This is the first in a series of new books called 'Black Cross'. As the name implies, they are about German aircraft and the first is on the Junkers Ju-188. The 188 was a development of the Ju-88 and brought into being due, in part, to the failure of the Ju-288 medium bomber program. Though not built in large numbers, it was a quantifiable improvement over the older aircraft. It's speed and altitude performance was such that it was in much demand as a reconnaissance platform, a task it performed well until the end of the war, when most non-defensive aircraft were grounded due to lack of fuel.

Thanks to the wholesale removal of records from the Junkers DEssau works by the US at the end of the war, much historical information has survived making detailed research into its aircraft much easier for the historian. As a result, this book is one of the most well-researched titles on the subject. This short, well-illustrated history of the 188 will be of especial interest to the modeler thanks to the detailed design drawings that are included.

I found the book to be a very good read and was particularly interested by the intrigue between the Junkers corporation and the Nazi party right after Hitler came to power. The continual harassment by the state eventually led to the death of its founder, Hugo Junkers and the control of the works passing over to those who were more controlled by the Nazis.

The book itself is full of photos and sections from various design and technical publications. There is also a small modelers section with a few photos of built up kits that is not helped by the author's hand-painted Matchbox kit! Despite that one little glitch, this is a most worthwhile publication at a price that is a relief from the more highly priced books that are currently on the market.

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