Military Model Scene
Robin Buckland's
Spitfire Ace of Aces
...The Photographs of Johnnie Johnson, from Air World

Title: Spitfire Ace of Aces
Author: Dilip Sarkar
Publisher: Air World
ISBN: 978-1-52679-166-5
'The Album, the photographs of Johnnie Johnson', the life of this famous fighter pilot of WW2, told in a book packed full of photos, based around his own personal collection of pictures. A 224-page hard-cover book from author Dilip Sakar, an ideal companion to his earlier books on pilot Johnnie Johnson.
The photos open with a picture of Johnnie in his school rugby team and move on to his life from joining the RAF Reserve in 1939 and his initial training. It goes on through his career, the various aircraft he flew and the squadrons he served in. Amongst the many peoples faces we see with him over the years there are plenty of famous faces. There are well known figures from WW2, including Montgomery, Churchill, Hugh Trenchard, Sholto Douglas and others, perhaps the most famous pilot he served with, Douglas Bader. They remained friends long after the war was over. Johnnie served on after the war, even being a station commander for elements of the V-Bomber force. It even includes the box-art for the original Airfix kit of their Spitfire Mk IX, which carried his markings of JE-J. As he got older he remained friends with Bader and got to know the author, Dilip Sakar, before he passed away in January 2001, aged 85.
I wonder how often you have read a book about a particular figure from WW2 history, books which usually have one or two small sections of appropriate photos, but thought there were never 'enough'? I know I've thought that before so am really impressed by this idea of releasing a follow-up title with a large collection of archive images that illustrate his life. An excellent addition to the author's other books on Johnnie Johnson.
Thanks to Air World, part of Pen & Sword, for the review copy.
Robin