Avonmore Books | Pacific Profiles: Volume Fifteen
Reviewed by Kevin Williams
Publisher: Avonmore Books
Author: Michael John Claringbould
Publishing Date: 2024
ISBN: 978-0-645-70049-7 (Softcover)
Pages: 104
Now that I have a growing familiarity with the series, they're very well presented, all printed on nice quality gloss stock, with quite a few very nice illustrations of chosen and representative subjects, along with several black & white and occasional color photos as well. Following a format that's already a proven success, this volume just adds to the overall wealth of data that proceeded it in the previous 14 volumes.
This particular book (Volume Fifteen in the series), depicts one of the more rather well known Pacific combatants, specifically the legendary Martin B-26 Marauder, and it’s chock full of representative material; plenty of ground shots, variations in painting schemes, as well as showing the incredible wear on the finishes of these Pacific birds, as well as (naturally enough) plenty of color profile drawings.
Marauders, being stalwart subjects amongst modelers, and workhorses in several theaters of the war, are well represented here and I'm particularly pleased with the real "at work" type of photos presented, both black & white, as well as a spattering of color shots, again, many of which capture the spirit of the surface battering that these aircraft were subject to, along with interesting text, tables and antectdotes. Large scale modelers are again somewhat limited in this area, there being only one option at this time, the Combat Models Vac kit. We really need a state-of-the-art Marauder in 1:32 scale, and with any luck at all, may still eventually see one.
This work, being dedicated once again to the South Pacific (1942-1944 time-frame) arena, offers up some worthwhile coverage of quite a few Marauders in that theater, both OD over Grey and natural metal machines, a great wealth of information to add for those that seek information regarding these types of aircraft working from those environments.
By now I've learned to truly respect this author, as his research and attention to details and dates, is truly worthwhile.
Typical Photo/Illustration Quality to be Found Throughout
To me, the high point of this volume, is the overall appeal of the subject matter, combined with numerous interesting facts about the campaigns in the Pacific, all packaged in a smooth, attractive presentation.
I'll have to say that, to me, this book is very good value, given the overall intensity of the content.
Even if you have just a passing interest in the pacific air war, you can’t go wrong with the purchase of this book and you may just become a fan, as I most certainly am (and have been for quite some time).
(Not a selling point, as such, but the cover has a nice tactile "feel" to it, reflecting, in my opinion, a dedication to overall quality of presentation that I very much approve of.)
On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d rate this book as a solid 10, no question about it.
My review copy compliments of Casemate Publishers. Many thanks to Casemate, it's truly an outstanding reference book for the Pacific theater of war in general, and the wonderfully interesting and truly iconic B-26 Marauder specifically, really top-notch stuff.
© Kevin Williams 2025
This review was published on Thursday, April 17 2025; Last modified on Thursday, April 17 2025