Midland Counties Publications

Air War On The Edge

A History of the Israel Air Force and Its Aircraft Since 1947

by Bill Norton

Reviewed By Paul Bradley, #35554

Good books about the Israeli Air Force are rather thin on the ground, although there are plenty of not-so-good ones available – I know; I have some of them!  Part of the problem is the disinformation and secrecy surrounding the Israeli Defence Forces in general, despite their high profile on the world stage.  This has led to a lot of speculation and outright guesswork when it comes to the nature of the IDF and its Air Force component. Interest in the IDF/AF is still high and so this large tome is welcome as one of the best books published on the subject.

The sub-title is a little confusing – author Bill Norton in his foreword stresses that the book is NOT in fact “a history of the Israel Air Force”, but rather a comprehensive look at the types that have served with the Heyl Ha’avir, with a condensed historical overview prefacing these type histories.  That being said, when one reads all the type histories, one gets a pretty complete picture of the activities of the Air Force over the years.

Each type that has ever entered service gets its own detailed account of its acquisition (itself often fascinating), its service history, disposal and a section on camouflage and markings.  These are presented in chronological order, from the RWD-13 to the Blackhawk.  There are many, many wonderful nuggets of information contained in this book; for example, did you know that the IAF almost acquired 24 P-47D’s from Mexico in 1948, but delays forced them to buy the infamous Avia S-199’s instead?  Or that at least one Canadair Sabre 6 was marked in Israeli colors before the US pressured the Canadian government into reneging on the deal and forcing the Israelis into the arms of the French.  There is a rich vein of information here, and “what-if” fans will enjoy the speculation about missed deals and opportunities.  There’s even a reference to the possibility of the IAF buying Blackburn Buccaneers in the mid-Sixties – now that would have been a sight!

Each history is accompanied by photos, though these are really too small to be much help to us as modelers and are often, especially those from the 1940’s, of poor quality.  Many of the photos coming from private collections, and Norton avoids the use of official photos where possible, so quality is bound to be variable.  However, as historical documents each is interesting in its own right.  There is also a nice color photo section in the middle of the book.  At the back of the book is a very interesting gallery of unit badges, by far the most comprehensive I have seen.  This is especially useful to the modeler.

Norton has used many sources for his histories, though as he points out in his foreword, he has not relied on official Israeli sources, which are known for their disinformation and lack of cooperation.  This also avoids having to submit the manuscript to the Israeli censor!  Instead, he relies on previously published sources and takes pains to point out that this methodology inherently increases the possibility of perpetuating errors, though with no real means of checking these sources, there doesn’t seem to be much choice.  Norton does however omit some of the more fanciful stories and myths that have built up around the Heyl Ha’avir over the years.  What he does do is to offer information as is, often presenting conflicting information for the readers to evaluate themselves.  To get the best from this book, it is advisable to read the introduction to gain insight into Norton’s methodology.

All this is good stuff and presents a very interesting and comprehensive look at the aircraft of the Israeli Air Force since its foundation.  Under normal circumstances, I would unreservedly recommend this book. However - and this is a big however - the book costs $90 and could put a dent into most hobby budgets.  Cost aside, this is a very nice book, my personal “Book of the Year”, and I am grateful to Midland Counties and Specialty Press for making it available to us.  If you can afford it, buy it!

“Air War on the Edge” is obtainable from Specialty Press in the US.  Call 1(800) 895 4585 for details and to order (Add $4.95 for shipping), or visit their website at www.specialtypress.com.  Our sincere thanks to them, for the sample review book.

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