Some Future Titles of Interest for SPF Members

Arjen said:
Pre-order, available 'late October', bookazine.
shop.kelsey.co.uk

US Aviation Secret Projects Issue 2 - B 52 Stratofortress | Kelsey Media

US Aviation Secret Projects Issue 2 - B 52 Stratofortress | Kelsey Media
shop.kelsey.co.uk shop.kelsey.co.uk
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After reading "From its early piston-driven concepts and experimental derivatives to visionary nuclear and supersonic proposals, this bookazine charts every phase of the bomber’s design history." from the brief description, a question arise: is this bookazine a summary of the already existing?

https://www.mortonsbooks.co.uk/news-details/13
 
BTW; I was wondering about the "2" on the cover, what was #"1"? It appears that they retroactively assigned #1 to Scott's Blackbird book. Is Kelsy Media related to Tempest/Mortons? Maybe Scott could tell us.
 
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AL said:
BTW; I was wondering about the "2" on the cover, what was #"1"? It appears that they retroactively assigned #1 to Scott's Blackbird book. Is Kelsy Media related to Tempest/Mortons? Maybe Scott could tell us.
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Yes, the header on the SR-71 book was changed from "Origin & Evolution".
 
gatoraptor said:
Yes, the header on the SR-71 book was changed from "Origin & Evolution".
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It's a different size as well. The original Mortons edition was 8-1/4 x 11-5/8 inches; the new Kelsey edition, like many of their other bookazines, is 7-7/8 x 10-5/8 inches. Since the drawings inside have scales on them, I wonder if those scales are still correct.
 
BigD said:
...A sizeable chunk of it is devoted to a recap of the Battle of the Atlantic...
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Bruno Anthony said:
Fongool
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Don't lose hope for this new book Cold War Anti-Submarine Warfare, Bruno. Last week author Norman Friedman gave a lecture "The Cold War Naval End-Game" for the New York Military Affairs Symposium, a lecture based on the book and quite interesting. No inordinate attention to the 1939-45 Battle of the Atlantic was heard. A Zoom recording of Dr Friedman's lecture can be found at the NYMAS website, if you like.
 
uk 75 said:
I should have been more specific. The [Osprey] book I had in mind was the one on postwar British aircraft carriers where the colour drawings looked like a 70s children's book.
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Nobody responded to uk75's post #1009 asking for an appropriate review of Michael Napier's hardcover book Over Cold War Seas: NATO and Soviet Naval Aviation 1949–89 (Osprey, 2025). I went ahead and, crossing my fingers, bought a copy. It's single-column with a relatively large type size (see my photo, attached), so this book has fewer words than I would have guessed. And the binding is worryingly fragile (printer is in India). But the text reads well, and the book is generously illustrated with black & white and color photos (no artwork or line drawings) without being a 'picture book'. The author is a former RAF Tornado pilot.

Chapters 1—4 cover the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and 80s respectively of the Cold War, with an overview of NATO and Soviet naval aircraft (carrier planes and land-based strike, maritime patrol, and ASW aircraft) with mention of aircraft carrier classes, plus history of naval-air-related events, mostly in European waters though the more distant 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and 1982 Falklands War are touched upon. Chapter 5 engages with neutrals Spain (until joining NATO in 1982), Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Yugoslavia, and Albania. An Afterword gives a synopsis of post-1990 naval air.

I expect those interested in the subject will like this book. It would pair well with the heftier, more detailed new aircraft carrier tomes by Norman Friedman and John Jordan, or James Jackson's new Wings Over the Fleet: British Naval Aircraft since 1945; like Bordeaux with a fine steak. Recommended.

I don't recognize that other Osprey title you refer to, uk75, which I suppose is for the best.
 

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overscan (PaulMM) said:
Nice-looking new title from Crecy/Hikoki from RC-135-pilot-turned-historian Robert S Hopkins III... I have a review copy, and will post a review once I've read it but it looks like an interesting read.
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gatoraptor said:
I asked Crecy that very question a week ago on their Facebook page, and this was their response: "We get asked about this quite a bit! Currently no plans, but hopefully we'll have some better news soon."
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overscan (PaulMM) said:
...Robert Hopkins III is a former pilot, and I'm pretty sure his book will be much more to your taste.
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Arjen said:
I have both books. Without wanting to.appear greedy, any hope for Cold War Aerial Reconnaissance Volume 2?
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Justo Miranda said:
Excellent book
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I have read with interest works about secret photorecon and SIGINT flights over the Soviet bloc since back when there was a Soviet bloc. After a recommendation from Overscan, I bought a copy of the 2016 book by Robert S. Hopkins III (a former USAF RC-135 pilot), Spyflights and Overflights: Cold War Aerial Reconnaissance Volume 1 1945-1960. This book proves to be a comprehensive and detailed technical history of the US (with UK) aerial espionage efforts back then, efforts that were vigorously opposed by Soviet PVO air defense forces. Well written (and well produced by Crécy Publishing). A fine addition to my home library.

Per the book's subtitle, a subsequent Volume 2 covering post-1960 spy flights is promised. No such Volume 2 has since been published. I asked Crécy about Volume 2, and an editor there replied: "Unfortunately we have no further updates regarding this title and so no more information is available". Dissatisfied with this, I contacted the author directly. Dr Hopkins tells me that in fact Volume 2 is written, but publication has been held up for some years by a lawsuit from the US Government alleging that pending titles of his, including the Volume 2 manuscript, contain classified information. Dr Hopkins denies this, and has been working to get the litigation resolved satisfactorily, so as to allow publication of the held-up books. I assured Dr Hopkins that I will buy a copy of Volume 2 when it's out, and I wished him the best of luck in his legal fight against inappropriate censorship. I watch for news at his website < https://www.airpowerhistory.com/litigation >.
 

