Jonathan Falconer

Once again, a great book from the new Haynes style.

100 innovations, each with a 2 page illustrated spread, chosen from the century of the RAF. Some are obvious, large topics and handled briefly (radar, jet engines, A-A missiles), others are very obscure (Kilfrost, panel fasteners) and this may be the most visible description of them available. The majority are topics that many readers will recognise, but will enjoy an explanation behind the name (infrared decoy flares, Hardened Aircraft Shelters). I was impressed by this book and found it pitched at just the right level.… (more)

This booklet very much represents Osprey at their best, when an author with a demonstrated track record regarding the subject gives you a good narrative summation of said topic. About the only thing that I would have liked to have heard a little more about from on Falconer was just what issues the Stirling had in regards to reliability. From other reading I know that the RAF had issues with Short as a manufacturer, particularly in regards to their Belfast operations, which was something of a sacred cow into the 1960s for political issues.… (more)

This photographic history is very good. The book is a large hardcover, leaving lots of room for two-page spreads to showcase Concorde in all its glory. Directional arrows make it clear which captions refer to which photos, and all photos are credited in their captions. The text is succinct and informative, and overall it was a great book. The only quibble I have (and this is something that comes up in other aviation books, not just this one) is that if a photograph is of an instrument panel and the caption is discussing a specific instrument, that instrument should be circled on the panel so that the uninitiated reader can find it more easily. But overall, this was a good book and I’d recommend it.… (more)