', yet the men flying the B-24 fought ceaselessly right through to VE Day. This is the third of five titles planned to chart the operational history of the Consolidated heavy bomber, and is the first single volume to exclusively cover the Fifteenth Air Force's B-24 units. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 22 - 1st printing. " Mitsubishi Type 1 Rikko 'Betty' Units of World War 2!" Written by Osamu Tagaya. Art by Mark Styling. The most produced Japanese bomber of the war the G4M saw action on every front from the first day of the Pacific conflict through to VJ-Day. The 'Betty's' very long range made it a key weapon during the opening year of the war. However, to achieve this, the aircraft was built with very little protective armour for its crew or fuel tanks, and Allied pilots soon exposed its extreme vulnerability. In the first in a series of volumes examining the key Japanese aircraft of WW2, Dr Osamu Tagaya details the G4M's extensive combat history, and lists all the units which operated the bomber. Softcover, 112 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 25 - 1st printing. " MiG-17 and MiG-19 Units of the Vietnam War!" Written by István Toperczer. Art by Iain Wyllie. The erstwhile enemy of the USAF and US Navy during the nine years of American involvement in the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese Peoples' Air Force (VPAF) quickly grew from an ill-organised rabble of poorly trained pilots flying antiquated communist aircraft into a highly effective fighting force that more than held its own over the skies of North Vietnam. Flying Soviet fighters like the MiG-17, and -19, the VPAF produced over a dozen aces, whilst the Americans managed just two pilots and three navigators in the same period. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 26 - 1st printing. " US Navy F-4 Phantom II MiG Killers 1965-70!" Written by Brad Elward. Art by Jim Laurier. For every American fighter pilot involved in the Vietnam War, the ultimate goal was to 'kill a MiG'. In eight years of conflict 43 Vietnamese Peoples Air Force aircraft were claimed by US Navy and US Marine Corps Phantom II crews, and one single ace crew produced. Navy Phantom IIs scored the first kills of the Vietnam War, in April 1965, as well as scoring the last in January 1973. This volume charts the successes of the navy fighter crews as they encountered 'MiGs, Missiles and AAA' over the jungles of North Vietnam. Softcover, 96 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 27 - 1st printing. " Air War in the Gulf 1991!" Written by Chris Chant. Art by Mark Rolfe. In August 1990 Saddam Hussein's Iraqi forces invaded and occupied the small Arab state of Kuwait. This book analyses the ensuing Gulf War (16 January - 28 February 1991) - a war fought to expel Iraq and restore Kuwaiti independence if not, as one British MP tartly observed, to defend democracy. The allies under General Schwarzkopf launched five weeks of air attacks, deploying 1,800 technologically highly advanced aircraft from the US, British, French and Saudi air forces. Many of these machines, including the British Tornadoes and US F-117A Stealth fighters, had never before engaged in combat, and their combined assault, watched by millions on TV, combined impressive accuracy with firepower to which the Iraqi forces had no answer. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 28 - 1st printing. " Air War in the Falklands 1982!" Written by Chris Chant. Art by Mark Rolfe. The war fought between the United Kingdom and Argentina in 1982, for the possession of the Falkland Islands was probably the last 'colonial' war that will ever be undertaken by the British. This book shows how the key to British success was the speed with which the British gained and then maintained air superiority over the islands and the waters around then with their small force of Sea Harrier STOVL warplanes, which operated from two aircraft carriers. Though subsonic, the Sea Harrier and its Sidewinder AAM were a combination altogether superior to Argentina's mix of supersonic and subsonic warplanes with older weapons, and this advantage was emphasised by the significantly greater tactical acuity of the British pilots. The Argentine pilots fought with considerable piloting skill and enormous courage, and scored a number of stunning successes against British warships, but ultimately they could not prevent the British landing and the following land campaign that resulted in complete Argentine defeat. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 29 - 1st printing. " MiG-21 Units of the Vietnam War!" Written by István Toperczer. Art by Mark Styling. Having honed their piloting skills on the subsonic MiG-17 and transonic MiG-19, the Vietnamese Peoples' Air Force (VPAF) received their first examples of the legendary MiG-21 supersonic fighter in 1966. Soon thrown into combat over North Vietnam, the guided-missile equipped MiG-21 proved a deadly opponent for the USAF, Navy and Marine Corps crews striking at targets deep into communist territory. Most of the VPAF's 12+ aces scored their bulk of their kills in the MiG-21, which was then the best fighter produced by Russia's premier fast jet manufacturer, Mikoyan Gurevich. Well over 200 MiG-21s were supplied to the VPAF, and the numerous models and the schemes they wore are chronicled in great detail in this unique volume. