Book Reviews

Available direct from Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, PO Box 105, Weston Creek, ACT 2611 for only $19. 95 soft cover or $29. 95 hard cover which includes post & pack. Though advance orders are currently being taken, the book won’t be released till late April. From that time the book will also be available at most major newsagencies in soft cover form only. Hard cover collector’s editions are only available direct from the publisher.

Hurricanes Over Burma:

M C Cotton DFC As the lead page suggests, this is the story of an Australian fighter pilot in the RAF. Nothing unusual in that except that Squadron Leader MC*Bush’ Cotton DFC flew Hurricanes in one of the most difficult and little publicised theatres available to this venerable warhorse. Like all books of this genre, Hurricanes Over Burma takes you through Cotton’s initial training and records his and his compatriot’s many and varied impressions of life in those turbulent, but still often amusing times. Well illustrated, this book will bring back memories to those who lived and fought through similar times while those who fortunately didn’t, will gain a greater appreciation of just how it really was.

Available direct from Titania Publishing Co. PO Box 92, Oberon, 2787 for $29. 00 post paid.

Air Power:

Desmond Ball This 666 page book contains the complete papers, with their associated charts and artwork from the ANUS Strategic & Defence Studies Centre Australian Air Power conference of 1986. Though the actual event occurs. red some time ago, the papers have not dated to any extent and are just as relevant today as they were at that time. In a way this may also illustrate just how little events have really changed in recent years in regional defence equipment terms. Chapters cover the whole gamut of air power and its consequences for Australia. AEW, Jindalee OTHB, Coastal Surveillance and Airships are all covered in great detail by their respective speakers.

Available direct from Pergamon Press, PO Box 544, Potts Point 2011 for an RRP of $59. 00.

Advanced Fighter Technology:

Bill Sweetman Another book dealing with the modern fighter aircraft, what they are and in which ways, technologically, they are headed. Author Sweetman of course needs litle introduction to aficionondos of such high-tech pursuits and in his latest effort has come up with a highly read- able work that is both educational, informative and most importantly enjoyable.

Advanced Fighter Technology reviews the Present generation of front line fighter aircraft in addition to providing chapters on their powerplants, electronics, systems and armaments and ends with an interesting section on the coming era of the US Advanced Tactical Fighter, no doubt the benchmark by which all others will be compared through the early decades of the next century.

Available from Princeton Books, PO Box 24, Cheltenham, 3192 at an RRP of $29. 95.

 Big Props:

Austin Brown/Mark Wagner If you enjoyed the two Skytruck books by the late Stephen Piercey, then you will like this book. Big Props actually appears to be a clone of Piercey’s successful efforts and again proves that not everything with propellers is necessarily slow, old hat or unpopular. There are some excellent colour shots in this book and it naturally features all your favourites – Connies, Viscounts, Daks, all the larger Douglas’ and some wonderful photos of those lovely Convair twins of yesteryear.

Published by Osprey and available from Princeton Books, PO Box 24, Cheltenham 3192 for an RRP of $27. 50.