
Lightning Strikes
The Lockheed P-38
Steve Blake(Author)
Fonthill Media Ltd (Publisher)
Published on 17. September 2020
Book
Hardback
320 pages
978-1-78155-788-4 (ISBN)
Description
Lightning Strikes--The Lockheed P-38 tells the full story of one of the most successful and versatile aircraft of the Second World War. The P-38 (including its F-4 and F-5 photo reconnaissance models) eventually served with all the USAAF's numbered overseas air forces, from early 1942 to VJ Day. The book describes the Lightning's design and its technical details as it gradually evolved and improved, from the original XP-38 to its final variant, the P-38L-5. The main focus is on its service in the combat theaters, from the frigid, windswept Aleutian Islands in the North Pacific to the steaming jungles of the South Pacific and Southeast Asia, the burning sands of North Africa and the more temperate climes of Europe. All the units that flew the Lightning are included, as are the experiences of many of their pilots and groundcrewmen as they fought the Japanese Empire and the European Axis. Also related are the P-38's service with foreign (non-U.S.) air forces, its postwar commercial utilization as civilian aircraft and the surviving examples in museums around the world. The book is extremely well illustrated with nearly 400 high-resolution photographs, artworks, and graphics, and is supplemented by detailed appendices.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Illustrations
392 black and white photographs
Dimensions
Height: 246 mm
Width: 176 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
1023 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78155-788-4 (9781781557884)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Steve Blake, a U.S. Civil Service retiree, has researched and written about World War II fighter aircraft, units and pilots for forty years. He became the P-38 National Association's historian in 1987 and the editor of its publication, 'Lightning Strikes', in 2000. He has written many articles for 'Lightning Strikes', and for numerous other publications including 'The Hook', 'Aviation History' and 'Mustangs International', and has authored or co-authored four books: 'P-38 Lightning Aces of the 82nd Fighter Group', 'The Pioneer Mustang Group, ADORIMINI--A History of the 82nd Fighter Group in World War II' and 'P-38 LIGHTNING--Unforgettable Missions of Skill and Luck'.