The books subtitle, “A pictorial Compendium of Axis Aircrafts Operated by the Allies During and after the Second World War” pretty much sums it up. The book is built on the 350 b/w and colour pictures nicely distributed in a paperback over 128 pages.
The book is very well structured and has sections for German, Italian and Japanese captured aircrafts. Each aircraft is presented with high quality photos and a short story of its destiny and allied use. There is an informative section on what organizations the allied had to take care of captured aircrafts and the most impressing section is the one giving the allied numbering, aircraft type, original serial number and final fate of the plane, in all well over 400 aircrafts, impressive!

The book not only contains captured aircrafts, it also gives examples of aircraft purchased by other Axis and non Axis nations for use in their air forces during time of war. Also, one little section briefly covers the Soviet development of German designs and research. Both equipment and people were captured and put in the use of USSR. This section is very interesting and would be well worth its own publication as not only USSR made use of German aviation development and research, several other nations made use of the German results.
Is there anything to which for in this very comprehensive book? Maybe a more detailed history of the captured aircrafts belonging, crew and event leading up to their capture would have been nice but there has to be a limit to book content.

I highly recommend this book if you are interested in Axis aircrafts and are looking for some different angles of their destiny and use. Model buffs should also have a great time as the book gives detailed input to unusual painting and markings of well known aircrafts.

(Reviewed by Peter Landh)

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.