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ET2SN · 04-12-18, 01:41 PM

For those who remember the old Squadron/Signal books Lou Drendel created, B-52 Stratofortress Illustrated will feel like familiar ground. Partly a re-hash of the older S/S "Walk Around" and "In Action" B-52 titles, this "version" combines those old books while adding a ton of new photos while also updating the narrative to the present day.

A new chapter includes NASA's two BUFFs plus their cargos- the X-15 and the lifting bodies.

Lou's illustrations are good but limited, this book features mostly good quality color photographs

A lot of photgraphs..
While its explained that "nose art" was actually rare for most of the B-52's history (SAC believed in uniformity over individuality), there are many examples of "nose art" that have appeared on certain aircraft.
For the historian, it should be noted that the B-52 can be a tough subject to work on. The aircraft were built between 1953 to 1962 and many of the darned things are still flying.

Questions have a habit of not centering on "who" or "what", but "when" and several misconceptions have taken root over the years.

The book itself is well printed on quality paper. Color photos look accurate, what's gray is the right shade of gray, what's green is the right shade of green, etc. The cover, however, feels slightly thin for a table top paper backed book and collector's may want to store their copy in a zip lock bag.
I bought my copy from Amazon. There is also a Kindle edition but there isn't an option for a hard-cover book.

Highly recommended if you're a "BUFF buf" or a fan of Lou Drendel's artwork and photo collections.

Update: Well, I started skimming the pages and if this book interests you, you may want to cross your fingers and hope it gets a second printing.

The main package is good BUT there are some sloppy mistakes in page and text formatting. The book really needs another pass past an editor or two. What's written is fine, it just might get repeated on another page (whole paragraphs will re-appear for no reason) or a caption for a photo might not have a photo or its obviously the wrong photo.

This may not be an issue in the Kindle edition but its definitely worth noting if you plan to buy the printed edition.

04-12-18, 01:41 PM	#5
ET2SN Ocean Warrior Join Date: Oct 2017 Posts: 2,652 Downloads: 60 Uploads: 0	For those who remember the old Squadron/Signal books Lou Drendel created, B-52 Stratofortress Illustrated will feel like familiar ground. Partly a re-hash of the older S/S "Walk Around" and "In Action" B-52 titles, this "version" combines those old books while adding a ton of new photos while also updating the narrative to the present day. A new chapter includes NASA's two BUFFs plus their cargos- the X-15 and the lifting bodies. Lou's illustrations are good but limited, this book features mostly good quality color photographs A lot of photgraphs.. While its explained that "nose art" was actually rare for most of the B-52's history (SAC believed in uniformity over individuality), there are many examples of "nose art" that have appeared on certain aircraft. For the historian, it should be noted that the B-52 can be a tough subject to work on. The aircraft were built between 1953 to 1962 and many of the darned things are still flying. Questions have a habit of not centering on "who" or "what", but "when" and several misconceptions have taken root over the years. The book itself is well printed on quality paper. Color photos look accurate, what's gray is the right shade of gray, what's green is the right shade of green, etc. The cover, however, feels slightly thin for a table top paper backed book and collector's may want to store their copy in a zip lock bag. I bought my copy from Amazon. There is also a Kindle edition but there isn't an option for a hard-cover book. Highly recommended if you're a "BUFF buf" or a fan of Lou Drendel's artwork and photo collections. Update: Well, I started skimming the pages and if this book interests you, you may want to cross your fingers and hope it gets a second printing. The main package is good BUT there are some sloppy mistakes in page and text formatting. The book really needs another pass past an editor or two. What's written is fine, it just might get repeated on another page (whole paragraphs will re-appear for no reason) or a caption for a photo might not have a photo or its obviously the wrong photo. This may not be an issue in the Kindle edition but its definitely worth noting if you plan to buy the printed edition. Last edited by ET2SN; 04-12-18 at 08:39 PM.