Kagero's P-47 Thunderbolt with the USAAF (Europe)

I know that many of you are thinking "Another Thunderbolt book?", but this one is a bit different from the norm. First of all Kagero has produced this as basically a photo book, and not a detailed history of the aircraft or unit. Secondly, the book contains a lot of photos that, to this reviewer, have not been published in one place before.

These images cover WWII in Northern Europe, mostly units based in the British Isles. This means that you get a lot of ace's aircraft, which also means you will see quite a few familiar photographs. However, this is not always the case and even the most jaded P-47 enthusiast will find images that will be new to them. As you might expect, you see quite a few nose art images as well as images of the folks whose job it was to keep the aircraft properly maintained for their missions.

In line with all of Kagero's books, it is in both Polish and English. I found the overall English section of the book to be well done and it was obvious that it was proofread by someone who was fluent in English, something that at times doesn't always come across. I should also mention that in addition to some excellent period photos, you will find several pages that are in full color, which is a real treat. There is also a good historical introduction that covers pretty well much of what you will see in the photos in terms of timelines and units.

What now seems to be a staple of Kagero books is a superb decal sheet. This one is over 7 x 9 inches in size and covers four aircraft as pictured in the book. There is a four view, full color section in the back of the book from which these markings are taken. The decals cover all three major scales and provide the unique markings for each aircraft. Any flashes or stripes will need to be painted and you'll have to rely on the kit for common markings, but these Cartograf decals provide an excellent opportunity to model something a bit different.

In all, it makes for an outstanding package that I can highly recommend to the Thunderbolt fan or those wanting a great book.

May 2013

Review book courtesy of the fine folks at Kagero. Visit them for more books.

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