Review

This offering from Avonmore books is authored by Michael John Claringbould. The book covers the P-38 Lightning series in the South and Southwest Pacific from 1942 to 1944. The information is presented to the reader in a soft backed cover and 124 pages of gloss paper that presents photographs and profile drawings very well. The contents are presented over 23 chapters and each chapter is a goldmine for the modeller

The title offers the reader a breakdown of the individual units serving in the South and Southwest Pacific from 1942 to 1944, and does this in a very informative manner that I feel would specifically appeal to the modeller. You start with a brief outline of one unit at a time and provides information on when they were there, why they were there and there function while serving in the field. This information is not exhaustive but plenty for the average modeller looking to represent an aircraft in a specific time and place.

The book does not stop with text as there are a very good number of period photographs that I like, but I would have liked the captions to provide greater detail than is provided. The information is the lifted higher again with the addition of a huge number of artists profiles that picks out specific aircraft data such as markings and provides a good selection of camouflage adaptations utilised in the theatre and that enables to production of a model out of the usual finishes

Conclusion

I will admit that when I first saw this title I was a little concerned about the price tag, as at £32.95 I did expect a hard backed book as a starter. Once I received and started looking through the title I was much happier as it does seem to me to be aimed at the modeller. The amount of information presented in pictorial form will be very well received and the text as a nice background to the images.