Once again the use of the same language here and in the USA fooled me; there are no American aircraft described in this book of 'International Warbirds'. Perhaps this is because the author has previously written Warbirds: An Illustrated Guide to US Military Aircraft 1915-2000 and does not wish to repeat himself.

There is an interesting Foreword by Walter Boyne, and after that, the format is simple. Limited to 366 entries, they are in alphabetical order by manufacturer, but there are also lists by country and period. Each chosen aircraft has a page to itself, the top half of which is a black and white picture and short description. The bottom half is a generally well written essay on the history of the subject. It is well produced in a typically good American style, but not as good as the Schiffer product usually is. Like everyone else interested, I query why some aircraft are included; the Defiant, the Beaufort and the Barracuda to name only three. And no room for the O/100 or any SPADs other than the XIII but three gliders are in. So people with some knowledge will enjoy disagreeing with the decisions made, but will not find the book an erudite enough addition for their bookshelves, simply because of the constrictions of space allotted per aircraft.

For new enthusiasts, it is an excellent, though pricey embellishment to the coffee table.