B-18/B-23 Book

[RB-18B]

For those who may be aware of this recently released book, I'd like to remind them that there is a 91-page down-load available from the publisher in the UK, Crecy, which includes a very detailed aircraft-by-aircraft production list as well as several other useful annexes. Although this is cited at the bottom of one of the introductory pages of the published volume, quite a few folks have missed it.

[JohnB]

Funny, I was reading my copy and looked for the appendices mention an didn't see them.

I like the book's content, they don't leave much out, not too sure about the writing style.
They constantly trumpet that what they say is different from accepted B-18 history, but occasionally it comes across tooting one's own horn.

The list of B-23 survivors is incomplete, the authors didn't know about the airworthy example at Moses Lake...very surprising since they live in Seattle, just a couple of hours away, not like it was in New Zealand or something.

Still, I'd rate it 4.75 out of 5.
I love complete histories of aircraft, and this one gives you a good developmental history as well as a look at what was going on inside the Army in terms of bomber basing and theory at the time. Stuff I've never seen anywhere else outside of dry official histories.

[RB-18B]

B-23 msn 2749 was in fact described and shown as being domiciled at Moses Lake in the detailed production list for the B-18 and B-23 contained in the download available and which was cited for the benefit of readers in the first instance. The book was researched and the m/s locked-down for publication long before the co-authors resided in the Seattle area, just for the record!

[JohnB]

Actually, the author himself indicated to me in an email on June 18, that he thought the Moses lake example was the same one currently displayed at McChord (ex Univ. of Washington), which of course it isn't since N777LW has recently flown. More to the point of my first post, the book itself, not the download which I haven't done yet, does not mention it as still surviving...though there are photos of it post war. That doesn't mean much , by reading the book's ac histories, there were many B-18s and B-23s that survived the war only to disappear in the 60s-80s.

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/b23regis ... 90063.html

I hope you (or he...or potential customers) don't think my comments indicate a unhappiness with the book, as I said I'm really enjoying it...and that's saying a lot. Not many new books get me excited. This has a great blend of developmental history, USAAC prewar history/planning, operational use and individual histories, all backed up with footnotes and good photos (though some could be reproduced larger).
As I said, 4.75 out of five.

Last edited by JohnB on Mon Nov 02, 2015 10:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Chris Brame]

Looking forward to seeing this book - in the meantime here are a couple images I shot off the screen from the movie Bombardier:

B-18A 38-588 (there's only one frame of film with a readable serial)


B-23 39-34 (this is the only image of it I've ever found)

[quemerford]

For those who may be aware of this recently released book, I'd like to remind them that there is a 91-page down-load available from the publisher in the UK, Crecy, which includes a very detailed aircraft-by-aircraft production list as well as several other useful annexes. Although this is cited at the bottom of one of the introductory pages of the published volume, quite a few folks have missed it.

Has anyone received this download? I bought the book, emailed Crecy and am still waiting for a response, weeks later...

[JohnB]

Has anyone received this download? I bought the book, emailed Crecy and am still waiting for a response, weeks later...

Yes, I have.
I received the link in 2 days.

I downloaded it on a thumb drive and will take it to a copy center this week for printing and I'll have it spiral bound.