Product Description

The operational history of the RAF's last biplane fighter, covering all the air forces using this famous aircraft - from Finland to China. The book includes the true story of the legendary defence of Malta. Gladiators flew operations from the burning sands of the African deserts to the frozen tundra of Finland and Russia, and all these operations are documented and illustrated.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1435220 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Customer Reviews

The Gloster Gladiator, best of the British Biplane-fighters
2002 was a good year for the Gloster Gladiator, because after years of negligence of this aircraft in aviation literature two good books about the Gladiator were published, "Gladiator Aces" by Andrew Thomas and this book by Gladiator-expert Alex Crawford (he also maintains a website about the Gladiator).
This all-new and original reference work goes together very well with the before mentioned "Gladiator Aces" and the few long-time classic references about this aircraft: "The Gloster Gladiator" by Francis K. Mason (Macdonald, 1964), the "Aircraft in Profile, no 98" also by Francis K. Mason, Profile Publications, 1966 (included in Aircraft in Profile, Volume 3) and "Camouflage and Markings - Gladiator, Gauntlet, Fury, Demon " by James Goulding and Richard Ward (Ducimus 1970), because of all the mentioned titles only the two by Francis K. Mason have a bit of overlap. Apart from the story of the Gladiator in the RAF and the FAA, Mr. Crawford tells that story for every country which used the Gladiator (including Germany and Russia) and concludes the book with some in-depth overviews and tables, as well as nice colour profiles and detail photos. To top it off there is a very good bibliography at the end, basis for my "Listmania" list about the Gladiator. Recommended reading for all who are interested in biplanes, biplane fighters, the RAF or World War Two aviation.