Some Future Titles of Interest for SPF Members

RocketJavelin said:
Nothing on the Atlantic I’m afraid, although the design wind tunnel tested by the RAE used the original Vulcan B.1 wing, and was actually used for the phase 2 (kinked) leading edge development.
There’s a preview (of sorts) of the book in the Feb 2025 Aeroplane Monthly: https://www.key.aero/article/avro-vulcan-how-legend-was-created
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Foo Fighter said:
Designing the Vulcan
Order placed 23 August 2024
Arriving 22 March
This keeps changing though and probably will again from experience.
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Foo Fighter said:
No worries mate, not complaining.
These marvels get done in the time it takes, publishing and printing extra yo say nothing of shipping.
Very lucky to have such as yourself and others here writing and collating data that for myself, would drive me into crossed eyes and insomnia by now.
As is said on any military range, "In your own time, go on"...
Thank you, Sir.
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RocketJavelin said:
You’re very welcome! Remiss of me not to thank you for ordering.
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I too am looking forward to the publication of your new book (on the development of the Avro Vulcan), Mr Liddle. 350 pages (as listed on Amazon UK) sounds pleasingly in-depth.
 

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fishpond said:
I think the Naval Institute will be marketing this book in the US.
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fishpond said:
These are primarily about the carriers, but they have to take into account the impact of the aircraft. For example, the RN felt compelled to modernize carriers (they wanted more than Victorious) because based on what was being developed, by 1952 surviving WW 2 carriers would have been unable to operate current aircraft. There is no way to divorce the development of STOVL carriers from that of STOVL aircraft -- and so on. And of course it is impossible to talk about the carriers without the developments which made them jet-capable and then VSTOL-capable. Nor is it possible to divorce either the aircraft or the carriers from perceived RN missions and threats.
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BigD said:
Some more details on Friedman's upcoming British Carriers in Two World Wars, though based on Friedman's publishing schedule (which is already breakneck to begin with!) I'm sure British Carriers in the Cold War Era and Beyond probably won't be out until mid-2027.
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A representative at Seaforth confirms to me that Norman Friedman's forthcoming two-volume work on British aircraft carriers will be co-published in the United States by Naval Institute Press, though no word of this as yet on Naval Institute Press's own website.
 
Always nice to see a new book published telling the story of the Liberty Ships.


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https://www.amazon.com/Launching-Li...o+ship+book,aps,97&sr=1-19&xpid=KCrXvC3wFqCIj
 
alberchico said:
Always nice to see a new book published telling the story of the Liberty Ships.


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https://www.amazon.com/Launching-Li...o+ship+book,aps,97&sr=1-19&xpid=KCrXvC3wFqCIj
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"Interesting" that the publisher's blurb makes the Liberty Ship seem like a wholly American invention and never mentions that they were versions of the British "Ocean" class design which had been modified for mass production in American shipyards.

Just pointing this out because I've been re-reading Liberty's Provenance: The Evolution of the Liberty Ship from its Sunderland Origins. It's kind of a clunky read, but it does go into quite a bit of detail on the evolution of the Liberty Ship design which I haven't seen elsewhere. Of course, the publisher's blurb is just there to draw in potential readers, I'm just hoping this book doesn't repeat a lot of old myths.
 
E. Vincent "Jell-O" Aiello - Through the Yellow Visor: The Life and (Mis)Adventures of a US Navy Fighter Pilot
Ride Along with a Real Top Gun and Get His View from the Cockpit

You’ve heard him as host of the Fighter Pilot Podcast. More than 100k listeners have been waiting for this book.

Now ride along. From the cockpit of a Navy jet circling overhead, an aircraft carrier—1,000 feet long and displacing 98,000 tons—looks no bigger than a child’s toy. No wonder the fighter pilots call it a boat. Try landing on one of these bucking broncos without boltering.

TOPGUN instructor and seasoned naval aviator, E. Vincent “Jell-O” Aiello takes readers on an exhilarating flight from being a wide-eyed eight-year-old peering into a jet’s cockpit at the Point Mugu Airshow to flying one. Not the Hollywood version by any means, Vincent explains his tough, terrifying, and trusted path to flying America’s war planes.

With heart (spoiler alert), Vincent recounts the
  • Challenges of flight school,
  • Terror of his first carrier landing (and many after),
  • Importance of family back home for those serving our country, and
  • Hard-earned lessons about life when viewed from the cockpit.

From flying F/A-18 Hornets on missions worldwide, to serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, to teaching the art of air combat at TOPGUN, Jell-O brings you into the adrenaline-fueled world of naval aviation while proving that persistence is a pilot’s most valuable skill.

After retiring from the Navy with more than 3,800 flight hours and 700 carrier landings, Vincent, now an airline pilot, hosts the popular Fighter Pilot Podcast, where he explores the fascinating world of air combat with stimulating revelations about—
  • The complex, multi-million-dollar aircraft,
  • The lethal weapons systems they employ, and
  • The fearless people who protect our country every single day.
This is the personal story of a boy with big dreams who became the man behind the yellow visor.

