Arab Migs Vol. 2: Supersonic Fighters: 1956-1967(Arab MiGs)

Largely based on original, previously unavailable documentation from official archives, as well as interviews with participants and eyewitnesses, the second volume in this series is an unprecedented study of the developments of the Egyptian, Iraqi, Syrian, Algerian, Lebanese and Jordanian air forces during the late 1950s and 1960s. Not limiting themselves exclusively to the title of this series, the authors present the main topic– the introduction of supersonic fighters such as the MiG-19 and MiG-21 to service with these six air forces – against the geopolitical backdrop. For the first time, the authors explain how and why specific air forces developed in the way they did, why they received specific aircraft types, and also why they suffered a defeat with such dramatic consequences during the June 1967 War with Israel. The volume is completed by an in-depth study of the application of early MiG-21 variants in combat, development of tactical combat methods in Syria during the mid-1960s, and finally an order of battle for the Egyptian Air Force as of 4 June 1967. The latter provides not only precise details of the number of specific aircraft available to each operational unit, but also EAF unit commanders, numbers of pilots, and even anti-aircraft units protecting specific air bases.

About the Author :
Tom Cooper is an Austrian aerial warfare analyst and historian. Following a career in worldwide transportation business – during which he established a network of contacts in the Middle East and Africa – he moved into narrow-focus analysis and writing on small, little-known air forces and conflicts, about which he has collected extensive archives. This has resulted in specialisation in such Middle Eastern air forces as of those of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, plus various African and Asian air forces. Except for authoring and co-authoring more than 30 books - including about a dozen of titles for Helion’s @War series - and over 1000 articles, Cooper is a regular correspondent for multiple defence-related publications. David Nicolle was born in London in 1944. He worked for the BBC Television News and the BBC Arabic Service while also writing for educational magazines on various historical subjects - including aviation - before receiving a PhD from Edinburgh University. While continuing to write and illustrate articles for educational magazines, Dr Nicolle also started writing books on various aspects of aviation and military history - largely focusing upon the Arab and Islamic world. In 1983, he became a lecturer in History at Yarmouk University in Jordan, where he continued to teach until 1987. After returning to England, Dr Nicolle continued to write and now has more than 100 books and dozens of TV documentaries to his name.

Review :
"...a superlative job of researching this volume. They have talked to those who were there, have poured over available documents in all the nations involved, and were able to piece together a very interesting picture of what occurred over fifty years ago. Any and all conclusions drawn are based on the facts they were able to obtain and where the information is not clear, it is presented as such. It shows why the Israeli attack of June 1967 was able to so easily destroy Arab forces, which were in disarray even before they were attacked. The volume also busts a few myths and enlightens. It is not a quick read, but it is one that I highly recommend to those interested in the topic and with open minds. There are a lot of great photos, charts and maps included as well as some color profiles that will be very useful to modelers and enthusiasts alike."-- "Modeling Madness"