Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

I offer my congratulations to the author and co-authors.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mediterranea...1510475&sr=1-1




Usual disclaimer,
Ed

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

I pre-ordered my copy there a few days ago and I have just received an email that 'your order has dispatched'.

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

It's a very good book, and will be the standard reference for many years to come.

All the best

Andreas

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Hooray ! I just received my copy today!

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

That's always been the case for Shores' books though, isn't it, Andreas? He & His co-authors always turn out a first rate product.

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Indeed, no surprises there, but it bears repeating.

All the best

Andreas

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

First impressions of the content anybody?
Is the way of writing same as the 2TAF books?

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

The book seems like a good buy so far. It is presented in Shores’ usual daily diary format with an attractive layout including tables of claims and losses which are not as detailed as the 2TAF books. There are far more photos than is usual for Grub St often reproduced in fairly large sizes and integrated with the text, photos which were good quality originals seem to have come out quite well. Quite a few photos are new to me (including a new photo of 3RAAF Gauntlets) and there seems to be much more of a balance with photos of Allied types and Axis types with a lot of Italian material. There is perhaps not such a good balance within the Allied photos I have seen only one or two SAAF photos so far. As usual with Chris Shores the book seems to have an excellent index. I’ve got the MMP books “Desert Prelude” Vols 1 & 2 and I have done a bit of comparison which shows that there seems to be more daily detail in the Desert Prelude books (but no tables) and probably more strategic context in the Shores book.


Steve

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Any pilot reports & other personal accounts?

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Yes.

All the best

Andreas

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

The price at amazon.co.uk went down to £26.00 (I bought my copy for £34.00 just a few days ago). Grab while it lasts.

News: My copy has just arrived. Looks beautiful and very informative. Unfortunately, it came with a hefty crease on the dust jacket. Will these people ever learn to wrap books with some bloody bubble foil, not just cardboard?

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

It's now got as far south as Adelaide! Well worth the wait, it's an excellent publication. Pre-ordering at The Book Depository got the price down to under $A35, including P&H. So there's the tip.

Bruce

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Still not available at Amazon.com (lists 1-3 months to ship) but the price did go up from the time that I placed my order.

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

You could place your order at eith amazon.co.uk or bookdepository, both are fast and reliable

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

....copies with hefty creases are being sold at £21 currently...thanks for heads up ..what a bargain!

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

If you are in the US and want to order from Europe, make sure you get the exchange rate for the Euro, meaning if the price is listed only in Euros, find out what it will cost in dollars. I just ordered a book from Germany and at the time, it was 1.23 dollars to one Euro.





Ed

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Thanks to some unnamed peoples close to this book's geographic area, the value of Euro against dollar has taken terrible blows this year...

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Ed don't forget the bank fees for making the exchange of dollars to euros along with the added postage to safely get it here.

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Would there be interest in an Errata list, either as part of the forum, or on a separate page somewhere? It is obviously very well researched, but in a complex work such as this there will always be some errors, or new research shedding light on things that were unknown at the time of print.

All the best

Andreas

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Got my copy today.

This is an excellent book and a worthy upgrade of Fighters over the Desert. The way I see it this is now the standard reference work questions and answers should circulate around when it comes to the NA campaign.

For those who hesitate, don't, just buy it!

Now we have to wait for volume 2... :)

Cheers
Stig

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Hello to all.

Thanks to those who have said nice things about the book. I spoke with Chris recently about Andreas's idea about an errata page. We are fully in support of that idea, and the next volumes have been planned to have such a section in them. We would be pleased to hear of any corrections or additional information, and not only about Volume 1 but also about information that you think may be unknown to us for the rest of the period being covered. If anyone wishes to kick off a thread on the subject go for it.

Volume 2 is being worked on. we all hope it will be quicker than Vol 1, which I started working on with Chris in 1985.

Regards

Russell

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Hi Russell

I will supply you with some information either here, or maybe do it on my blog.

You've done a great job, and produced a book that is truly helpful.

If I may have one quibble/question, why did you not go to 6 February 1942, the day ground operations ended at the Gazala Line? It is hugely inconvenient to me to lack these 6 days. :D

All the best

Andreas

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Just read through page 107(Jan 1941) and note the creditable performance of the Italians until the advent of the Hurricane in squadron strength.

Is it me or is the SM.79 a sturdy aircraft capable of suriving quite a bit of damage as I see more force landed than shot down by Gladiators or Hurricanes? Or is it more a result of the performance of .303 ammunition?

Is it not strange how some pilots mention combat but there is no corresponding report or even sortie by the opposing side? Is there still much missing in terms of documents from this theater and time frame? I do not mean over reporting of kills/probables/damages but that no combat occurred at all.

I am glad someone mentioned what FTR means in a post regarding another book by Mr. Shores. I intended to ask here.

I understand the book addresses losses and damages incurred by aircraft not actually sorties executed. Is that correct? There are references to other missions were no losses resulted so I presume there were many more executed where there was no damage and so no reference in the book.

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

http://www.amazon.com/History-Medite..._sc_p_t_1_1D51

vol. 2

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Just for one thing, I hope the coverage of the USAAF units includes more details on the US Photographic Units, i.e., the 3rd Photographic Group.

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Kaki3152,

I hope so too. But as far as I know they never operated with 9th Air Force, so they will not appear in Vol 2. When we get to Vol. 3 (Torch to May 43) they should start to appear. I have already found a statistical report for the 12th AF Photo units which should be helpful. But I doubt that we will list every mission that the photo units flew; far too many.

