Category: Books / Calendars / Publications

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“Enemy Engaged” Explores the RAF’s Aerial Offensive from the Blitz to Dieppe

Coming soon from Air World and author Dilip Amin is Enemy Engaged’: The Story of the Battle of Britain Bunker as The RAF Goes on the Offensive from the Blitz to the Dieppe Raid, which details Fighter Command’s transition from defense to offense as an integrated air defense system as well as nocturnal battles, high-stakes raids, and coordinated operations over occupied Europe and Dieppe.

‘Enemy Engaged’ follows the men and women of the RAF’s Fighter Command, fresh from victory in the Battle of Britain, as it begins to adapt from a defensive stance to one of a more offensive nature. Central to the story is the world’s first integrated air defence and control system, as well as Fighter Command’s Operations Rooms and Sector Stations, particularly that of No.11 Group at Uxbridge. In doing so, Dilip Amin weaves a tapestry of individual accounts and official documents to cover a backcloth of military and political upheaval.

Following on from the author’s ‘Enemy Sighted’ (Product Page), the journey continues beyond ‘Battle of Britain Day’ as the RAF duelled for air supremacy over Southern England to prevent Britain from being invaded. Then, as the bombers turn on London, Dilip transports the reader to the period known as the Blitz, as Fighter Command rises to meet the nocturnal assault. Read accounts from those at Uxbridge who witnessed the bombing and the night fighter pilots hunting the raiders in the night sky. Then, using source material, the author sets out Fighter Command’s policy of ‘Leaning towards France’ as it takes the fight to the enemy over Occupied Europe. Continue reading “Enemy Engaged” Explores the RAF’s Aerial Offensive from the Blitz to Dieppe

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Mosquitos Over Scandinavia: Daring Operations to Norway, Sweden and Beyond in WW2

Coming soon from Air World and author Daniel M Rankin is Mosquitos Over Scandinavia: Daring Operations to Norway, Sweden and beyond in WW2, which details the daring WWII air operations that saw Mosquito crews skim North Sea routes to strike northern targets and support civilian missions, revealing perilous missions, international crews, and wartime sacrifices.

As part of some of the most daring aerial missions of the Second World War, de Havilland Mosquito crews skimmed low and fast over the North Sea to strike targets in Norway, Scandinavia, and the Baltic. Perfectly located on Scotland’s east coast, RAF Leuchars gave Allied aircrews the range and flexibility to exploit the Mosquito’s speed and precision against the Third Reich’s northern outposts.

Of the five Mosquito units based at Leuchars during the war, three belonged to the RAF, one was Norwegian, and another was a civilian flight operated by the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). Among them, 544 Squadron RAF was temporarily stationed at Leuchars to search for the pride of Hitler’s Kriegsmarine, the battleship Tirpitz. Another, No. 105 Squadron, operated briefly from the base in 1942. Its first mission – a daring raid on Victoria Terrasse, the Gestapo headquarters in Oslo – marked the Mosquito’s first official mission that was publicly revealed.

Flown and maintained entirely by Norwegian personnel, the Mosquitos of 333 (Norwegian) Squadron struck back at the occupiers of their homeland. Their determination drew royal recognition when King Haakon VII of Norway visited the squadron during its time at Leuchars.

Meanwhile, BOAC operated “civilianised” Mosquitos from Leuchars on near-regular flights to neutral Sweden. Crewed by civilian pilots and marked with BOAC logos and civil registration codes, these aircraft carried both passengers and precious cargo. Among the most vital consignments were shipments of Swedish ball bearings which were critical to sustaining the Allied war effort.

Mosquitos Over Scandinavia explores the extraordinary achievements of these units, their perilous missions across icy seas and enemy territory, and the high price paid by those who flew them, much of it told in the airmen’s own words.

The 256 page hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release set for December 30.

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P-47N Thunderbolt Units of the Central Pacific: An Illustrated Study

Coming soon from Osprey Publishing and author Jonathan Bernstein is P-47N Thunderbolt Units of the Central Pacific, an illustrated study of the N-model of the USAAF’s P-47 Thunderbolt and the essential role it played in the end of the war in the Pacific.

The P-47N was the final variant of the most produced American fighter of World War 2, the Republic Thunderbolt, and featured a redesigned wing, more powerful engine and increased range. Its late introduction limited the aircraft’s combat use to the closing months of the Pacific War over the Japanese home islands, where it excelled as a long-range strike fighter from May to August 1945. Thanks to its ‘long legs’, the aircraft – based on Ie Shima and Iwo Jima – was used to attack Japanese fighter airfields in advance of B-29 Superfortress raids that struck industrial targets.

