Book Review of
Eagles of Destiny, Vol. 1
Birth & Growth of the Royal Pakistan Air Force 1941-1956
Authors: Usman Shabbir & Yawar Mazhar
Helion & Co. Ltd.
Asia@War Series no. 38
ISBN: 978-1-914377-03-7
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $29.95
Asia@War Series no. 38
ISBN: 978-1-914377-03-7
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $29.95
HISTORY:
To say that the Pakistan Air Force has an eventful history would not be an overstatement. From the very inception it was involved in the support of ground troops in Kashmir while trying to stand on its own feet. In the immediate aftermath of the partition of British India, two major wars ensued in which it performed well against the numerically superior Indian Air Force.
The Eagles of Destiny mini-series covers the early years of the Royal Pakistan Air Force, initially while still being led by seconded Royal Air Force personnel and operating under a British model, through to being led by Pakistan officers and its transformation into a first rate tactical force based on the American approach to all operations. The acquisition of assets under British leadership and later via the American Mutual Defence Assistance program are examined in depth as are the resulting changes in operational concepts.
The major wars with India during 1965 and 1971 are also covered in detail. Including the intervening period, where an American arms embargo brought in drastic changes and a flare for improvisation. The Eagles of Destiny mini-series is based on extensive research conducted over more than 20 years, including interviewing a large number of officers, many of whom shaped the events along with access to numerous British, American and Pakistani archives.
Eagles of Destiny Vol. 1 tells the story of the Pakistan Air Force up to 1956, and it is illustrated by dozens of unique photographs, some never published before, along with specially commissioned maps and color artworks.
THE BOOK:
This book is soft cover of 68 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format (one page is blank).
The front cover shows 2 color illustrations. The illustration at the top shows a Tempest II fighter-bomber in flight over snow-covered mountains. It is in a wave-pattern camouflage of sea-grey and dark-green. It has a Pakistan AF roudel, followed by two wide-white chevrons as fuselage bands. Black serial no. A116 after the bands. A red square, outlined in Yellow, with a white half-moon and star on it on the sides of the rudder. This illustration is repeated again as a side view in the profiles section of the book.
Below it is a color side view illustration of a Fury. It is in a wave-pattern camouflage of dark-earth and dark-green. With the Pakistan AF roundel on its sides and the red square on its rudder. It carries the black serial no. A-134. This illustration also is repeated in the profiles section of the book.
The back cover has 2 more color side-profile-illustrations, that are again repeated inside the book.
The one at the top is a Tiger Moth two-seater biplane. It is overall yellow, with Pakistan AF roundel on sides of the fuselage, red square insignia on the sides of the rudder and large black serial no. D536 on the sides of the fuselage.
The side view illustration at the bottom is an Attacker Mk.538 jet fighter-bomber. It has a red nose tip that extends rearward a short distance as a point. Pakistan AF roundel on fuselage sides, red square insignia on rudder sides and serial no. R4015 on the sides of its fuselage. This profile is repeated in the profile section of the book again.
The book contains 62 black and white photos, 28 color profiles (including the front and back covers), 3 maps and 11 data lists.
The book begins with ABBREVIATIONS, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS and a PREFACE.
There are pictures of leaders and pilots, a Spitfire Mk. XIV, a cloth Pakistan AF badge, a Tempest II’s, Tiger Moth, Auster, insignia of the no. 6 Squadron, Harvard's, C-47, a Fury with 2 cockpits, Fury FB Mk. 60, a prototypal Supermarine Attacker and regular later ones, an Attacker that bellied in, a Brigand, Halifax, Bristol Freighter, a Shaheen Glider, student pilots and some documents.
The color profile section shows side profiles of:
2 Tiger Moth’s, 2 Taylorcraft Austers, a Harvard IIB, a Harvard T.Mk. IIB, 2 Douglas C-47 “Dakotas”, a Handley-Page Halifax bomber, the aircraft at the top of the front cover (already described), 2 Tempest II’s, 3 Hawker Fury’s, a Fury with 2 cockpits, 2 of the Freighter, another Handley-Page Halifax, 2 Attacker jet fighters.
