Overview
An illustrated combat history of the A-4 Skyhawk, which flew numerous attack missions in Israeli service and initiated the Israeli Air Force's transition from French to US aircraft. The light and agile A-4 Skyhawk was the first modern American jet to be offered to the Israeli Air Force, marking the point where the US took over from France as Israel's chief military supplier. Deliveries began too late for the A-4 to fight in the Six-Day War, but it soon formed the backbone of the IAF's ground-attack force. From 1969 to 1970 it flew endless sorties against Egyptian forces in the War of Attrition. Then, during the Yom Kippur War, five squadrons of A-4s saw combat and 50 planes were lost as they battled against the Arab armored onslaught. Using previously unpublished first-hand accounts and rare photography from the IAF archives and pilots' private collections, Shlomo Aloni tells the definitive history of the IAF's A-4 squadrons, including the story of Ezra “BABAN” Dotan who became an ace with an unique double-kill of MiG17s.
Full Product Details
Author: Shlomo Aloni ,
Jim Laurier (Illustrator)
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint: Osprey Publishing
Volume: No. 81
Dimensions:
Width: 18.40cm
, Height: 0.70cm
, Length: 24.80cm
Weight: 0.356kg
ISBN: 9781846034305
ISBN 10: 1846034302
Pages: 96
Publication Date: 10 November 2009
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: No Longer Our Product
Availability: In Print
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Language: English
Reviews
The Israelis have always been paranoid about photographing their aircraft, so the selection [of photographs] in this A-4 volume is limited, but there are many color profiles. The A-4s saw lots of action in the nation's various wars and it is good to see all this information under one cover. - Air Classics <br> This is one of the best-reading books I have found in a long time. It spans the combat history of one of the true workhorses of the Israeli Air Force... The photography is the primary best seller for this book. There are MANY unpublished and rare photos from the Israeli Archives and private collections. Even if you don't read the book at least look at the pictures, they are well worth it. AND of course there are the familiar Osprey Color Plates. These are outstanding, and provide the modeler with many detailed descriptions and variations to choose from. -Rick Bellanger, IPMS (January 2010) <br> This book by Shlomo Aloni covers the initial search for a light attack air
Author Information
Israeli author Shlomo Aloni is a life-long student of Middle East air warfare in general and of the Israeli Air Force in particular. He is Israeli correspondent of the magazines Air Forces Monthly (UK) and Fuerza Aerea (Spain). He is a regular contributor to journals including Le Fana de l'Aviation (France), BIAF and Kne-Mida (Israel). Together with Brian Cull and David Nicolle, Shlomo is the co-author of Spitfires over Israel (Grub Street 1993) and Wings over Suez (Grub Street 1996). Jim Laurier is a native of New England and lives in New Hampshire. He attended Paier School of Art in Hamden, Connecticut, from 1974–78, and since he graduated with honours, he has been working professionally in the field of Fine Art and Illustration. He has been commissioned to paint for the US Air Force and has aviation paintings on permanent display at the Pentagon.
