Ali D'Africa

[Håkan]

Exciting news!

During March, the book ”Ali D’Africa” will be available from Istituto Bibliografico Napoleone IBN.
This book is written by Michele Palermo and my colleauge Ludovico Slongo and covers the 1o Stormo C.T. in North Africa from November 1941 to July 1942.
I have had the opportunity to read the manuscript and it’s very good with lots of interesting information. Still today, the best source to the air war over North Africa is Christopher Shores and Hans Ring’s now out-dated “Fighters over the desert” from 1969. In this book the Italian units is very poorly covered and almost all Allied combats/losses are verified against Luftwaffe records and the part taken by the Regia Aeronautica is neglected (must possible due to lack of sources at the time of writing). “Ali D’Africa” remedies this regarding the 1o Stormo and compares the unit’s combats with available Allied and Luftwaffe records showing that the Italian units played an important part on the Axis side.
This book is, to my knowledge, the first covering this period in detail written by Italian researchers/historians made available in English. This is a very important event!
The book is written in dual Italian/English and will cost € 18. The book will be available through Aviolibri (http://www.aviolibri.it/catalogo_avio_eng.php?cat_id=1000) but it can already be pre-ordered from IBN@aviolibri.it

Please visit my blog to see the front-cover (http://ww2biplanefighteraces.blogspot.com/)

Best wishes/Håkan

[mapalm]

Congratulations to Ludovico e Michele and thanks Håkan for the good new.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Excellent news Håkan

As you say the Italian details are very much lacking (and still is!) from the North African campaign. Hopefully Chris Shores will be able to update Fighters over the Desert. That book and Masons Battle over Britain certainly set a completely new standard when published in the late 1960's.
Many books even today, 40 years later, don't reach that level of research.

Hopefully the Italian authors will be able to follow this up with further titles.

Cheers
Stig

[AndreasB]

This is an excellent book, and everybody should buy it.

The authors are clearly competent and helpful, and the publishers are great.

Here is my review of it:

http://wp.me/phMWl-bi

All the best

Andreas

[Jim Oxley]

Hopefully let this be the first of many books dealing with the Regia Aeronautica's actions over Libya!

[mars]

hi, is this book written by English or Italian?

[Håkan]

It's written in both Italian and English and is highly recommended!

Best wishes/Håkan

[Stig Jarlevik]

Guys

I have not been able to find it from any of my suppliers of books.
From where do I by it?

Cheers
Stig

[Håkan]

Hej Stig,

You can try contact the publisher directly: IBN@aviolibri.it or visit their site http://www.aviolibri.it/ .

Best wishes/Håkan

[AndreasB]

The suppliers speak English, and they are very responsive. I had no issues ordering books from them with prepayment.

All the best

Andreas