P-47 Thunderbolt In Action
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Author: David Boyle
Publisher: Squadron Signal
ISBN: 978-0-89747-749-9
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 88
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is one of the trio of US fighters that captured the attention of aviation enthusiasts since the 1940s. Its large size, powerful engine, and durability made it a workhorse in the skies over Europe, and it is no wonder that it has been the subject of many a book. This latest in the Squadron In Action series, in fact, is not the first time the P-47 has appeared in this series. It was the subject of one of the earliest In Action titles, coming in at #18. The subject was revisited again as #67, and a third time as In Action #208. This would make the fourth iteration in the In Action series, which just goes to show how much new information can show up, even for a popular subject such as the Thunderbolt.
The book is typical of the current run of In Action titles. There are plenty of photographs, both color and black & white. The usual sketches and non-scale drawings are present throughout the book, as are the color profile illustrations (no longer are these found on a center spread; they are dispersed throughout the book). The text documents the various changes incorporated between the variants, and these changes are well illustrated in both drawings and photographs.
Overall, this forms a very solid introduction to the P-47, and helps provide useful background information on how the variants changed over time. There are some great photos included, along with some that we have seen before, but for the most part, this book is a good one to have. My thanks to Squadron for the review copy.