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 30 - 1st printing. " US Navy F-4 Phantom II MiG Killers 1972-73!" Written by Brad Elward, and Peter Davies. Art by Jim Laurier. The second of two books on the Navy's Phantom II MiG killers of the Vietnam War, this book covers the numerous actions fought out over North Vietnam during the Linebacker I and II operations of 1972-73. No fewer than 17 MiGs were downed during this period, five of them by the Navy's sole aces of the conflict, Lts Randy Cunningham and Willie Driscoll of VF-96. Drawing on primary sources such as surviving Phantom II aircrew and official navy documentation, the author has assembled the most precise appraisal of fighter operations involving US Navy Phantom II units and those elusive MiGs ever seen in print. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 31 - 1st printing. " Lancaster Squadrons 1942-43!" Written by Jon Lake. Art by Chris Davey. The RAF's most successful heavy bomber of World War 2, the Avro Lancaster formed the backbone of Bomber Command during the large-scale night bombing campaign against occupied Europe. In this, the first of two volumes on the British bomber icon of World War 2, noted English aviation historian Jon Lake recounts the early daylight raids, the first 'thousand bomber' raids on Germany and the epic 'Dambusters' mission of 16/17 May 1943 by No 617 Sqn, as well as myriad other sorties to numerous German targets in 1942-43. This volume contains more than 100 photographs, 30 all-new colour profiles by leading aviation artist Chris Davey and specially commissioned scale drawings of the Lancaster B I/II by Mark Styling. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 32 - 1st printing. " B-25 Mitchell Units of the MTO!" Written by Steve Pace. Art by Jim Laurier. From November 1942 through to May 1945, the backbone of the USAAF's medium bomber force was provided by the clutch of bomb groups equipped with the B-25 Mitchell. First seeing action in North Africa in the wake of Operation Torch, and in the Battle of El Alamein, the 'bombing twin' proved to be one of the most successful allied combat types in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations (MTO). The first of four volumes planned for the Combat Aircraft series on the Mitchell, this title includes first-hand accounts, 30 colour profiles and more than 100 colour and black and white photographs of the B-25 in the MTO. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 33 - 1st printing. " B-29 Superfortress Units of World War 2!" Written by Robert F Dorr. Art by Mark Styling. The ultimate piston-engined heavy bomber of World War 2, the first production B-29s were delivered to the 58th Very Heavy Bomb Wing in the autumn of 1943. By the spring of 1944 the Superfortress was bombing targets in the Pacific, and by war's end the aircraft had played as great a part as any weapon in ending the conflict with the Japanese. Indeed, the final dropping of two atomic bombs from the B-29 convinced the Japanese to sue for peace. This book traces the wartime career of the B-29, as the aircraft went from strength to strength in the Pacific Theatre. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 34 - 1st printing. " PV Ventura/Harpoon Units of World War 2!" Written by Alan C Carey. Art by Tom Tullis. A development of the successful Lockheed 'medium twins' of the late 1930s, the PV Ventura/Harpoon family of patrol bombers saw widespread service with both the US Navy/Marine Corps and the TAF and Commonwealth from October 1942 onwards. The USAAF also used surplus Venturas originally ordered by the RAF, designated B-34 Lexingtons, in the bomber training and coastal patrol roles. The final variant in this family was the larger PV-2 Harpoon, which was built to a US Navy requirement from March 1944 onwards. Used primarily in the Pacific, 470 Harpoons saw frontline service on anti-shipping and submarine patrols through to VJ-Day. This book covers each of these variants in complete illustrated detail. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 35 - 1st printing. " Lancaster Squadrons 1944-45!" Written by Jon Lake. Art by Chris Davey. The RAF's most successful heavy bomber of World War 2, the Avro Lancaster formed the backbone of Bomber Command during the large-scale night bombing campaign against occupied Europe. Produced in massive numbers (over 7300 up to VE-Day), the first examples entered squadron service on Christmas Eve 1941, and tasted combat the following March. The second of two volumes on the British bomber icon of World War 2, this book details Bomber Command's massive nocturnal bombing campaign, its support for the D-Day landings, Tallboy raids against the U-boat pens in France and the battleship Tirpitz in Norway, and the final daylight missions of 1945. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 36 - 1st printing. " B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Eighth Air Force Part 2!" Written by Martin Bowman. Art by Mark Styling. The Boeing B-17, which has come to epitomise the American war effort in Europe, took the fight to Germans from the late summer of 1942 through to VE-Day. Its primary operator in Western Europe was the 'Mighty Eighth', who controlled 27 bomb groups for much of the war. This second of two volumes covers the 14 Bomb Groups of the Third Air Division. First hand accounts, period photography, profile artworks and nose art scrap views bring to life aircraft from each of the groups within the Third Air Division. