Booklist Review

A superior history of the military helicopter, this volume begins with the use of helicopters for rescue and med-evac in the closing days of World War II. It continues with helicopters at war in Korea, Malaya, and Algeria, where the foundations of modern helicopter warfare were laid. Next comes Vietnam, then Afghanistan (where Everett-Heath discusses both the strengths and the weaknesses of helicopters in a combat role), and finally the Gulf War, with its emphasis on the use of helicopters in antitank warfare. The book is only large enough to provide an overview, but it is an excellent overview, drawing on a wide variety of sources, and with a non-American perspective that pays proper tribute to other countries' contributions to vertical warfare. For the majority of aviation collections. ~--Roland Green