Warbird Legends

I am an aviation photographer, and I buy books like this to give me ideas to improve my photographs, and John Dibbs hit a homerun. The photos in this book are terrific...sharp as tacks with interesting views of the many aircraft and great lighting. The book is mostly photographs...the text consists simply of very interesting one- or two-paragraph stories about personal experiences in the planes written by the men who flew these airplanes during WWII. The format is typically two full-page shots of an aircraft followed by a story that shares the page with a 2/3 page photo. A great layout for those who just want to look at the airplanes and not spend time reading about engine size, wing span, weight or any other aircraft details. I love this concept. It is a "coffee table" book. I read the review from the guy who gave it one star, and really can't understand how he came to that conclusion. I won't hesitate to downgrade a book if it is a little below standards (see my review of "Dayton Air Show"), but I just don't know how anyone could say the photographs are anything other than outstanding. This is a very large "paperback" book, so opening the book on your desk and pushing it completely flat will likely break the glue holding the pages (I didn't do that and have no problems with the binding), but I don't know how the publisher could have bound the book differently without substantially increasing the price. I strongly recommend "Warbird Legends" to anyone who wants world-class photographs of beautiful WWII aircraft. One other recommendation is "Aircraft, the Jet as Art" by J. Milstein. It is a book of photos (no text) of commercial airliners shot from profile or from the underside, taken during final approach. Sounds weird (and it is...it is not for everyone), but the tack-sharp quality of the photos is unbelievable.

...this book has glorious mainly color photographs and interesting text too...watch out though, if you order both this and "Flying Legends: A Photographic Study of the Great Piston Combat Aircraft of WWII", you will have the same book twice! not that it is such a bad thing!

John Dibbs has long been my favorite aircraft photographer because he demands "excellence" in the aircraft and people he photographs. You won't see a P-51, P-47, P-40, etc. with a pilot wearing his favorite ball cap and his girl friend or buddy in the "back seat" of his "single seat" fighter! There is nothing more irritating than finding an excellent photo of a correctly restored WWII aircraft with a pilot wearing all the wrong things or with a "passenger" in his "single seat" fighter. I can excuse the modern "Crash Helmet" for safety purposes, but even then the pilot could put on a correct period helmet and goggles for the photo shoot and then put the crash helmet back on when finished. There are a few photos in this book in which the pilot is wearing a modern crash helmet and no photos with any other nonesense. In general the book adheres to the same level of excellence as the John Dibbs' "Flying Legends" calenders that I buy every year. I should probaby give this book a 4 rather than a 5 for the sole reason that this book should have been published as a "HARD BACK" book and not a soft back book. It is far too heavy and subject to easy damage as a paper back. The content of this book deserves a hard back! Hopefully the publisher will realize that for the next printing. The only other small thing that I noticed (so far) and was a bit disappointed in was that the beautifully restored Messerschmitt Bf109G-10 appearing on pages 174, 175 and 176 was photographed before all of the markings were complete. The same aircraft appears on pages 113 and 114 (being chased by a Mustang) with all markings complete.I would still recommend buying this book and then writing to MBI Publishing and suggest they print it in "HARD BACK" binding! The extra cost would be well worth it!

John Dibbs has captured some incredible pictures as well as actual pilot stories. I was very impressed with the photograpy and history of the various WWII aircraft. Another reviewer says it was poor quality and falling apart. I found it to be just the opposite! I'm certain you will love this book as much as I have.