{"title":"Peter E. Davies","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePeter E. Davies\u003c\/strong\u003e specialises in detailed accounts of military aviation history, bringing to life the stories behind iconic aircraft and crucial aerial operations. His works explore both Cold War confrontations and modern conflicts, combining technical precision with vivid combat narratives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders will find meticulously researched descriptions of air battles, aircraft development, and strategic missions. His books appeal to enthusiasts of \u003cem\u003eHistory \u0026amp; Military\u003c\/em\u003e as well as those fascinated by the drama of aerial warfare and brave pilots in challenging environments.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"chrome-dome-196068-by-peter-e-davies-9781472860545","title":"Chrome Dome 1960–68","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn 1960, SAC’s B-52s began a nonstop, eight-year, nuclear-armed patrol. Fully illustrated, this study explains how one of the Cold War’s most challenging operations was conceived and flown.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOperation \u003ci\u003eChrome Dome\u003c\/i\u003e was Strategic Air Command's unprecedented nuclear deterrence operation, a hugely elaborate and costly response to the perceived nuclear missile threat from the Soviet Union.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this book, Cold War aviation historian Peter E. Davies explains how for eight years, \u003ci\u003eChrome Dome\u003c\/i\u003e required 12 B-52 Stratofortresses to maintain a ceaseless airborne alert within striking distance of Soviet targets, orbiting over the Mediterranean and north of Alaska. Each bomber stayed aloft for 24 hours, flying for around 10,000 miles until relieved by another. In each cockpit, a top-secret Combat Mission Folder contained details of the routes and procedures for a nuclear attack on a pre-determined Soviet target.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDramatic and controversial, the years of unrelenting \u003ci\u003eChrome Dome\u003c\/i\u003e missions saw several B-52 crashes and losses of nuclear weapons, most famously those in Greenland and off the Spanish coast. Drawing on first-hand information from the personnel who flew and supported these gargantuan efforts, and packed with archive photos, superb new artwork, maps, and diagrams, this book offers an authoritative history of how SAC flew its most challenging operation of the Cold War.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46848648577260,"sku":"9781472860545","price":44.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/10742973482712.jpg?v=1758996893"},{"product_id":"f-86a-sabre-by-peter-e-davies-9781472850355","title":"F-86A Sabre","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStrap in alongside the Sabre pilots as they experienced the world’s first large-scale jet-vs-jet combats. Brought to life with innovative tactical artwork and dramatic first-hand accounts from the pilots themselves.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eF-86A Sabre\u003c\/em\u003e had entered USAF service in 1949, and in December 1950 three squadrons were sent to South Korea. Despite primitive basing conditions and overwhelming Chinese opposition, the Sabre pilots stopped communist air forces from attacking UN ground troops and allowed Allied fighter-bombers to operate without threat of interception. The ensuing air battles between Sabres and MiG-15s were the first since World War II, and the last in recent times to involve large numbers of jet fighters in direct confrontation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn all of them, the victorious F-86 pilots demonstrated the superiority of their training and tactics and the outstanding qualities of their Sabres.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eContemporary photographs and specially commissioned artwork, including a dramatic battle scene, armament views, technical diagrams, and ribbon diagrams illustrating step-by-step each main dogfight explored in the book, bring the experiences of the Sabre pilots and their battle tactics vividly to life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46849097826540,"sku":"9781472850355","price":29.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/10641073482712.jpg?v=1759016959"},{"product_id":"f9f-panther-vs-communist-aaa-by-peter-e-davies-9781472850645","title":"F9F Panther vs Communist AAA","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eF9F Panther vs Communist AAA\u003c\/em\u003e offers a detailed look at the deadly battle between US Navy F9F Panther jet fighter-bombers and communist anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) defences that proliferated throughout the Korean War.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe F9F Panther was among the many fighters converted for ground-attack duties, following an established US tradition. Initially designed as a jet fighter, it became in April 1951 the first jet to launch from a carrier with bombs loaded, using them to destroy a crucial railway bridge at Songjin. The Panther’s four 20 mm guns were considered highly effective for flak suppression, and these aircraft were used as escorts for propeller-driven AD Skyraider and F4U Corsair attack aircraft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, later in 1951, flak damage to Panthers increased as the Chinese established better AAA weapons to defend key transport routes. The communist AAA crews operated heavy guns of 37 mm calibre and above. Gunners utilised optical height finders, predictors, and radar control in many cases. They learned tactics such as concealing their weapons in civilian buildings, using wires to bring down aircraft, and setting up false targets as \"flak traps.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe book explores both opponents’ tactics and gunnery in depth, offering readers a comprehensive study of the F9F Panthers and their adversaries. This innovative volume contains full-colour illustrations, including cockpit scenes and armament views. It also provides a detailed analysis of the US Navy Panthers’ loss rates and the causes behind them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46849098285292,"sku":"9781472850645","price":32.