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Book Review "Amphibious Jeeps In Detail" Review by Ian Sadler
This latest Book by Wings and Wheels Publication Title is Ford GPA , GAZ-46 MAV and Skoda 973, published by RAK, P.O. Box 35, 170 06, Prague 7 , Czech Republic. It is in the Red Special Museum Series, Number 32. ISBN no is 80-86416-41-0. The Authors are Frantisek Koran, Frantisek Sykora, and Jan Mostek The text is published in English and has the following number of pages 71 and the number of photographs are shown in brackets after vehicle, Ford GPA (220), the GAZ-46 MAV (47) and the last one a very big surprise the inclusion of the Skoda 973 (30). Split into the usual sections of History of the Ford GPA each chapter takes you through a full restoration and rebuild with the tiniest detail covered. The quality of the photographs is truly staggering and at time breathe taking. It is possible for those lucky enough to find one in need of restoration. To use this as their starting point for a workshop manual, it has all the details needed; apart from a full engine strip down. It is far better than any line drawing field workshop manual. It is nice also to see in one publication a comparison of the Ford GPA and the GAZ -46 MAV it shows the differences very well. For museums who have one of the vehicles on display then this book is going to add to their profits for the museum book shop. To the model maker and photo, etch producers it is a gold mine of information and will enable them to turn a standard model into a winner. It rightly deserves a place on model makers reference shelves and fill an other gap in WW2 vehicles made in the U.S.A. The last chapter on the Skoda 973 in a bonus. Like a great many I have in the past only seen very poor quality grainy black and white photographs of the vehicle, now at last the authors have given us in the West a good quality insight into it. The authors are to be congratulated once more on filling a much needed gap on WW2 American vehicles and the Russian copy of it. For our American readers who like points out of ten, it scores top marks in all quality and quantity and clarity of photographs and above all, it is highly recommended. Many thanks to Franti for the advance copy for review check with your local book suppliers for price and availability. Ian Sadler © May 05 |
