One really nice thing about new kits is that they engender a raft of aftermarket stuff, and that includes new books. While Squadron has been updating some of its older material (such as the Ju-52 and He-111 books), it has also been producing new titles. Timed to be released around the same period as the new Roden Gladiator kit, in Action follows a tried and true formula of lots of quality images and a center section full of profiles that has made the series one that most modelers have come to rely upon for a ready reference.

It covers the usual background and goes into marks and modifications, showing the salient features of each subtype. With the Gladiator, there really isn't that much in terms of differences as the plane was developed around the same time as the Spitfire and so not many were actually built when compared to other types. The Gladiator did have a good overseas market and all of that is covered. It also saw considerable action in the early years of the war. Each of the theaters of operation for the Gladiator are given their own section. This means that the historical aspects of the aircraft are given more coverage than you'd normally find in a similar book on, say the Mustang, for instance.

Your reviewer has quite a few other books on the Gladiator. As a result, most of the pictures in this book are well known, however, if you are looking for a single reference that will be useful as a general resource and modeling guide, then this is a book that you should have in your collection.

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