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 37 - 1st printing. " Iranian F-4 Phantom II Units in Combat!" Written by Tom Cooper, and Farzad Bishop. Art by Jim Laurier. Different versions of the jet have provided the backbone of the frontline strength of the Iranian air force since the 1970s, and whole generations of Iranian pilots and ground personnel have been trained to fly and maintain them. Indeed, the type bore the brunt of active combat operations during the long war with Iraq. Iranian F-4 Phantom IIs were also some of best equipped examples ever exported by the USA. Some Iranian Phantom II pilots gathered immense experience on the type, flying it in combat for more than ten years. This book removes the veil of secrecy surrounding Iranian Phantom II operations since the war with Iraq. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 38 - 1st printing. " B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the MTO!" Written by William N Hess. Art by Mark Styling. Although the Fifteenth Air Force was dismissed as 'minor leaguers' by the Eighth Air Force, strategic bombers from this outfit had done a 'major league' job on Axis targets in southern Europe following its formation in Italy in November 1943. And the heavy bombers employed by the Fifteenth were of course the venerable B-17 and B-24. At its peak strength, the Fifteenth's B-17 force comprised six groups of four squadrons each, all controlled by the 5th Bomb Wing. Having been a part of the Fifteenth Air Force in 1944, author Bill Hess has long been waiting to write a definitive account on 'his air force'. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 39 - 1st printing. " B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Pacific War!" Written by Martin Bowman. Art by Mark Styling. The B-17 saw combat in the Pacific from the moment a formation of these bombers arrived at Pearl Harbor during the midst of the 7 December 1941 Japanese attack. By the end of the war, SB-17 rescue craft were saving combat crews in the waters off Japan. This book reveals why, to the public, the Flying Fortress was better known than the Spitfire, the Boeing 747, or Lindbergh's Spirit of St Louis. The name recognition enjoyed by the B-17 was that company's reason for creating B-17 Steak Sauce and Osprey's reason to round out the saga of this great wartime aircraft. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 40 - 1st printing. "PBJ Mitchell Units of the Pacific War!" Written by Jerry Scutts. Art by Jim Laurier. Flown exclusively by the US Marines, the PBJ was one of those rare examples of an air force type being procured by the navy due to its ability to do exactly the job that was required of it. Bought as a land-based patrol bomber for operations in the Atlantic and Pacific, the PBJ (Patrol, Bomber, North American) was kitted out to hunt down submarines as well as surface vessels. Identical to its air force counterpart, except for its ability to lay mines, deploy depth charges and launch torpedoes, some 706 PBJs were delivered to the Marine Corps from 1943-45. This book outlines the aircraft's history and technology, and takes a closer look at the men who flew it. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 41 - 1st printing. " US Army AH-1 Cobra Units in Vietnam!" Written by Jonathan Bernstein. Art by Jim Laurier. Bell's AH-1 Cobra was the first dedicated helicopter gunship to reach frontline service anywhere in the world. Developed as a private venture by the manufacturer, and based on the mechanics of the ubiquitous UH-1 Huey, the Cobra proved a huge success once introduced into combat with the US Army in 1966. Built as a key weapon in the Advanced Aerial Fire Support System concept of 1965, the AH-1 was one of the few aircraft to reach the combat zone after actual combat experience went into its design. The AH-1 helped reduce the losses being suffered by vulnerable troop transport helicopters by providing effective fire suppression during airmobile operations. This book explores its history, technology and crew. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 42 - 1st printing. " B-29 Superfortress Units of the Korean War!" Written by Robert F Dorr. Art by Mark Styling. This book is the story of a majestic bomber of the propeller era flying perilous combat missions against a sleek, nimble warplane of the jet age, the Soviet MiG-15. A very heavy bomber and a sky giant during World War 2, at that time the B-29 was the most advanced combat aircraft in the world. By the time North Korea attacked its southern neighbour in 1950, the B-29 had been reclassified a medium bomber. Many of its crew members had fought their war and settled down to raise families and begin careers only to be recalled to fight another war on a distant Asian peninsula. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 43 - 1st printing. " B-52 Stratofortress Units in Combat 1955-73!" Written by Jon Lake. Art by Mark Styling. Designed to form the backbone of Strategic Air Command's nuclear deterrent, the B-52 force was brought to higher states of readiness whenever crisis threatened the USA, most notably when Kennedy and Khruschev went eyeball-to-eyeball over Cuba. Soon afterwards, B-52s formed the backbone of the USAF's bombing campaign in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. This book follows the story of the B-52 from its genesis to its first combat missions in June 1965 and through to the briefly sustained but bloodily fought Linebacker II offensive in late 1972. Even after the withdrawal of US forces in 1973, B-52s remained in-theatre, flying training missions mainly from Guam. