Product Description

When "War Picture Library" was launched in 1958 it quickly became apparent that many of the most popular stories with the readers featured the adventures of the warriors of the air, pilots who soared and swooped through the sky, cannons and machine guns blazing. The flyers were seen as the glamour boys of the Second World War, handling the most sophisticated and technically advanced combat machines ever invented and there was almost limitless scope to develop stories based around their exploits. The machines that they flew - fighters such as Spitfires, Hurricanes, Messerschmitts, Mustangs and Zeros were lovingly recreated by the finest artists, in the brand new Air Ace Picture Library in 1960. Those images are reproduced here 25 per cent larger than in their original published form, pulling you into close formation in the thick of the action. The ten stories in "Aces High" take you from the flak-blasted night sky over Germany to the sweltering heat of the tropics, twisting and turning like a Typhoon with a Focke Wolf in its sights!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33607 in Books
• Published on: 2009-06-11
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 656 pages

About the Author
Steve Holland is the author of over 1,000 articles and a dozen books relating to comics and pulp culture, including The Trials of Hank Janson, nominated for the Silver Dagger Award by the Crime Writers Association. His latest book, The War Libraries Index charts the extraordinary history of Fleetway's war picture libraries.

Customer Reviews

Childhood Revisited
I was always more fond of Commando as a boy - not sure why - and that prejudice still lingers in my mind. Nevertheless, I was leaping for joy at this collection of great air related stories.

As with other such collections, the pages are a bit bigger, making them easier for ageing eyes to read, but also giving more space for the great artwork to shine through.

If there is a downside it is only that it can be a bit of a strain to hold up while reading in the bath. Fortunately age has also brought with it a bigger stomach on which to balance the book as I soak.

"Bandits at Angels 15, skipper!"
Steve Holland, the editor of this Air Ace Picture Library blockbuster and its War Picture Library and Battle Picture Library sister titles has become a one-man retro comic industry - bringing back to life all those amazingly drawn comic tales of the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

Air Ace did not last as long as War and Battle Picture Library - and for my money the best of the current reprints is "War Picture Library": Up and at 'em!: 10 of the Most Battle-Scarred War Picture Library Comic Books Ever! (War Picture Library) - although the stories published under the Air Ace banner did reappear as later reprints under War and Battle Picture Libraries.

Luckliy the stories here are 25% bigger than originally published, which makes it easier to read and to admire the detailed and dramatic art work.

Comparisons with the Commando comics are obvious, but I generally preferred the stories in Battle, War, Air et al. They had a grittier and grimier feel to them usually, Commando stories often seemed too pat.

The one advantage Commando have with their re-prints, is that as they are still in existence, the original artwork is still around.

For Battle, War and Air Ace, often these new books have to be created from published comics - so you are relying on the quality of the 30 or 40-year old comics as your source material - with all the reproduction problems that creates.

I don't know whether the current recession will have knocked a whole in Prion/Carlton's appetite to back more of these reprints, but I do hope so, for they are all a wonderful tribute to the original artists and writers - and most importantly to those who actually fought and suffered during WW2.

How about a War at Sea volume next?

aces high
very poor drawings of the planes in some of the stories- the representation of hawker typhoons is laughable. generally the stories are rather high brow and not exciting. poor effort in comparison to the commando books.