AEW Aircraft Books
As my own book has taken over seven years to write with my
co-author Sergio I can now really appreciate what goes into producing a tome on
a particular subject. Along the
way I have accumulated a collection of books on the subject of Airborne Early
Warning (in fact just about every single one ever written about the particular
aircraft or the subject). In fact
there aren't many at all and ones that proclaim to be the be all and end all on
the subject often contain many inaccuracies if not down right
un-truths.
What I intend to do in this section is list or order of
favourites those books with a brief resume and their details so that you can
order a copy for yourself should you wish. So without any more ado here they
are.
AEW Aircraft Books
As my own book has taken over seven years to write with my co-author Sergio I can now really appreciate what goes into producing a tome on a particular subject. Along the way I have accumulated a collection of books on the subject of Airborne Early Warning (in fact just about every single one ever written about the particular aircraft or the subject). In fact there aren't many at all and ones that proclaim to be the be all and end all on the subject often contain many inaccuracies if not down right un-truths. What I intend to do in this section is list or order of my favourites those books with a brief resume and their details so that you can order a copy for yourself should you wish. There is around a dozen of them all together so without any more ado here they are:
As my own book has taken over seven years to write with my
co-author Sergio I can now really appreciate what goes into producing a tome on
a particular subject. Along the
way I have accumulated a collection of books on the subject of Airborne Early
Warning (in fact just about every single one ever written about the particular
aircraft or the subject). In fact
there aren't many at all and ones that proclaim to be the be all and end all on
the subject often contain many inaccuracies if not down right
un-truths.
What I intend to do in this section is list or order of
favourites those books with a brief resume and their details so that you can
order a copy for yourself should you wish. So without any more ado here they
are.
AEW Aircraft Books
As my own book has taken over seven years to write with my co-author Sergio I can now really appreciate what goes into producing a tome on a particular subject. Along the way I have accumulated a collection of books on the subject of Airborne Early Warning (in fact just about every single one ever written about the particular aircraft or the subject). In fact there aren't many at all and ones that proclaim to be the be all and end all on the subject often contain many inaccuracies if not down right un-truths. What I intend to do in this section is list or order of my favourites those books with a brief resume and their details so that you can order a copy for yourself should you wish. There is around a dozen of them all together so without any more ado here they are:
Number 1 - B-17 in Blue (Aero Vintage Books, 1993) ISBN 0963754335 - By Scott Thompson
This is one of the first books I bought on the subject of AEW ordered from a bookshop in the States via Amazon. It is 196 pages with scores of B&W photograph, it covers not only the AEW PB-1W version but also the USCG PB-1G patrol aircraft. It details the process of how the USN obtained the airframes from the USAAF and the genesis of the Cadillac program through to full entry in to service and includes the development phases with VPB-101 right though testing with VX-4, VC-11 and eventual introduction into squadron service with VW-2. Every squadron that both versions served with are covered, then the book gives an individual aircraft history and eventual disposal story which in itself is worth buying the book for. The 12 separate Appendices tell you everything you would wish to know about the type from serial numbers to paint schemes and markings right through to the original purchase documents. Overall an outstanding book on the subject which scores 9/10 from me, the only drawback being the binding on the book is faulty so all the pages have become loose a problem that seems to apply to most copies according to the vendor.
Number 2 - Airborne Early Warning Design, Development and Operations (Osprey Publishing, 1983) ISBN 0850455324 - By Mike Hirst
This is a superb book but one of it's time, essentially mid 1980's. Mike Hirst is an ex Flight magazine editor so knows his stuff. The early part of the book covers aspects early warning from the US Civil war and WW1 which I consider superfluous and a waste of space. There is also a very technical section on airborne radar that explains in detail the different types of antenna and problems such as side lobeing. An area I deliberately avoided in my book primarily because I am not a radar technician and I couldn't really explain it any better that Mike does in his book. It is amusing that it was written around the time of the Nimrod AEW hiatus and it's ultimate fate had not been decided when this book was published. Again the explanations of early AEW history are incomplete and sketchy, that may be because the secret files that referred to the subject had not yet been released when this book was written. I would give it 8/10 as it is still the best theory book out there.
This is a superb book but one of it's time, essentially mid 1980's. Mike Hirst is an ex Flight magazine editor so knows his stuff. The early part of the book covers aspects early warning from the US Civil war and WW1 which I consider superfluous and a waste of space. There is also a very technical section on airborne radar that explains in detail the different types of antenna and problems such as side lobeing. An area I deliberately avoided in my book primarily because I am not a radar technician and I couldn't really explain it any better that Mike does in his book. It is amusing that it was written around the time of the Nimrod AEW hiatus and it's ultimate fate had not been decided when this book was published. Again the explanations of early AEW history are incomplete and sketchy, that may be because the secret files that referred to the subject had not yet been released when this book was written. I would give it 8/10 as it is still the best theory book out there.