In this engrossing volume, former US Army pilot Jonathan Bernstein details the actions of those who flew the ultimate Thunderbolt into combat, including the handful of P-47N pilots who achieved ace status with the fighter. First-hand accounts help to bring these exploits to life, whilst 20 newly commissioned profile artworks and a selection of archival photographs detail the innovations and capabilities that made the N-model a key aircraft of the Pacific War’s final phase.

The 96 page, paperback book is currently available for pre-order with release set for June 24, 2027.

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Hawker Typhoon vs German Flak Defenses: An Illustrated Study

Coming soon from Osprey Publishing and author Matthew Bone is Typhoon vs German Flak Defences: Western Europe 1943–45, an illustrated study of the evolving tactics that powered the deadly clashes between the RAF’s Typhoon Mk IB fighter-bomber and the Flakwaffesdefendinganti-aircraftarsenal.

The Flakwaffe’s role was to protect the Wehrmacht’s men, machines and material from aerial attack. Opposing them was the RAF’s 2nd Tactical Air Force (TAF), whose fighter-bomber spear was tipped with the Typhoon Mk IB, a fighter modified beyond its original intent. The tactics and weaponry of both adversaries evolved as each sought to outdraw the other, with ‘Bombphoon’ and rocket Typhoon squadrons combining their efforts whilst the Flakwaffe laid deadly traps in fields and on trucks and railway wagons.

In this engrossing study, Typhoon expert Matthew Bone chronicles the exploits of the 2nd TAF’s fighter-bombers and the Flakwaffe arsenal into whose crosshairs they ventured. Drawing on contemporary records of Typhoon operations and historical details of Flak crews, this detailed account utilises newly commissioned artwork, maps and diagrams to shed fresh light on the tactical development of both sides, and the price the RAF ultimately paid for victory.

The 80 page, paperback book is currently available for pre-order with release set for April 29.

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Project X and the American Aerial Defense of Java, 1941–1942

Coming soon from Texas A&M University Press and authors William H. Bartsch and Edward M. Rogers is Desperate Gambit: Project X and the American Aerial Defense of Java, 1941–1942, which reveals the untold story of how the Army Air Forces sent some eighty B-17 Flying Fortresses nearly 7,000 miles to Java to oppose the Japanese invasion.

In the dark days of World War II, just after Pearl Harbor, Japanese forces were moving almost at will across Southeast Asia and the Pacific. With his troops besieged in the Philippines and his bomber and fighter squadrons decimated, General MacArthur pressured the US War Department to provide urgent help, particularly for replacements for the B-17 bombers devastated in the December 8 attack on Clark Field. President Roosevelt committed to send a large force of heavy bombers and their crews to the Philippines, a reinforcement plan code named “Project X.” Continue reading Project X and the American Aerial Defense of Java, 1941–1942

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Catalina Flying Boat Captain: A Pilot’s War from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean

Coming soon from Air World and author Denis Saunders is Catalina Flying Boat Captain: A Pilot’s War from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. The book is a survivor’s wartime voyage, chronicling long, perilous Catalina flights / missions, and steadfast leadership amid oceanic dangers and relentless duty.

Aged 21, Bruce Daymond enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force in 1941. He had joined to serve the British Empire, as it then was, knowing he would serve thousands of miles from Australia.

Sixteen days into my flying training, Bruce went solo for the first time. Having trained as pilot and navigator under the Empire Air Training Scheme, in both Australia and Canada, he went on to serve in the RAF throughout the Second World War. As a pilot of a Consolidated Catalina flying boat, he flew with a number of Coastal Command units, namely Nos. 209, 357, 628, and 240 squadrons. Throughout his service, Bruce maintained a huge, detailed, candid, and personal daily diary; it is that which forms the basis of this insightful account of one flying boat captain’s service. The result is a revealing account of one man’s dedication to service and leadership, endurance of hundreds of hours of monotonous flying interspersed with periods of terror and courage in the face of great danger. Continue reading Catalina Flying Boat Captain: A Pilot’s War from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean

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Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s 60th Anniversary Celebrated With Updated Pictorial History

Coming soon from Pen & Sword Aviation and author Jarrod Cotter is The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight: A History in Pictures, an updated new edition to celebrate their 60th anniversary.

