A series that has done quite well for Squadron/Signal over the years has been their Walk-Arounds. These books are excellent references for both the modeler and the enthusiast as well. This edition is no exception.

Starting with a brief history of the type in the introduction, it then goes into images of the overall plane in service with various countries and then into the details. The book alternates between a pair of color pages and a pair of black & white pages. This works out quite well as many of the photos of the period were in black & white.

In addition to detail images of the aircraft, the variant differences are also includes so we can tell the difference between, for example, an early or late MiG-15 bis. The author is based in Europe so the aircraft used for the various close-ups are all from there. I must say that he has chosen some rather ratty looking aircraft for some of this. Apparently these planes have been on outside display for decades with little, if any cleaning or maintenance. Regardless, they are undoubtedly original and un-tampered with so any colors will be authentic.

What I found quite nice were the numbers of period color photos included. I've seen lots of black & white pictures of Czech and Polish MiGs, but it was quite nice to see them in color as it brought out some color information I was previously unaware of. The book is further enhanced by a superb selection of color profiles and a painting or two.

Overall, a super edition and one that I can highly recommend. I'm sure it will sell very well!

December 2005

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