Grab your copy today! And then, "Strap in," as Rear Admiral Mike “Nasty” Manazir, TOPGUN fighter pilot and former commander of the USS Nimitz, says, because this is an "adrenaline rush from the first page.”
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Links:
https://www.fighterpilotpodcast.com/ttyvhttps://a.co/d/0zNesay
Ward Carroll said:
Secrets of a U.S Navy Fighter Pilot
Retired U.S. Navy Commander and former fighter pilot Vincent "Jell-O" Aiello, the host of the "Fighter Pilot Podcast," talks about his path from teenager with a dream to the cockpit of an F/A-18 Hornet flying into harm's way off of aircraft carriers sailing over hostile waters. [...]
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Video:
View: https://youtu.be/JtCjYJPPJXc?si=UheKVla-ZzhR2n8y

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https://youtu.be/JtCjYJPPJXc?si=UheKVla-ZzhR2n8y
 
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Just heard of this today. Combines two of my biggest interests (submarines and rocketry), so I might have to check it out sometime. Author has previously written books on Thor and Blue Streak.
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Pages: 400
Publisher: Fonthill Media
Published: 30th April 2025

The atom bombs dropped on Japan at the end of the Second World War opened the door to the nuclear age. Seeing the potential for developing nuclear energy for the US Navy, Captain Hyman Rickover initiated a research programme that culminated in the launch of USS Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine. Meanwhile, ballistic missile technology was developing fast but was still reliant on complex liquid fuels. The US Navy partnered with the army to develop a ballistic missile for both services but withdrew when solid fuels became a practical proposition. Under the leadership of Rear Admiral William Raborn, the US Navy set up its own project: the Polaris weapon system. In 1960, the first missile-armed nuclear-powered submarine left on patrol, with forty more to follow in subsequent years. Two years later, when Britain’s Blue Streak and Skybolt plans were cancelled, Harold Macmillan and John F. Kennedy agreed for Polaris to be supplied to the Royal Navy. At a time of intensive re-examination of the NATO alliance, the ‘special relationship’ between the UK and USA, and Britain’s role as a nuclear power, this is the first comprehensive history of Polaris. It brings together technical aspects, the key characters, and the full stories of the American and British programmes.
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Owens Z said:
My post #746 in this valuable New Books thread, asking purchasers of the first volume whether or not Luigino Caliaro's trilogy covering Italian WW2 fighter planes is worthwhile, got no responses, which I considered a bad sign. I then directly asked several of the prominent members of 'Secret Projects' who are from Italy, but none of those had heard of Mr Caliaro or his work. Now that the second volume, Fiat Fighters, has been published, anybody here own a copy? If so, what do you think?
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I have both the Fiat and Macchi books and both come across as excellent. One interesting bit from the Fiat book is that the picture normally shown of the G.50V in dark olive over Grey is a touched-up picture of a standard G.50. The book does have a picture of the real G.50V and it has different lines for the nose and spinner as well as a camouflage pattern instead of the solid dark olive.
 
elmayerle said:
I have both the Fiat and Macchi books and both come across as excellent. One interesting bit from the Fiat book is that the picture normally shown of the G.50V in dark olive over Grey is a touched-up picture of a standard G.50. The book does have a picture of the real G.50V and it has different lines for the nose and spinner as well as a camouflage pattern instead of the solid dark olive.
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Thanks, elmayerle. I bought a copy of Luigino Caliaro's Fiat fighters book after the good recommendations in posts #792-95 above. (I also tried to buy a copy of his first volume, on Macchi fighters, but found that it's already out of print: groan.) I have the Fiat book in my hand as I type this. The trim size is larger than the US standard 8.5 x 11 inches, and the resulting generous page space is well laid out and fully made use of (although if the text's type size were any smaller, it would become difficult for me to discern). High-quality paper, and the black & white photos and color drawings are sized well and printed crisply: obviously a very professional production job. I have only started to read the book, but so far (as promised) the author's English is clear and engaging. The book does not mention Italo Battioli, who had translated a 2010 article of Caliaro's as noted in post #804, but the Acknowledgements thanks "Frank McMeiken for the English translation support".

The "picture of the real G.50V" that you mention—what page(s) is this? I want to check it out.

A representative at Crecy Publishing told me that she expects Caliaro's third volume, on Reggiane fighters, to be published sometime toward the end of this year. I look forward to it.
 
There are people online who are aware of the desirability of books like this. They constitute the the so-called "secondary market." I recommend buying early since the trend has been to sell them for more than the cover price. If demand is high, the selling price is higher. If it is not, it will be lower but still more than the cover price.

For example, I bought a book for $30 and saw it go up to $300. After a while, it came back down to $30. Unfortunately, this does not apply to all books.
 
phil gollin said:
I hope this hasn't been listed before ;

Hawker Siddeley HS.801 Nimrod: Outstanding in the Role​

Hardcover​

– 31 May 2025​

by Chris Gibson (Author)
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CJGibson said:
Well, it won't be May 2025!
Chris
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PMN1 said:
Another £99.99 one from Amazon....I sense a pattern here.
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Mr Gibson, I hope you are well. The Amazon UK page about your forthcoming book, Hawker Siddeley HS.801 Nimrod: Outstanding in the Role may have jumped the gun, as you implied. No mention yet on Crecy Publishing's website. Any news you can share with us?

