[Richard T. Eger]

For those really wanting detailed images and drawings showing the nuts and bolts of the Me 262 and its postwar Czech counterparts, your prayers have been answered by this book. It expands greatly upon the previous standard bearer in this regard, Messserschmitt Me262A, Aero Detail 9.

The book is by Josef And'al and Piet Van Wyk de Vries, but also has a large cast of supporting contributors. Besides offering many detailed views from museum aircraft as well as period photographs, the book offers up two new features. First, the creators of this book have utilized numerous isometric line drawings of major assemblies and parts that go into them taken from the Oct. 1943 and Oct. 1944 versions of the Ersatzteil-Liste, neatly showing where the parts fit within the assemblies. Second, they show changes in the Me 262 over time, partly as a result of using the two different date Ersatzteil-Liste and partly from a realization that Me 262's truly evolved and varied.

They have also included line drawings that I have not seen before, which is always a pleasant bonus for me.

If there are down sides to this book, they would be in the lack of explanations as to what one is looking at and a lack of some of the minor details. The book is major components oriented, rather than presenting the information in a systems-oriented approach.

Basically a photo and line drawing book with minimal text, the book covers the aircraft with numerous photos wherever a camera could go, while showing internal detail beyond a camera's reach with isometric line drawings.

To those who want to know this aircraft down to small components or want to do a truly finely detailed model, this is the book for you.

Regards,
Richard