Phoenix Over the Nile: A History of Egyptian Air Power, 1932-1994

It took me long time to get this book; it took me 3 days to finish it. General impression - the book is easy to read and very attractive. The subject of the book is extraordinary and should attract every person that is interested in Middle East aviation history. It is build in the manner of `Fighters over Israel' (how surprising - Lon Nordeen is a coauthor) - small chapters with brief accounts - personally I am not a great fan of this structure. The book shows this huge work the authors have done in order to bring the EAF history to light, to get all peaces of information together. The bibliography is very impressive. Comments on the book: First of all I've noticed very poor images in quality and quantity. I cannot accept any justification (especially when it is stated in the foreword `..never before published historic and combat action photographs are included in the work') - there are lot of images been available through recent years (also till 1996, when this book was published). Secondly - the level of detalization, especially beginning from 1967. The Yom Kippur war account looks to be taken from Israeli and American sources. Soviet presence, conflict with Libya and modern history are very briefly described. I suppose the reason is secrecy and lack if information, but taking in account the recent Davide Nicolle articles in Air Enthusiast, the level of details can be highly improved. I don't want to comment of the factual content of the book, especially concerning the EAF performance in the wars with Israel, there are two reasons - the first is, I am not the authority to do this and the second is - the claims are often subjective (whatever, IDF AF or EAF) the recent years show more and more of that. I have an impression, you need a background in Middle East aviation history to fully enjoy the book. Conclusion - this is a good book on an extraordinary subject. It definitely needs to be revised to include more sources (like ex Soviet), details and images. Finally, I can recommend the book to every aviation enthusiast who is familiar with Middle East warfare history.

Lon Nordeen and David Nicolle have done a magnificient job of narrating the history of the Egyptian Air Force. Finally, a book has arrived that gives credit where credit is due, that examines the various political, logistic, and military aspects of Egypt's long aviation history. Much coverage however is also given of the difficulties faced by Egyptian pilots over the years, and their undoubted courage in action, from participation in the civil wars in the Yemen and Nigeria, and of course, in the numerous wars against Israel. Few air forces in the world can match the iron determination of the Egyptian Air Force in facing one of the most sophisticated and battle-hardened air forces of the world for over 30 years of open hostility. Fortunately, with the advent of "Phoenix Over the Nile", the interested reader can learn in great detail an with admirable impartiality about a significant chapter in Middle Eastern aviation history. This book is of definite value to the aviation enthusiast.

Africa's largest air power has a checkered history dating back to the 1920s. Defeated in three out of four major conflicts since 1947, it is small wonder that the Egyptian air force is often viewed more from the gun- sights of its Israeli opposition, than from more balanced observers. Combine this with primary sources mainly in Arabic, and the dearth of English language publications seems almost logical. Nicolle and Nordeen have produced an excellent antidote for this dilema. "Phoenix over the Nile: A History of Egyptian Air Power 1932-1994," combines extensive oral interviews with important EAF officers, and significant archival research. It is an important contribution to aviation and Egyptian history. Everything is there, from Nazi spys during WW II, to a very different view of the four Arab-Israeli Wars. While there is plenty of coverage on aerial dogfights, this book is equally valuable for its examination of logistical and infastructure development. It should be valuable to those readers interested in history, political science, the Middle East, or Africa, aircraft development, and the role of military forces in the "Third World."