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 44 - 1st printing. " Arab MiG-19 & MiG-21 Units in Combat!" Written by David Nicolle. Art by Mark Styling. The MiG-21 provided the backbone of frontline Arab air combat strength for many years and remained the Arabs' only real hope of challenging Israeli air supremacy. This book provides a detailed history of the MiG-21 in Egyptian, Syrian and Iraqi service. It includes numerous photographs, most of which have not been seen outside the Arab world and a large proportion of which have never previously been published anywhere. The material is drawn from official sources and from the private collections and recollections of men who flew, or met, these aircraft in combat. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 45 - 1st printing. " USAF F-4 Phantom II MiG Killers 1965-68!" Written by Peter Davies. Art by Jim Laurier. The USAF introduced the F-4C Phantom II into the Vietnam war in April 1965 from Ubon RTAB, Thailand. The F-4C/D soon became the Air Force's principal fighter over the North, destroying 85 MiGs by the close of 1968. This book describes how the USAF turned a gunless naval interceptor into an opponent to the more nimble VPAF MiGs. It explains how the Air Force gradually followed US Navy initiatives in the use of the F-4's missile armament but employed very different tactics and aircrew training. The roles of key personalities such as Col. Robin Oldany are discussed, together with armament and markings, crews and engagements. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 46 - 1st printing. " US Navy Hornet Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom: Part 1!" Written by Tony Holmes. Art by Chris Davey. The F/A-18 Hornet in its various guises was the 'universal soldier' of OIF, with around 250 seeing combat. Flown by various squadrons and groups, the Hornet attacked a range of targets including tanks of the various Iraqi Republican Guard units and government buildings housing elements of the Baath party regime. Apart from its ability to drop precision munitions such as laser-guided bombs, the Hornet was also capable of launching anti-radar missiles and acting as an aerial tanker and reconnaissance platform for other strike types. This book explores the Hornet's versatility which has enhanced its reputation as one of the world's leading strike-fighter aircraft. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

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Volume 47 - 1st printing. " F-15C/E Eagle Units of operation Iraqi Freedom!" Written by Steve Davies. Art by Chris Davey. The F-15C/E has formed the backbone of US and Coalition operations in the Middle East for over a decade, patrolling the skies over northern and southern Iraq as part of Operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch. F-15Cs policed the skies for Iraqi aircraft operating in contravention of no-fly zone agreements, whilst the F-15E was constantly dropping weapons onto the Iraqi SAM and AAA emplacements that engaged Coalition aircraft undertaking this mission. The USAF's use of the F-15 in the region culminated with Operation Iraqi Freedom, which was launched in mid March 2003 in order to liberate the people of Iraq and ensure the destruction of Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction. In doing so, the F-15C was used to protect friendly troops and aircraft from any last-ditch attempt to use the Iraqi Air Force. In the event, the F-15Es of the 4th Fighter Wing saw most prolific use, engaging Iraqi armour before Coalition ground troops moved forward, and providing close air support to soldiers and Special Forces as they came into contact with the enemy. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 48 - 1st printing. " US Navy A-7 Corsair II Units of the Vietnam War!" Written by Peter Mersky and Norman W Birzer. Art by Jim Laurier. Arriving on station with the USS Ranger (CVA-61) in early December 1967, the first Corsair II squadron became operational immediatedly and sustained its first combat loss three weeks later. This book tells how the A-7 soon proved its worth supporting ground operations in South Vietnam. As it continued to serve in the ground support role, the navy swiftly introduced the A-7E which soon ran into difficulties with supply lines - perhaps on account of what many perceived to have been a rushed introduction to service. Once these teething problems were resolved, the A-7E became the primary air-to-ground aircraft of the fleet. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 49 - 1st printing. " Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat!" Written by Tom Cooper and Farzad Bishop. Art by Chris Davey. So formidable an opponent did the Iraqi airforce consider the F-14 that during the Iran-Iraq war, they ordered their pilots not to engage F-14s and the presence of one in an area was usually enough to empty it of Iraqi aircraft. Officially losses where tiny; only one F-14 was lost in aerial combat (to a MiG-21), one to a control problem and one downed by a ground-to-air missile. This book looks at the F-14's Iranian combat history and includes first hand accounts from the pilots themselves. It will consider key engagements and the central figures involved, illustrating the realities, successes and failures of the Iranian air campaign. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.