This is a neat photo album of Pakistani Air Force aircraft. It will be of interest to modelers planning to build one of the aircraft shown and to aviation enthusiasts alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Helion & Co. Ltd. books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
To say that the Pakistan Air Force has an eventful history would not be an overstatement. From the very inception it was involved in the support of ground troops in Kashmir while trying to stand on its own feet. In the immediate aftermath of the partition of British India, two major wars ensued in which it performed well against the numerically superior Indian Air Force.
The Eagles of Destiny mini-series covers the early years of the Royal Pakistan Air Force, initially while still being led by seconded Royal Air Force personnel and operating under a British model, through to being led by Pakistan officers and its transformation into a first rate tactical force based on the American approach to all operations. The acquisition of assets under British leadership and later via the American Mutual Defence Assistance program are examined in depth as are the resulting changes in operational concepts.
The major wars with India during 1965 and 1971 are also covered in detail. Including the intervening period, where an American arms embargo brought in drastic changes and a flare for improvisation. The Eagles of Destiny mini-series is based on extensive research conducted over more than 20 years, including interviewing a large number of officers, many of whom shaped the events along with access to numerous British, American and Pakistani archives.
Eagles of Destiny Vol. 1 tells the story of the Pakistan Air Force up to 1956, and it is illustrated by dozens of unique photographs, some never published before, along with specially commissioned maps and color artworks.
THE BOOK:
This book is soft cover of 68 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format (one page is blank).
The front cover shows 2 color illustrations. The illustration at the top shows a Tempest II fighter-bomber in flight over snow-covered mountains. It is in a wave-pattern camouflage of sea-grey and dark-green. It has a Pakistan AF roudel, followed by two wide-white chevrons as fuselage bands. Black serial no. A116 after the bands. A red square, outlined in Yellow, with a white half-moon and star on it on the sides of the rudder. This illustration is repeated again as a side view in the profiles section of the book.
Below it is a color side view illustration of a Fury. It is in a wave-pattern camouflage of dark-earth and dark-green. With the Pakistan AF roundel on its sides and the red square on its rudder. It carries the black serial no. A-134. This illustration also is repeated in the profiles section of the book.
The back cover has 2 more color side-profile-illustrations, that are again repeated inside the book.
The one at the top is a Tiger Moth two-seater biplane. It is overall yellow, with Pakistan AF roundel on sides of the fuselage, red square insignia on the sides of the rudder and large black serial no. D536 on the sides of the fuselage.
The side view illustration at the bottom is an Attacker Mk.538 jet fighter-bomber. It has a red nose tip that extends rearward a short distance as a point. Pakistan AF roundel on fuselage sides, red square insignia on rudder sides and serial no. R4015 on the sides of its fuselage. This profile is repeated in the profile section of the book again.
The book contains 62 black and white photos, 28 color profiles (including the front and back covers), 3 maps and 11 data lists.
The book begins with ABBREVIATIONS, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS and a PREFACE.
There are pictures of leaders and pilots, a Spitfire Mk. XIV, a cloth Pakistan AF badge, a Tempest II’s, Tiger Moth, Auster, insignia of the no. 6 Squadron, Harvard's, C-47, a Fury with 2 cockpits, Fury FB Mk. 60, a prototypal Supermarine Attacker and regular later ones, an Attacker that bellied in, a Brigand, Halifax, Bristol Freighter, a Shaheen Glider, student pilots and some documents.
The color profile section shows side profiles of:
2 Tiger Moth’s, 2 Taylorcraft Austers, a Harvard IIB, a Harvard T.Mk. IIB, 2 Douglas C-47 “Dakotas”, a Handley-Page Halifax bomber, the aircraft at the top of the front cover (already described), 2 Tempest II’s, 3 Hawker Fury’s, a Fury with 2 cockpits, 2 of the Freighter, another Handley-Page Halifax, 2 Attacker jet fighters.
This is a neat photo album of Pakistani Air Force aircraft. It will be of interest to modelers planning to build one of the aircraft shown and to aviation enthusiasts alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Helion & Co. Ltd. books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.