On my shelf is a copy of Sir Bill Gunston's interesting 2009 book Nimrod: The Centenarian Aircraft, which while short covers the ill-fated Comet 1 airliner, later marks of the Comet, and the Nimrod's maritime patrol/ASW, SIGINT, and AEW variants based on the Comet 4. Gunston's hopeful subtitle was overtaken by the RAF's 2010 decision to retire all Nimrods.

Based on your forthcoming book's subtitle, you too are laudatory about this family of aircraft. I see you had written the related 2015 book Nimrod's Genesis: RAF Maritime Patrol Projects and Weapons since 1945.
 

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Methinks your opinion of The Mighty Hunter has been clouded by what's been written in the (mainly lay) press about the AEW3 and MRA4 (I'll chuck in the Haddon-Cave inquiry as well). As for the subtitle - MR.1, MR.2 and R.1 were indeed 'outstanding in the role' they performed. Not my words; Chief of the Air Staff, Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Sir Keith A. Williamson in 1983. AEW3 and MRA4 never got a chance.

Chris
 
elmayerle said:
Page 136 has both the touched-up photo and a photo of the real aircraft.
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After reviewing the picture further, it looks like the G.55 engine installation and cowling from the firewall forward, though with slightly different oil cooler installation, but the spinner looks closer to that of a MC-202, though further digging indicates a spinner from a Finnish G.50 might be a suitable choice. Further reading shows that the G.50V was built from the eleventh production G.50 Serie I airacraft and, hence, has the fully encloed transparent canopy with rollover bar. I have to presume that the radiator installation used would be similar to that of the G.55. It's tempting to consider how best to model it.
 
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edwest4 said:
There are people online who are aware of the desirability of books like this. They constitute the the so-called "secondary market." I recommend buying early since the trend has been to sell them for more than the cover price. If demand is high, the selling price is higher. If it is not, it will be lower but still more than the cover price.
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The people who seem completely unaware of this are the publishers themselves, leaving money on the table by sticking to impractically short print runs. And then refusing to make ebooks available.
 
Kiltonge said:
The people who seem completely unaware of this are the publishers themselves, leaving money on the table by sticking to impractically short print runs. And then refusing to make ebooks available.
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Sounds like more than coincidence to me
 
Kiltonge said:
The people who seem completely unaware of this are the publishers themselves, leaving money on the table by sticking to impractically short print runs. And then refusing to make ebooks available.
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Quite wrong. I have been in book publishing for over 40 years. What is practical is not a sure thing. On one site, potential buyers are asked to "register interest." The final number is no guarantee that this is the number of people who will actually buy the book. Prior to the internet, my company did their best to estimate demand in terms of potential sales and compare that to actual sales once a book was released. A clear pattern emerged.

No one is required to release an ebook. However, I have noticed a few people online demand that they do so. Or demand that they reprint a title. But, and this is important, 10 or even 20 people passionately demanding something represents too small a number when it comes to reprinting a book.
 
edwest4 said:
But, and this is important, 10 or even 20 people passionately demanding something represents too small a number when it comes to reprinting a book.
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Genuine question, when you see one of your imprint's books selling second-hand for multiples of the cover price does it not cause discussion about another print run?

It just baffles me that there is apparent demand for books that isn't met by source.

For example I've been chasing a copy of "Listening In" for years but refuse to pay £80 for it ( RRP £25ish ) because that's pure scalping - and that's the low end of the market.

Thought: is there such a concept as buying a manuscript from a publisher who doesn't want to reprint, or is that too legally messy?
 
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Some people think books appear as if watching a magic trick in progress. We don't care that some of our books are selling for high multiples of the cover price on the secondary market. We certainly don't see that money. I do hope you're not suggesting that reprints go for a much higher cover price than the original printing. That would put them in the "refuse to pay" category.

Again, especially online, hearing from one or two people who insist we do something is not realistic. There are reprint minimums that need to be met. Book publishing companies that stay in business for decades need to make a certain amount of profit to pay for all employees, and freelancers, involved.

Direct manuscript purchases would involve a number of legal problems.
 
When you're getting books being published with 65-66% reductions even on pre-orders, then it's no laughing matter either.
Someone is making a profit, but it ain't the authors and I suspect not the publishers either.
 
Bruno Anthony said:
Can it compared to Santiago Rivas Helion published book?
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It's hard to tell because Santiago Rivas is considered to be the leading authority as far as Argentine aviation is concerned, but this author has published several books documenting the combat history of the Mirage which are quite good. If he has good sources and writes with the same level of detail as his previous books, then it'll be a good read.
 
Hood said:
When you're getting books being published with 65-66% reductions even on pre-orders, then it's no laughing matter either.
Someone is making a profit, but it ain't the authors and I suspect not the publishers either.
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The common lament from authors is they aren't being paid enough. Compared to who?

My company has been in business for over 40 years. We make a profit.
 

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