Enjoy!

Frank.

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

So as I understand it (and I might be wrong), is the air war during 'Torch' to the Capture of Tunis going to be it's own separate volume?

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

The link to Volume 2 above indicates through March 1943 but the overall title of the series is MAW 1940-1945. I would wager there is a vol.3.

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Vol. 2 covers Feb 1942 to March 1943 in the NE African theater. Thus it is a direct continuation of the events in Vol. 1. Vol. 3 will cover Nov 1942 to March 1943 in the NW African theater, and then continue on the mid May and the German surrender in Tunisia. Vol. 4 will pick up at the surrender, and probably go to Dec 1943. Vol. 5 will cover the tactical air war from the end of Vol. 4 hopefully to the end of the war. Vol. 6 will cover the strategic air war from wherever we decide to pick it up, and earlier parts will be in the corresponding earlier volumes. If we can keep going, Vol. 7 will cover the landings in southern France, and go until the armies there join up with the forces which landed at Normandy.

Enjoy!

Frank.

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

That's an impressive plan! Thank you, I'm looking forward to all the seven volumes.

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

What is the timetable for these volumes? one every year?

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Long life and good health to all of us then so we can enjoy the fruits of this labour. The author(s) as well.

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Vol.2 out for pre-order.

A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940-1945, Vol. 2: North African Desert, February 1942 - March 1943

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/190...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Just one question. Which releasing date is more realistic: November 2013 claimed by Amazon.com or December 2013 claimed Amazon.co.uk?

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

If I had to make a guess, I would say the book will appear in England in December. But really, all I can actually say is, it will appear when it appears.

The first half or so of the book has gone off to Grub Street for editing and typesetting. My part, on the Americans, should go to Chris et al in a few days, and then has to be integrated into the final manuscript. Chris plans on spending some time at the PRO in the near future to take care of some loose ends (and hopefully find some information for me!). So hopefully sometime in September the remainder of the book will go to Grub Street. Once that is done the photos have to be selected and integrated into the text, and then the final pagination can be done. Once that is ready Chris will have to prepare the index (for volume one that took at least a week). Then that goes into the final version, and off to the printer and the binder.

Then Chris will flop into a chair and take a rest.

Enjoy!

Frank.

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

That, Frank, would probably be Chris only flop in his life....;)

But then again the faster that flop gets going the sooner we get the book :D

Cheers
Stig

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Will the book have comments by pilots on both sides as "Fighters Over The Desert did? "Fighters Over Tunisia" had the comments by Allied pilots but not the Germans.

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

How are the Photo Recon Units being treated? Fighters over Tunisia had scant documentation on most of the losses.

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Just back from another week in Washington at NARA II.

I will have to check with Chris to see how much German commentary he has available. I don't know how much untranslated material he has.

With regard to the photo recce units, the intention is to include all combat related losses but less of the strictly accidental losses. For the US, I have end-of-war statistical studies of 12th AF combat units, another of the transport units, and a third of the photo recce units. Among other things these list total monthly losses, so I know how much I am looking for. I also have lists of 12th AF losses through about mid-1944 by serial number. All of this goes into the outline, and then I go looking for details. Which is why I go to NARA II every month for a week (except Jan/Feb/Mar -- bad winter driving).

I have been building a database of aircraft losses, and crew deaths, which is far more detailed than we can put in the books. When the series is done I may look into publishing the database.

Enjoy!

Frank.

Re: Mediterranean Air War by Chris Shores
 

Chris sent the following in an email to me, in response to questions about the frequency of publication of The Mediterranean Air War:

I also understand that there has been some speculation regarding the frequency of appearance of the volumes. When John Davies of Grub Street pressed me to get on with the series we sat down together and worked out what would be likely to be the size - and came to about seven volumes. I said at the time "You realise that this will take me at least ten years to do - providing that I remain alive and that my health hold out ?" John's response was "I'll take the chance if you will !" and off we went.

When Volume 1 was so unexpectedly well-received last year, Giovanni and I were at Duxford for the signing and in the euforia of the moment, unwisely said, when asked, that we could probably bring out Vol 2 by the same time next year (like now). Madness !! We have tried, and will have the greater part completed by the end of September. But it is a huge job with a team of five to draw all the threads in from - and then there will be the tedious jobs of indexing, listing sources, referencing maps and captioning photos. And please remember guys - I'm not the lively 30 year-old who did 'Fighters over the Desert' - I'm 76, and the rest of the team are not that far behind me. I had been retired for getting on ten years when all this really blew up, and for the last couple of years I have effectively been back to full time work, and look like being so into the forseeable future. My modelling, which I love, has not been touched during that time, and the Boss (thats the lady I've been wed to for the last 53 years) is not always all that amused by it all.

But rest assured, we will all be doing the BEST we can to get these volumes out, and your patience is very much appreciated. Thanks very much for your continued support.

Very good wishes to you all, Chris.

=====================

Further to the question of quotations from German pilots, Chris says that he does not seem to have anything more than what appears in Fighters Over Tunisia. Any number of books on Marseille, but I don't think there are any quotes from him. And looking over a list of my collection of biographies of aces, I don't see much that would apply to volumes 2 or 3 of MAW. Any suggestions? Including bomber, Stuka, transport, etc pilots?

Enjoy!

Frank.