Military Model Scene

Title: We Were Never There
Author: Kevin Wright
Publisher: Helion & Company
ISBN: 978-1-915070-69-2

Volume 2: CIA U-2 Asia and Worldwide Operations 1957-1974, and number 17 in the Europe @ War series from Helion & Company. An 84-page soft-cover book in the usual presentation style for the series, with the 6 centre pages having colour artwork, some photos and a useful map of operating locations.
Designed to fly very high, carrying a variety of camera or SIGINT packages, this second volume covers their missions on a more worldwide basis. In Asia, the U-2 flew missions over Korea, India and China, especially hunting for Chinese nuclear weapons development. These include flying from Taiwan and in Taiwanese markings, though 4 were shot down during those missions. Others mission routes covered SE Asia, with Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Other missions covered the Middle East, and closer to home in America, over Cuba. It includes details of specific flight routes, a lot of archive images taken on these assorted missions which have not been widely seen before, along with RAF pilots flying the U-2, and I think even less well known, folding wing mechanism development as well as a U-2 operating from an aircraft carrier. Add details of the various camera and SIGINT sensors, even the change from bare metal finishes to the use of the famous all-black paint schemes and I had been unaware of RAF flying them as well. In the centre 6 pages there are some neat colour artworks along with a few colour archive photos and a world map showing the many places they operated. Various data tables include production and attrition records, even a list of the RAF pilots trained to fly the U-2.
I suspect it may be something to do with our individual ages, but I found this a fascinating read. I am old enough to remember the famous downing of the U-2 with Gary Powers and the U-2 was associated with spying missions throughout the Cold War. Where and when they operated, and what missions they flew were kept very secret. Now, all these years later, we can read much more about what they actually did, when they were operated by the CIA. After 1974 their missions were passed to the SR-71 and the USAF. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one.
Thanks to Helion & Company for the review copy.

Robin