Bomber Missions: Aviation Art of World War II

by G.E. Patrick Murray, Robert Bailey (Illustrator), Gil Cohen (Illustrator)

From the Battle of Britain to the War in the Pacific, the bombers of World War II had a fearsome reputation, unleashing some of the most devastating aerial attacks of the war. The bravery of steel-nerved bomber pilots and crews from both sides has inspired such noted aviation artists as Jim Dietz, Roy Grinnell, and Stan Stokes, who have recreated bomber missions and action in vivid detail. With more than seventy-five full-color paintings, Bomber Missions: Aviation Art of World War II> brings to life the drama of the air war, and the compelling stories of the men who fought it.

Genres: Art, History, War

144 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2001

Reviews

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really great light read. Each painting is described by 3-4 paragraphs highlighting details in the painting you might have missed, as well as details about the situation or mission being represented.

Most of the focus is on Allied bombers, with only a select few paintings for the German bombers. The last part of the book has a nice section on the Pacific theater, which features some early B-17's, B-25's, as well as B-29's. There's even a surprise bomber that I won't ruin for you!

The very end gives some background about each artist as well as contact information in case you want to order prints. There's definitely a few I'll be considering!

This is a perfect coffee table book and one that I've really enjoyed reading a couple of paintings at a time. I've ordered a couple more from this series and am really looking forward to diving into the paintings & descriptions for each.

[Sean Sheridan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not usually a fan of art books but this was pretty well done, very interesting if you like war stories.

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired to purchase this book after visiting the Aviation wing of the Smithsonian. Over one of the entry ways was a breathtaking painting splendidly capturing a moment of history. This book does the same thing albeit on a smaller scale. Each painting in the book is accompanied by a terse background on the action depicted in the painting. This book does not glorify war--it pulls no punches when detailing the lives lost, the careers derailed and what if any impact on the war effort resulted from that action. Good if you like history and certainly a feast for the eyes if you just like art.

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of paintings covering both Allied and Axis bomber missions of WWII. Only thing I would change is the width of the book, most paintings just go a smidge over the the center, extending the book so that they were all on one page and not cut off by the middle would have been nice.