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Post by skyhawkdon on Mar 20, 2012 18:43:59 GMT 12
My copy via fishpond just arrived today so I will be getting into it shortly. First impressions - what an odd cover design!
After a quick flick through it it does appear to be an interesting political and social history of the RNZAF, but is pretty light and weak in the historical/technical areas (difficult to do it justice in a book that size!). I spotted a lot of errors which should have been picked up in proof reading. The page layout/design is also rather odd. Will be interested to hear what others think.
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Post by jonesy on Mar 20, 2012 19:10:56 GMT 12
Anyway, maybe I was expecting too much, after the wonderful "Portrait of An Air Force" that commemorated the RNZAF's 50th Anniversary? Was that the book by Conly & Bently? If so, yes that was a pretty good effort, the difference may be the involvement they had over that time. Pretty sure we've still got a copy of that.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 20, 2012 19:21:54 GMT 12
Yes, Geoffrey Bentley did the writing. He was the RNZAF's Public Relations Officer for decades and also an RNZAF news correspondent for many newspapers and the likes. He had previously written RNZAF - A Short History in 1969 too. He was the perfect choice to cover the 50 years in my opinion.
Maurice Conly was the Official RNZAF War Artist from about 1941 onwards till his death in the 1990's. His artworks in the book were superb, and went so well with Geoff's text.
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Post by tbf25o4 on Mar 22, 2012 11:24:16 GMT 12
greetings, I have also "flicked" through the book in the bookshop and like most was disappointed in the coverage which seems to be along the lines of an academic thesus, (with multiple references and footnotes) rather than an encompassing book on the history of the service. many gaps in the coverage of important aircraft and theatres of operations over the years. however, on the positive side several of my books are used as reference points!
Paul
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Post by beagle on Mar 22, 2012 14:27:58 GMT 12
Think I might just wait till the price drops a bit more. There's a recession on ya know.
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Post by kb on Mar 22, 2012 15:16:19 GMT 12
Think I might just wait till the price drops a bit more. There's a recession on ya know. Whitcoulls have a special on at the moment for all books. Buy three books and get a 30% discount plus you also get another fiver off each book using the book coupons which the sales person will give you if you ask. If you only want the one book team up!
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Post by kb on Mar 22, 2012 15:22:28 GMT 12
Whitcoulls have a special on at the moment for all books. Buy three books and get a 30% discount plus you also get another fiver off each book using the book coupons which the sales person will give you if you ask. If you only want the one book team up! [/quote] And take the opportunity to have a look at "In the Heavens Above" while you are there. I am amazed that my original post on what appears to be a superb book on RNZAF history did not elicit one reply!
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Post by errolmartyn on Mar 22, 2012 20:13:13 GMT 12
Can't say I'm overly impressed with this book. The cover design is bad enough, but on on page 12 we have ‘The account begins in 1909 with the gift of a Blériot plane to New Zealand . . .’ but on page 16 says (correctly) that it was presented in 1913. The Blériot, as some of you may know, was christened Britannia and was shipped back to the UK in 1914 upon outbreak of WWI. It was written off in a crash there in either 1915 or 1916. However, the first chapter is headed ‘Chapter 1: Britannia 1913-1938’ Go figure! In the abbreviations there's ‘NZAF New Zealand Air Force (1920s)’ for the New Zealand Air Force (territorial) of 1923-1937, and instead of NZPAF for the New Zealand Permanent Air Force of 1923-1934 there's an abbreviation of ‘(NZ)PAF’. Sigh!
I've read no further, too depressing. The taxpayer deserves better.
Errol
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 22, 2012 20:40:56 GMT 12
There are some nice photos - many of which are totally new to me, but it seems a bit lightweight, rushed and unfocused. I have not yet read enough the completely judge. But on first impressions, your book is far better Errol, and the same goes for Conly and Bentley's 50th book.
When that book, Portrait of an Air Force, came out my Nana gave it to me for my birthday. It was one of the driving factorsa that got me interested in both Air Force history and in actually joining up with the RNZAF, which I did just over a year later. I wonder if this new book will inspire youngsters to also take the Kings Shilling.
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Post by camtech on Mar 22, 2012 21:05:01 GMT 12
Quick look thru - not the best production I have seen. Dates that dont tie up, index entries that are misleading, and somewhat unbalanced in its coverage. I bought mine via Fishpond discount price made it worth buying.
I see there is a publication about 6 Squadron advertised in RNZAF News - any one know anything about this one?
