Something of a book review theme at AoJ recently. The Aviation Heritage Archive of the Japan Aeronautic Association's 'They Flew Regardless - Pictorial Mementos of Aviation in Japan 1909-1940' is an exceptional book. With only 124 pages it is nevertheless a substantial book of quality printing with a full page, sepia tinted and very clear photograph on every page. Detailed captions are indexed in a separate section at the rear of the book which is a little awkward but they are in Japanese and English, as is the forward by
Hiroshi Fujiwara of the Aviation Heritage Archive. This method of captioning permits the photographic images to be reproduced to the largest size possible on each page. The book is a rectangular 10.5 x 10.5 inches and the photographs are sized accordingly. The publication date is 2013 but it has only recently become available in the UK via the
Aviation and Military Book Centre. It retails here at £44.90 but payment can be made in three interest-free instalments of £14.97, less than the current price of many kits.
There are plenty of military related images of both aircraft and personnel, many showing fascinating details. For large scale modellers of early aeroplanes they will prove both informative and useful, for example the close-up image of a clear doped Nieuport 24 taken from its rear, showing clearly how the wings and tailplane appear, soaked and stained with castor oil but with the ribs starkly pale. The book perfectly compliments two other Aviation Heritage Archive books, in soft cover and 'Model Art' size with 192 and 208 pages respectively: 'Baron Miyahara His World of Aircraft - Civil Aircraft 1920-45 A Photographic Memoir' and 'Baron Miyahara His World of Aircraft - Civil and Military Aircraft 1910-70 A Photographic Memoir'. Also captioned in Japanese and English (Model Art take note!) both books are available from the Aviation and Military Book Centre at £32.90 each, again with the option to pay in three instalments.
Wonderful, quality books, well worth the investment and highly recommended to all who are interested in Japanese aviation history, civil and military.
Image credit: All Aviation Heritage Archive, Japan Aeronautical Association © 2013, 2006, 2008
4 comments:
I'm sure this definitely fills a hole in many a book collection.
These new books will undoubtedly be a great resource, especially with the latest models of 1920s and 30s Japanese aircraft, such as the 1/72 KP Avro 504k and others
Thank you for the review, Nick. Looks like a great book, but the period covered is not the focus of my attention. Nevertheless, I will pay attention in case I run into it, I am sure I won't be dissapointed.
These sound very interesting and I may not be the only one thinking that 'They Flew Regardless' may end up on a Christmas wish list this year! Most here have probably navigated the style of indexing mentioned in many an Osprey book. I prefer them because it allows for more information about the photographs or the art, and a little larger images. (In the case of Osprey Aces / Units, etc. the very small size of the photos printed is disaappointing). The best models I've seen on this site often reflect meticulous study of photos, and this sounds like a terrific source for such things. Thanks for this review, Nick.
There was a time when certain hobby shops tried to stay up on items not generally seen in Western markets. For me that was MAL Hobbies in Irving, Texas. Now such shops have largely disappeared (RIP Edgar Seay Sr. and Edgar Seay Jr.) and reviews like these are particularly appreciated, because books from Japan come and go fast, ending up too expensive to afford once they're out of print.
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