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This is not a unique situation. A pre-publication copy of a book about nuclear history ended up in the hands of the CIA. They asked a judge to block publication since it contained secrets. The judge refused. The CIA returned to request that certain parts be removed since they contained classified information. The judge refused. They came back with a request that the author provide a list of the source documents he used for the problematic parts. That request was granted. The book was published in ts original form. When the author returned to the archives he had used, those documents were removed and reclassified. It is common practice to insert a note in such files that certain portions have been reclassified or a note saying they had been removed.
 
Owens Z said:
Don't lose hope for this new book Cold War Anti-Submarine Warfare, Bruno. Last week author Norman Friedman gave a lecture "The Cold War Naval End-Game" for the New York Military Affairs Symposium, a lecture based on the book and quite interesting. No inordinate attention to the 1939-45 Battle of the Atlantic was heard. A Zoom recording of Dr Friedman's lecture can be found at the NYMAS website, if you like.
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Yeah I attended the lecture live on Zoom and asked the big question which he did honestly answer.
The rest of his presentation made me relearn the infamous saying about what happens when you meet your heroes.
 
Owens Z said:
Don't lose hope for this new book Cold War Anti-Submarine Warfare
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My other concern for the book was a disappointing repeat of the end of Fighters Over The Fleet when (not really his fault) due to still classified data, he tap danced his way through the last chapter on the Cold War. Lots of personal conjecture, very few citations. But of course the good guys win.
 
I am very pleased, and a little daunted, to announce that my first ever book is now available for pre-order.

Short SC.7 Skyvan is the first in a new series from Fonthill Media called 'Aviation Workhorses'. This series comprises comprehensive type histories of the light transport aircraft that perform unglamorous passenger and cargo flights in all corners of the world.

The second title will cover the BAe Jetstream, and should be out next year.

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Aviation-Workhorses-Hardback/p/56872
 

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Aeroflight said:
I am very pleased, and a little daunted, to announce that my first ever book is now available for pre-order.

Short SC.7 Skyvan is the first in a new series from Fonthill Media called 'Aviation Workhorses'. This series comprises comprehensive type histories of the light transport aircraft that perform unglamorous passenger and cargo flights in all corners of the world.

The second title will cover the BAe Jetstream, and should be out next year.

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Aviation-Workhorses-Hardback/p/56872
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Finally,as you told me my dear,it was in progress to publish,congratulation
 
Aeroflight said:
I am very pleased, and a little daunted, to announce that my first ever book is now available for pre-order.

Short SC.7 Skyvan is the first in a new series from Fonthill Media called 'Aviation Workhorses'. This series comprises comprehensive type histories of the light transport aircraft that perform unglamorous passenger and cargo flights in all corners of the world.

The second title will cover the BAe Jetstream, and should be out next year.

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Aviation-Workhorses-Hardback/p/56872
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The 'official' Pen & Sword page does your book a dis-service, no contents listing or inside pages. I didn't order it earlier today because I didn't know whether it was a serious tome or a 'picture book'.

Ordered now though!
 
Aeroflight said:
I am very pleased, and a little daunted, to announce that my first ever book is now available for pre-order.

Short SC.7 Skyvan is the first in a new series from Fonthill Media called 'Aviation Workhorses'. This series comprises comprehensive type histories of the light transport aircraft that perform unglamorous passenger and cargo flights in all corners of the world.

The second title will cover the BAe Jetstream, and should be out next year.

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Aviation-Workhorses-Hardback/p/56872
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Congratulations, looks like this will be an interesting series.
 

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There are so many interesting titles coming out from Helion I think it'd be easier to link to their page so you can see for yourself what they have to offer :

 
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Arjen said:
I would hope publishers like Crecy would fill the void left.
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I really hope the rumour is false for in my opinion Morton has done much better work than Crecy especially in the layout department (Crecy often uses appalling sans-serif font + excessive blank areas on pages (for example, Tony Butler's books)); Morton is routinely better in this 100-0).
 
gatoraptor said:
I don't know how "secret" projects are in the airliner business, but I'm certain this coming bookazine will have content pertinent to this group:
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I bought a copy of the new bookazine yesterday at Barnes & Noble; very worthwhile. Thanks for the notice, Gatoraptor.
 

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you navigate to the title, and on the relevant page it shows it is available to buy. Anything else you need your hand holding for?
 
CJGibson said:
Even the Hikoki books?

Chris
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Varies with titles. The old Hikoki book "Spitfires and Yellow Tail Mustangs" is excellent in design. But in general, the Morton large-format hardbacks I have seen (5ish so far) have been better in design than many recent Crecy/Hikoki books (like the reprints of Brown's "Wings-series") . Though then for example the DC-3 in Latin American service is again very very good.
 
Pasoleati said:
Try reading e.g. the American fighter projects book
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Whenever I read books the size of the American Fighter Projects book, I take care to arrange adequate lighting and a proper reading table. I am not a masochist, I try not to torture my books. This, unless somebody/something disturbs me, makes for a most satisfactory reading experience of the many Crecy titles I have on my shelf.

"I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best." - Oscar Wilde

YMMV.
 
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The American Secret Projects - Fighters & Interceptors 1945-1978 on my shelf was published by Midland/Ian Allan in 2007. If would have any criticism on its layout - and I do not - it would be unfair to blame Crecy. The Crecy book is yet to be released.
 
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