Author Peter Smith has done it again. I haven't much to add as far as details about the book go as others have done a better job than I could. Suffice it to say, if you're interested in not just a technical reference but a pretty good history lesson as well this book's a winner. With many sidebars on individual pilots and campaigns along with many photos and illustrations, you won't be disappointed.

I bought this book knowing it wouldn't be a technical reference (i.e. like a walk-around or something like the Maru Mechanic publications, which are geared more towards engineers anyway) however I was expecting more profiles and perhaps a more organized discussion of the markings during the WWII timeline. You don't get that here. I'd best characterize this book as mostly a historical reference with a modest amount dedicated to the markings, with photos that while some haven't been published elsewhere are not of the best quality, although they are large enough to gleam information out of.

The one strength of this book is that on the few color profiles, which are expertly done, there is accompanying text about that particular aircraft coupled with at least one photo, sometimes more. This is a winning concept, you wish the author had done more of.

Very little coverage of the Battle of Britain period, which was slightly dissapointing.

In short, this book is a good deal for modelers at around $19.99 or less, anything higher and you are best looking for more graphical references.

If you are after a fairly light read from a historical perspective that focuses mainly on operational records plus pilot stories then you might like this book better.

An outstanding resource for remarkable photographs and color illustrations of this famous plane. The authors have done an outstanding job reviewing the wartime use of this plane and finally its end in May 1945.

Peter C. Smith is THE author when it comes to the history of dive bombing. In this 'Luftwaffe Colours' volume, he examines the development and early combat career of the most famous - and probably the deadliest - dive-bomber to fly in World War II, the ungainly Junkers 87 Stuka.

Smith's book initially surveys the pre-war development of dive bombing in Germany which culminated in the introduction of the Ju 87. Swiftly proving its effectiveness once war broke out, the Stuka gave sterling service in supporting the various Blitkzreig campaigns from 1939 to 1941 and proved a champion ship-killer as well. The Ju 87 however was no invincible wonder weapon and suffered serious losses in the Battle of Britain.

Stuka missions and personalities are well-covered in this volume, the first of two. The book benefits from a number of first-hand accounts of the Stuka in action and also provides eight side-bars detailing influential or well-known Stuka pilots like Schwartzkopff, Dinort, Mahlke, Hozzel, etc.

The book includes over 160 color and black & white photographs of aircrew, aircraft and targets being attacked along with 15 color side-views by Tom Tullis.

All in all, Smith's book is an authoritative, well-illustrated introduction to this most deadly of dive-bombers. Highly recommended.

I have been impressed with Classic Publications since their first efforts on this subject. Their Battle of Britain series kept me busy for some time. Luftwaffe colors are enigmatic at best and this subject is a monumental task to want to take on. Bang for buck this series of books simply can not be beat. I think that Classic Publications could not have picked a better champion for this subject than Peter C. Smith. His study of dive-bombers and the Stuka in particular are legendary in the world of Luftwaffe history.

While working with the always amazing Tom Tullis to help illustrate Peter's color conclusions, constantly gives the reader vivid and significant weight to the book. Peter Smith relied on first person accounts of the aircraft from ground crew and pilots to reconstruct a compressive story of this famous aircraft.

Starting off in 1942 and the Dora series of the vendible Sturzkampfflugzeug and running through to 1945 and the Gustav and specialized versions of this subject, the author makes reading this book a pleasure. More never published photos show up continuing to stun the educated late war Luftwaffe historian in me. I am always amazed at what comes out of the file cabinets of these guys and Mr. Smith doesn't disappoint.

Done in the standard Luftwaffe Colors series more familiar to us as the Jagdwaffe publications, Stuka Volume Two is printed on high quality paper with fantastic color transfer and very clear black and white photos. Although almost all the photos are in black and white, the color profiles sprinkled throughout the text compliment the page and augment the information present.

The ability to gleam out colors from black and white photos using many resources crossed into very educated conclusions is getting better and better. In the beginning of the book Mr. Smith tells you what everyone should keep in mind. It is still guess work. Unless you were there and cared what shade of RLM 76 the bottom of your plane was painted, you probably do not have a definitive proof of the subject.

Guys like Jerry Crandall, Eddie Creek, Brett Green and others at the top of their game will be the first to tell you that nothing is certain. Things change, opinions oscillate and theories are crushed all the time. Facts change and research yields new information all the time. And this is coming from the experts in the field.

I really enjoy these series of books and highly recommend them to anyone trying to become educated in the art of Luftwaffe color schemes. The Stuka has held a particular fascination with me for sometime. It is what I call "Cool Ugly" and is the granddaddy of aircraft like the A-10 Thunderbolt II. (Another "Cool Ugly" airplane). The book can be found for less than 30 dollars a pop, this book is worth every cent.