In 2007 the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight celebrated its landmark 50th anniversary and Jarrod Cotter was chosen to write a book charting the Flight’s history which began with the formation of the Historic Aircraft Flight in July 1957. This volume brings the story fully up-to-date to mark the BBMF s 60th anniversary. It still includes the in-depth story of the formation of the Flight, for which the author uniquely traced the families of those involved to reveal a host of illuminating insights. However, while the 50th anniversary book went on to tell the rest of the story in an in-depth fashion, this volume utilises high quality colour digital photographs taken in recent years to show the aircraft in flight and so acts as the perfect companion to the first volume. This will be the ultimate souvenir of the celebration of the BBMF s 60th anniversary.

The 304 page, hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release set for October 30.

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Okinawa 1945 Examined in Fully Illustrated, Expertly Researched New Study

Coming soon from Osprey Publishing and author James S. Corum is Okinawa 1945: The epitome of joint US airpower in the Pacific, described as the first book to examine US Pacific War tactical airpower at its peak, in the last and greatest island campaign.

The battle for Okinawa turned out to be the last major campaign of World War II, and the largest amphibious invasion of the Pacific War. After years of improvement, Okinawa saw American tactical aviation at its most effective, yet little has been written about how the huge and complex air operation here was organized and fought.

In this book, airpower scholar James S. Corum presents a full portrait of US Navy, Marine and Army Air Force aviation in the battle for Okinawa. Unique to the campaign was the formation of a Marine-commanded Tactical Air Force to support the Army-Marine Tenth Army, which provided the ground forces battling for the island with unparalleled close air support, with only ten recorded instances of friendly fire from 14,000 sorties. He also examines air operations flown from Okinawa after the surrender, and provides an overview of the planned air support for the invasion of the Home Islands from Okinawa.

Fully illustrated with superb original artwork, 3D diagrams and maps, this is an expertly researched study of the ultimate tactical air campaign of the Pacific.

The 96 page, paperback book is currently available for pre-order with release set for November 17.

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Helmut Lent’s Logbook: The Combat Service of One of the Top-Scoring Night Fighter Aces of All Time

Coming soon from Air World and author Chris Goss is Helmut Lent’s Logbook: The Combat Service of One of the Top-Scoring Night Fighter Aces of All Time, which chronicles his rise from day fighter to radar-guided interception while detailing pivotal battles over Europe and his leadership in nocturnal air combat.

Credited with 110 aerial victories, Helmut Lent was one of the most successful German night-fighter aces of the Second World War. Born on 13 June 1918, he initially served as a day fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe, flying Messerschmitt Bf 110s during the early campaigns of the war.

Lent’s combat career began over the North Sea, Norway and the early stages of the Battle of Britain but in September 1940 his unit transitioned to night fighting. As part of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1, after initial self-doubts as to his ability, he established himself as a formidable night-fighter pilot, adapting to the emerging technology of radar-guided interception. His aircraft of choice was the Messerschmitt Bf 110 but in 1944 he flew the Junkers Ju 88, both of which he used to devastating effect against Allied bombers conducting night attacks over German territory; of his 110 victories, 102 had taken place at night.

By 1943, Lent had risen through the ranks, eventually taking command of Nachtjagdgeschwader 3, and would receive numerous decorations, including the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds, Germany’s highest military honour. He was the first night fighter pilot to receive this award, defining his status as a leading figure in aerial combat at night.

Lent’s career was cut short on 5 October 1944, when his Ju 88 crashed on landing in an accident. He succumbed to his injuries two days later at the age of 26. Such was his standing in the eyes of the Luftwaffe, that Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring spoke at his funeral. Continue reading Helmut Lent’s Logbook: The Combat Service of One of the Top-Scoring Night Fighter Aces of All Time

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Red Baron’s 80 Victories Recreated in “Lavishly Illustrated” New Book

Coming soon from Pen and Sword Military and author Thomas La Padula is The Red Baron’s Kills: An Illustrated Portrayal of Manfred von Richthofen’s Victories, a lavish, illustrated study that recreates combat moments and varied aircraft through original artwork and clear, graphic timelines.

…Using original source material the author recreates the moment in combat when the Red Baron shot down each of his victories to make him the leading ace of the First World War. Of special interest is the fact that the Red Baron flew a variety of aircraft other than his famous all red Fokker Dr.l. triplane. The paintings will provide a visual scene along with descriptive text to explain the situations behind each victory or kill in a clear, graphic timeline.

The 192 page, hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release set for November 30.

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