The Complete History of U.S. Cruise Missiles: From 1950s’ Snark to Today’s Toma

Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Specialty Press (September 15, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1580072569
ISBN-13: 978-158007256
 

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bipa said:
sferrin said:
Hopefully it has a big chunk on Pluto/SLAM.

...and LASRM, ASALM, ACM, TSSAM, JASSM...
Be real interesting to see what it has on TSSAM since I worked on that bird, both AGM-137A and BGM-137B.
 
Have to wonder if it will cover the immediate post-war work with the Loon and other V-1-inspired efforts? The photo sequence of the first Loon launch from a surface submarine is something, especially when you consider the submarine had to immediately dive to escape the exploding boosters and missile.
 
Re: The Complete History of U.S. Cruise Missiles

Amazon UK have this on a pre-order price guarantee of £32.20 instead of £32.22 - a whole £0.02p cheaper!
 
I don't how to put the image on here but Amazon has a new image of the cover. It says MATADOR, MACE, REGULUS, NAVAHO & 21 OTHERS.
 
Allow me. I berated Amazon for saying the book was "Currently unavailable", saying that of course the book was "currently unavailable" since it's not going to be published until September!
 

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One wonders if one of the 21 others is SENIOR PROM...
 
Specialty Press is now showing the Table of Contents on their website.
 
http://www.specialtypress.com/the-complete-history-of-u-s-cruise-missiles-kettering-s-1920s-bug-1950s-snark-21st-century-tomahawk.html

To me looks excellent
 
Re: The Complete History of U.S. Cruise Missiles

pometablava said:
http://www.specialtypress.com/the-complete-history-of-u-s-cruise-missiles-kettering-s-1920s-bug-1950s-snark-21st-century-tomahawk.html

To me looks excellent
yeah, but TSSAM seems to be totally missing and that was a major all-aspects stealthy cruise missile program that not only had air-launched version but ground-launched versions (keeping the latter stealthy was an interesting challenge given the launch conditions). It's cancellation led to JASSM and only with JASSM-ER do you get back to what was demonstrated by Northrop on TSSAM and I'm told it uses TSSAM's engine.
 
Having now received this book and done a quick scan, I see nothing to change my views given above. TSSAM is dismissed in a couple sentences and without any illustrations.
 
Setting aside your disappointment with the TASSM missile text how is the rest of the book? Does it cover JASSM, the AGM-129 and other modern subjects well?

Mark
 
Having now received this book and done a quick scan, I see nothing to change my views given above. TSSAM is dismissed in a couple sentences and without any illustrations.

So is this book a failed attemp to tell the story of US cruise missile development?, should we avoid it and wait for a better book? What do you think?
 
Outside of the weak coverage of TSSAM, it looks to be a pretty good book, judging by an initial scan. It does have a lot on the ACM and a whole lot on the Tomahawk. There is a book out there on just the Regulus program, and the efforts leading up to it, that I would recommend as a supplementary reference due to it's detail (the photos and write-up of the first attempted Loon launch from a surfaced submarine are quite something).
 
There is a book out there on just the Regulus program,

https://www.amazon.com/Regulus-Americas-Nuclear-Submarine-Missile/

Only 37 US$ while 46€ in Europe :'(
 
pometablava said:
There is a book out there on just the Regulus program,

https://www.amazon.com/Regulus-Americas-Nuclear-Submarine-Missile/

Only 37 US$ while 46€ in Europe :'(
If that link didn't work, try this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Regulus-Americas-Nuclear-Submarine-Missile/dp/159652183X
 
£26.66 on Amazon UK.

My main interest is in the 50s and 60s, and that seemed good.
 
Looks pretty good at first blush; I particularly like the cutaways of the different versions of the ALCM and the Tomahawk.

I take issue with the author's assertion that the short-lived Fairchild Bull Goose was ever designated the XB-73; I tend to agree with Lloyd Jones that the last missile to apparently get a designation in the "B-for-Bomber" series was the B-68 Titan. Also, in the list of specifications at the end, the Snark is inadvertently referred to as the B-64/SM-64.
 
Books by the author in general are mostly about machines that actually flew. How does this one fare in terms of "paper" projects ?

F_T
 
Very light on paper projects.
 
Well then perhaps there is room for a book "American secret projects: cruise missiles" in Crecy's series. The topics is truly very interesting so I guess it would have a reasonable market.

best

F_T
 
Why not a "Secret Projects: cruise missiles" to compare USA and Soviet developments?
 
CNH said:
Very light on paper projects.
And even some that flew, but didn't make production, like TSSAM. There's no mention at all of the Lockheed design that was in competition with Northrop for this contract.
 
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