F-86 Sabre Fighter-Bomber Units Over Korea

Whether you're a history buff interested in the Korean War, an aviation enthusiast,or simply someone who appreciates the lines of a beautiful aircraft, then this book has much to recommend it. 122 pages of high quality colour photographs taken during the Korean War, accompanied by a narrative detailing the exploits of the fighter bomber variation of the F86 Sabre. Although famous for it's dogfighting exploits with the MIg 15 over Korea, the less glamourous role of ground attack has been less documented. However this book does in my mind contain a farly serious flaw in it's writing style. The author goes far overboard with quotation marks, usually in places that don't actually need it. For examlpe, he uses phrases like; Rural 'heart' These 'myths' were soon dispelled. The 18th FBW was tasked with 'taking it out' Their chosen profession did not 'score big' As the two wings worked up to full combat strength, small problems and 'glitches' cropped up, although most of these could be corrected with little 'fanfare'. One such technical 'hicuup' involved.... Three quotation marks within one inch of print? Come on. Why do all these words need quotation marks? People know what a fanfare is, we know what a myth is, we know a rural heart means. and if he thought words were too slangy he could have easily used slightly more formal language. It may not sound like a big deal but after a few minutes reading your attention is distracted away from the narrative to waiting for the next annoying quotation mark to appear. If you can overlook that flaw however, this is a worthy addition to any military aviation library.

Osprey's author Warren Thompson has woven an excellent collection of candid and "formal" photos with historical information and personal stories to give the reader a real "I was there" experience.The focus of the book is operational, and with the exception of a cutaway drawing and pertinent specs of an F-84-30, there is little technical data. But if you want to know what it was like to be assigned to a Sabre squadron in Korea, look no further.There are dozens of photos in sharp, clear, brilliant color, with detailed captions that flesh out the "story line" with additional information, adding to the reader's immersion in the era. The only criticism I have is that the type face is kinda small and would be easier to read if it was bolder. Big deal! :)The bottom line is that this is a "must have" for any F-86 nut, and I am looking forward to picking up the other volumes in Osprey's "over Korea" series (F-51, F-84 and B-26)