Coming in Feb 2023 - "Air War over the Netherlands East Indies"

[Edward]

Fire in the Islands of Spice, volume 1: Air War over the Netherlands East Indies 1941-1945
(Helion & Company in February 2023)
William S. Cobb
96 pages - paperback

"Fire in the Isles [Islands?] of Spice tell’s [sic] the story of the various air campaigns fought over the Netherlands East Indies from the start of the Pacific war to the present day. The first book of this mini-series covers Imperial Japan’s invasion of the Indies, a campaign which proved to be a masterful demonstration of air-sea battle against Allied forces which were unable to withstand the conquest of the Malay Barrier north of Australia.

Fire in the Isles of Spice documents Dutch and Allied defensive efforts during Imperial Japan’s conquest of the region and contrasts these responses against Imperial Japan’s seizure of air superiority over the Indies. With Allied and Imperial Japanese air strength roughly equal, Imperial Japan’s superior coordination and seizure of momentum during their offensive counter air campaign resulted in the conquest of the entire Indonesian Archipelago precisely three months from the start of the Pacific War."

The Author
"William Cobb is a flight instructor in single and multi-engine airplanes and founder and director of the Pensacola Aerospace Museum. The author spent from 2008 to 2015 instructing for the U.S. Navy's Initial Flight Screening program and subsequently started his own commercial drone business, obtaining the first FAA Part 107 certification in his FAA region. Subsequent drone projects led to involvement in film work, and his establishing the Pensacola Aerospace Museum, an entity dedicated to honouring the memory of all those who ever gave their lives to flight."

[Jukka Juutinen]

According to a Fb post from the publisher, the book might not be published due to the author's passing. Here's the post by Andy Miles:"I'm very sorry to report that the author passed away earlier this year. At the moment we don't know if the manuscript was completed and/or if we will be able to publish it. All I can say for the moment is that this version is on indefinite hold."

[Jim Oxley]

That is very sad news.