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Post by errolmartyn on Mar 22, 2012 22:06:34 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 22, 2012 22:30:53 GMT 12
Jenny Scott is a member of the forum here and she will also be at the forum meet at Ohakea for those who're going. I hope to ask her to speak a little about the book.
You may recall a huge cache of No. 6 Squadron photos that came out here on the forum a couple of years back and then later in the NZ press - that was her. Her dad was a squadron member, they started writing the book together years ago but it stalled when he died, but now she's finished it. I think it should be good. She's an archivist so knows about history, etc
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Post by camtech on Mar 23, 2012 9:20:37 GMT 12
Looked at "Lulu" and I see it is 429 pages, so guess it has a fair amount of detail. Obviously leaves Gary Wrathall's little book far behind!
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Post by Ykato on Mar 24, 2012 7:29:06 GMT 12
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Post by htbrst on Mar 24, 2012 9:20:08 GMT 12
Nice find - love the T-6 photoshopped into airtrainer colours !
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Post by corsair67 on Mar 29, 2012 12:52:49 GMT 12
I was just thinking, maybe we should all start working on the chapters for the RNZAF centenary history so that we can all have something worthwhile to look forward to in 25 years time?
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 20, 2012 12:21:31 GMT 12
This review seems to have passed us by till now: www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/books/206279/politics-lets-down-otherwise-riveting-air-force-historyPolitics lets down otherwise riveting air force historySat, 21 Apr 2012 FIGHTING SPIRIT75 years of the RNZAFMargaret McClure Random House This book on the 75 years of the existence of the Royal New Zealand Air Force probably qualifies as an official history, given that it was commissioned by the RNZAF. What a tumultuous 75 years they have been. Formed in the 1930s as a response to the darkening international situation, the RNZAF was lucky that it was the favoured military arm of the otherwise anti-military Labour Government. It benefited from this during and up to the end of World War 2. It terms of worldwide history its first 10 years were its most significant. Tens of thousands of New Zealand men and women served in the air in the western Europe, North African and Pacific campaigns. They served with great distinction and set a benchmark of professionalism that was to stand them in good stead in future decades when no longer enjoying much government support. There is a very good account of how the RNZAF's leadership managed to keep the air force in being during the decades after 1945. It became a shoestring air force, famous among other air forces for its ability to repair increasingly elderly and unserviceable aircraft - the old Kiwi "No 8 fencing wire" legend - and to navigate by the stars when modern navigation equipment was lacking. There is so much to enjoy in this book, and the quality and quantity of the illustrations is superb, that it is a pity the author has often not understood the politics that accompanied it. Perhaps this is a result of RNZAF's imprint. Nowhere is this more to be regretted than during the mid-1980s when the then Labour government fell out with its major ally and source of funding (the United States) over nuclear issues. The RNZAF's leadership itself echoed the US response. A former chief of air staff, in tones of complete bafflement, once asked me (as I was working in the parliamentary press gallery and so might be presumed to know) if I thought David Lange was serious? Nor does McClure understand why the newly-elected National government in 1990, so overtly pro-Anzus, did not reverse the policy. It was because National's polling had told it precisely what Labour's had told it, that it would not be elected as the government unless it was anti-nuclear too. It has taken successive United States governments nearly 30 years to accept the truth of this. New Zealand's refusal to buy into President Bush's Second Gulf War delayed the inevitable, but our willingness to be part of the coalition involved in Afghanistan, including a substantial air component, has finally turned that around - and we are still non-nuclear. No New Zealand government could afford to budge. This not the first military history where lack of political understanding has damaged the product. Yet, that aside, this is a riveting read, both for those knowledgeable in air force history and for those coming fresh to it. • Oliver Riddell is a Wellington writer.
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Post by skyhawkdon on May 21, 2012 15:28:58 GMT 12
I don't know what background this reviewer has but I don't agree with much he says! "Lack of political understanding" - what the hell does he mean by that? Sounds like a typical Wellington academic's view of the world - unless you have a Masters Degree in this and that then you aren't "qualified" to write a book that dares to discuss politics. Sadly I've run into this with Skyhawks. Some people need to get out of Wellington (and into the real world) more often
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 21, 2012 16:36:44 GMT 12
I got the same impression. He drops hints that he was an insider on all the political wranglings but never actually elaborates as to where the writer has gone wrong. I too thought it was a typical Wellington-oriented view.
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Post by corsair67 on May 22, 2012 1:13:19 GMT 12
A lack of political understanding led to the decision by the Clark Govt. to disband the air combat wing!
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