When one thinks of Cold War Soviet fighters, the one that doesn't always come to mind is the MiG-19. However, the MiG-19 was a very important aircraft in Soviet aviation development. Just like the USAF's F-100, the MiG-19 was the Soviet Air Force's first supersonic fighter and through its design and operation, a great deal was learned that benefited future fighter designs.

The MiG-19 was a twin-engined aircraft that was surprisingly agile when flown at low to medium altitudes. It is when it reached supersonic speeds that it became an aircraft one had to fly with care and respect. It was also a fairly good export aircraft, being used by a number of foreign air forces and license built by the Chinese and the Czechs. In fact, the Chinese developments of the MiG-19 (or F-6 as the Chinese call it), went well beyond the time that the Soviets stopped using the aircraft. Even today, you can find the F-6 variant in service with a few of the smaller air arms.

Yefim Gordon is well respected as one of the foremost authorities on Soviet aircraft and his book on the MiG-19 is superbly done. As with his other titles, it covers the full development of the aircraft, including all the different variants and prototypes. This includes Soviet and foreign operators as well as a too-brief description of the aircraft's use in combat.

A section on the MiG-19 in detail is followed by many pages of drawings, color photographs and some excellent color profiles. To date, this has to be the best book on the subject and if you have any interest at all in Soviet aircraft in general and the MiG-19 in particular, this is a volume that you must have on your shelves.

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