THE MEN WHO FLEW THE VOIGHT F4U CORSAIR

◗ Martin W. Bowman

◗ Pen and Sword Aviation (2021)

◗ £25.00

◗ 274 pages (hardback)

◗ ISBN:9781526705808

◗ penandswordbooks.com

Are you an air wargamer stuck for realistic scenario construction? If so, then this is the book for you! It records the daring tales of pilots flying the Corsair in World War Two with some tales from the Korean War and a brief history of other users of the Corsair such as the French in Indo China (Vietnam). As one would expect, the book covers the trials and development of the Corsair and the formation of naval and marine squadrons during the Second World War with an overview of their operational histories. It then has chapters following the individual careers of some of the pilots of the Corsair and their personal experiences from US and UK service. From the stories, it would be possible to construct historic pairings, missions and combats certainly for the Corsair itself and, if taken as indicative, for other air combat situations. It is well illustrated with some extensively captioned photographs of notable personalities, aircraft, and carrier operations.

This is a beautifully produced book on an important aircraft which saw much successful operational service. It is thoroughly recommended for the general reader and the air enthusiast.