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/10643973482712.jpg?v=1759017131"},{"product_id":"usaf-f-105-thunderchief-vs-vpaf-mig-17-by-peter-e-davies-9781472830906","title":"USAF F-105 Thunderchief vs VPAF MiG-17","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe F-105D Thunderchief was originally designed as a low-altitude nuclear strike aircraft, but the outbreak of the Vietnam War led to it being used instead as the USAF’s primary conventional striker against the exceptionally well-defended targets in North Vietnam and Laos. F-105 crews conducted long-distance missions from bases in Thailand, refuelling in flight several times and carrying heavy external bombloads.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe MiG-17 was the lightweight, highly manoeuvrable defending fighter it encountered most often in 1965–68 during Operation \u003ci\u003eRolling Thunder\u003c\/i\u003e. A development of the MiG-15, which shocked UN forces during the Korean War, its emphasis was on simplicity and ease of maintenance in potentially primitive conditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFully illustrated with stunning artwork, \u003ci\u003eUSAF F-105 Thunderchief vs VPAF MiG-17\u003c\/i\u003e shows how these two aircraft, totally different in design and purpose, fought in a series of duels that cost both sides dearly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46852276125932,"sku":"9781472830906","price":34.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/10446583482712.jpg?v=1759143929"},{"product_id":"bell-x-1-by-peter-e-davies-9781472814647","title":"Bell X-1","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA detailed history of the pioneering \u003cem\u003eBell X-1\u003c\/em\u003e, the first manned craft to break the sound barrier.\u003c\/strong\u003e Brought to life with dazzling digital art, this rocket-powered aircraft launches Osprey's new 'X-Planes' series and brings the reader into the dangerous and thrilling world of experimental aircraft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1947, no one knew if it was possible to break the 'sound barrier'. The \u003cem\u003eBell X-1\u003c\/em\u003e was the tiny, rocket-powered craft that finally broke it. It was the result of innovative designers and engineers turning their attention from the pioneering jets of World War II to a new task – an aircraft designed purely to fly faster than sound. Legendary pilots rallied to the cause, with World War II ace Chuck Yeager piloting the X-1 when it finally achieved supersonic flight in 1947, the first manned craft to reach such speeds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith historical photographs and meticulously researched digital art, Peter Davies traces the whole career of the pioneering \u003cem\u003eBell X-1\u003c\/em\u003e, from its early development through to the influence it had on military and civilian jets in the second half of the 20th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47072137511148,"sku":"9781472814647","price":49.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/10283993482712.jpg?v=1765080599"},{"product_id":"b-52-stratofortress-units-in-combat-19922025-by-peter-e-davies-9781472865038","title":"B-52 Stratofortress Units in Combat 1992–2025","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn illustrated study of the ongoing career of the iconic B-52, chronicling its frontline service after Operation \u003ci\u003eDesert Storm\u003c\/i\u003e in 1991.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFirst flown in 1955, the B-52 has become an icon of deterrence and the long reach of American air power. The aircraft was conceived as a long-range nuclear bomber, but its versatility saw it used as a heavyweight ‘bomb truck’ in Vietnam and a launcher of stand-off air-to-ground missiles during Operation \u003ci\u003eDesert Storm\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing the First Gulf War, B-52s have continued to see combat, undertaking close air support missions during patrols above Al-Qaeda insurgents and Taliban forces in Afghanistan from 2001–03, for example, and have upheld their reputation as America’s ‘Big Stick’ by acting as a deterrent in situations such as the Chinese friction with Taiwan in 2023.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this illustrated volume, combat aircraft expert Peter E. Davies draws on fresh research and first-hand accounts to tell the story of the later career of this iconic and enduring aircraft, examining its service from Operation \u003ci\u003eDesert Storm\u003c\/i\u003e onwards. Twenty-two newly commissioned profile artworks complement a variety of photographs from both official and private collections, demonstrating the colour schemes, nose art, and new weapons that have become features of late-20th and 21st-century B-52 units.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47462630883564,"sku":"9781472865038","price":62.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781472865038-b-52-stratofortress-units-in-combat-1992-2025.jpg?v=1775018929"},{"product_id":"north-american-xb-70-valkyrie-by-peter-e-davies-9781472825032","title":"North American XB-70 Valkyrie","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf the many futuristic military aircraft concepts created in the 1950s, the North American \u003cem\u003eXB-70\u003c\/em\u003e still stands out as the most awe-inspiring. 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Iraq’s air defence systems were elaborate and costly, but also well understood by Coalition planners, and its surface-to-air missile batteries struggled in the face of radar jamming, pyrotechnic deflection of infrared guidance and extraordinarily effective destruction of enemy air defences weapons like the AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWritten by aviation expert Peter E. Davies, this fascinating study uses newly commissioned artwork to enhance its retelling of how aircraft and weapons, as well as crew training and command-and-control structures, proved decisive in the outcome of \u003ci\u003eDesert Storm\u003c\/i\u003e in 1991. 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