The Mighty Eighth

The subtitle of this glossy, hefty book is Master of the Air over Europe 1942-45, which is pretty wordy but illustrates that the US Eighth Air Force was dispatched to Europe in 1942 to begin bombing missions against Germany. The Mighty Eighth was the largest combat air force in terms of personnel, aircraft and equipment, at one point featuring 40 heavy bomber groups and 15 fighter groups. The book covers the initial bombing operations to destroy German industry before supporting the D-Day landings and grinding the Luftwaffe down over Europe itself. There are the careers of key personalities likes Earle Partridge and James Doolittle but it’s the artwork that’s the highlight. There are hundreds of colour aircraft schematics, contemporary photos and artworks. For aviation fans this is one for the coffee table.

• Osprey Publishing
• ISBN 978-1-4728-5421-6
• 320 pages * Hardback * £30

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