Reviews
Readers familiar with Avonmore's previous productions will not be disappointed by this one either. In addition to the many useful and delightful aircraft profiles, maps and tables we have come to expect and appreciate, The Fall of Rabaul is punctuated by colour recreations of aircraft of both sides on operations, which add considerably to the appeal of the book. However, it is in the quality and originality of its research and findings that make The Fall of Rabaul a 'must have' for anyone interested in almost any aspect of the Second World War., All together or separately, these unusual books represent a great history of a six-month period whose story has never been told in such detail..., With their thorough research of Allied accounts and Japanese records, the authors have produced a well-written and highly readable trilogy...Aviation historians and modelers will enjoy these books because of the wide variety and type aircraft involved and the informative details provided., The two authors are uniquely qualified to tell this story. [...] For the modeller there is plenty of colour reference material in profiles etc. supplied as well as some good period photographs of aircraft. All in all, this book is a good read and useful for the modeller. Well recommended., In the multivolume South Pacific Air War, Australian experts Michael Claringbould and Peter Ingman cover the critical battles for the Coral Sea region, with both sides presented in unprecedented detail. A treasure trove of hitherto little-seen photographs are accompanied by maps and color profiles of virtually every aircraft type involved in the fighting., ''In the multivolume South Pacific Air War , Australian experts Michael Claringbould and Peter Ingman cover the critical battles for the Coral Sea region, with both sides presented in unprecedented detail. A treasure trove of hitherto little-seen photographs are accompanied by maps and color profiles of virtually every aircraft type involved in the fighting.'', South Pacific Air War definitely weaves together many different threads, especially highlighting the Japanese perspective wherever possible. It's an informative, engaging, and attractive book that will be of interest and value to anyone who wants to know more about the opening weeks of the war, especially the air war, around Truk, Kavieng, Port Moresby, Buka, Kapingamarangi, Rabaul and other southwest Pacific locales far from the global centers of population, industry, strategic resources, and military power. Recommended.
Synopsis
This volume chronicles aerial warfare in the South Pacific from December 1941 until March 1942, during which air operations by both sides became a daily occurrence. As Imperial Japanese Navy flying boats and land-based bombers penetrated over vast distances, a few under-strength squadrons of the Royal Australian Air Force put up a spirited fight. However it was the supreme power of aircraft carriers that had the biggest impact. Four Japanese fleet carriers facilitated the capture of Rabaul over a devastating four-day period in January 1942. The following month, the USS Lexington's fighter squadron VF-3 scored one of the most one-sided victories of the entire Pacific War. By March 1942 the Japanese had landed on mainland New Guinea, and the scene was set for a race to control Port Moresby. This is the full story of both sides of an air war that could have been won by either incumbent, but for timing, crucial decisions and luck., This volume chronicles aerial warfare in the South Pacific from December 1941 until March 1942, during which air operations by both sides became a daily occurrence. As Imperial Japanese Navy flying boats and land-based bombers penetrated over vast distances, a few under-strength squadrons of the Royal Australian Air Force put up a spirited fight.
