Royal Bavarian Jagdstaffel 23, 2nd Edition
By Matt Bittner
Authors: Bruno Schmäling & Winfried Bock
Publisher: Aeronaut Books
ISBN: 978-1-964637-48-8
Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 359
Bruno Schmäling is definitely one of the best authors on the study of WWI German aviation. With his studies on specific Jagdstaffeln (Jasta), as well as his Jasta Colors books it's easy to say that anything Herr Schmäling writes will be the best it ever can be. And this is definitely evident in this tome on Jasta 23. In the past I have reviewed his book on Jasta 30 and Jasta 76, and while I haven't picked up his Jasta 11 books yet, this Jasta 23 book has a lot more too it than his others. This is because he was able to interview prior WWI pilots and review a lot of original documentation from the era to back up his research, more than most other Jastas.
Since Jasta 23 started in the war earlier than the others already covered, it's a given why there would be more coverage. It goes back to when the group was flying Albatros D.IIs all the way through flying the Fokker D.VII, the last - and arguably best - German fighter of the war. There are 341 photos in this tome, along with 68 color profiles, expertly done by Jim Miller that will keep all modelers happy for some time. I won't go into where you can find the models for each type and will leave that to your own research. Most of the more-known aircraft are still well covered, but some of the "lesser types" will be something that will need to be tracked down.
This is an excellent piece of history on Jasta 23 and is highly recommended. The amount of material that exists in this book is definitely well worth the cost. Search on Amazon for your copy, hardcover or paperback.