Boeing Reviews

The Airlife's Airliner series of books cover individual commercial aircraft types in an interesting, in-depth manner.

Each volume of this British series covers a unique commercial aircraft type from its design, production, entry into service, its usage by airlines, and in some cases eventual demise.

Each volume features plenty of color and black and white photographs of the subject aircraft along with a complete construction list (accurate to date of publication for aircraft types still being built).

This volume covers the most recent incarnation of the Boeing 747 ... the most successful widebody airliner ever built. The 747 may be credited with bringing air travel to the masses ... making airfares affordable to the general population due to the large amount of seats available.

The 747-400 ... while technically similar to its older sisters ... is in fact an almost brand new aircraft ... featuring newer technology and a more advanced wing. Regardless, the 747-400 still carries the same sweeping, unmistakable lines of its earlier sisters ... making it one of the most recognizable shapes in the world.

If you are a civil aviation buff, this book has a wealth of detail on the latest version of the venerable 747, the series -400. The book contains a wealth of information on the design, construction, and operation of all versions of the -400, both outside and inside the aircraft (including the cockpit). Operators of the series -400 are surveyed, and a history of the type is presented. I find myself looking through this book over and over!

This book was superb. It had meticulous detail and very informative, clearly written parts. I especially liked the big -500/600 chart somewhere in the middle of the book. It is the best book I have ever seen about the 747-400.

This book was great, It tells soooooo much info about 717's, 737's, 747's, 757's, 767's, 777's, and a lot of upcoming planes. It is soooooooooooooo good.

'Modern Boeing Jetliners' covers the entire modern Boeing fleet from the 717 to the 777.

Norris also provides some really good information and advanced photos about the new Boeing BWB (Blended Wing Body) aircraft. The BWB may be Boeing's only hope in keeping up with Airbus, especially in light of the advanced orders for the A380.

Overall, the photos and commentary are very good.

The only lacking in the book, similar to Norris's book on the 777 is that the workings of the flight deck and avionics are a bit sparse.

Other than that, there is no other book around that can match Guy Norris book.

Overall, a great book about Boeing jet.

Excellent photography, interesting text, this book has it all. From the 717 to 777, it gives you a good idea about Boeing's latest products. As a Boeing pilot, I recommend it!

Sell is admittedly an outsider, always studying Boeing from the periphery of a neutral journalist, or family member of one employed there, yet he manages to deftly describe the essence and culture of Boeing as a longtime employee would. He understands and conveys the conservative approach Boeing has always taken toward state governmental affairs, and presents Boeing as above reproach in these matters, a reputation Boeing has gone to great lengths to ensure. I appreciated the detail to which Sell went to explain the legislative aspects of growth in Washington state and Boeing's occasional collisions with it - a good read whether one is interested in the evolution of Boeing from Bill Boeing's hobby shop to the economic powerhouse it is today, or if one is interested in the impact of growth. Sell also slips in delightful, but subtle witticisms.

Sell's book cuts through the fog of loyalty to green or greed parties and explains the paradox of growth with facts not fictions. Everyone has something to learn from this book. Sell makes both sides of the growth issue stand naked before the mirror and it isn't always pretty. "Wings of Power" is a well written and thoroughly researched book that, unlike most of this genre, is not devoid of humor.

A great read, especially considering recent events (Boeing leaving Seattle.)

This book is a solid cut above most of the breed, very well written and adorned with first-class drawings and photographs. The only element of the Stratocruiser story it overlooks is the fascinating tale of hidden US goverment financial support for the airlines that purchased it, which is covered in Ernest K. Gann's 1974 book "Flying Circus."

It's a real tragedy that no Stratocruisers were preserved; it seems I was just born too late.

This book is truely a must have item if you want to know all about a beautiful Boeing Airliner of yesteryear This book really is very informitive & is full of great pictures of the mighty "Stratocruiser" a true "QUEEN" of the SKIES that left to early in HER life! It takes your interest from page to page.The Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation from Toms River NJ now ownes & operates one of the last surviving "STRATS" that is still AIRWORTHY! This is the military version the C-97G that flew with the USAF & SAC n the 50's& 60's.Truely a one of a kind great Propliner from the past! (...)

Boeing's model 377 was originally developed from the B-29 bomber that flew so effectively during World War II. The four-engine civilian passenger liner model was named "Stratocruiser" and bridged the gap for Boeing in its transition from war-time bomber production to the development of the all-jet 707 in the late 1950s. The Stratocruiser set the standards for airborne luxury travel and ushered in a romantic era in the golden age of commercial aviation. Highly recommended for all aviation history enthusiasts and the ninth volume of the outstanding AirlinerTech series, Boeing 377 Stratocruiser's text is enhanced with 160 photos and line art, including eight pages of color photography.

What a superb book! Whether you simply love airplanes, and the joys of flying, or whether you want to know detailed, technical information, I found this book offers it all. Colorful, well-documented and easily readable. Highly recommended for all who enjoy flight and planes.

A fantastic review of the 707/720 series.

As with all the Great Airliner series, this is a must have book

The series continues. John Proctor does a great job with Volume 7 of the series of Great Airliners!

The Airlife's Airliner series of books cover individual commercial aircraft types in an interesting, in-depth manner.

Each volume of this British series covers a unique commercial aircraft type from its design, production, entry into service, its usage by airlines, and in some cases eventual demise.

Each volume features plenty of color and black and white photographs of the subject aircraft along with a complete construction list (accurate to date of publication for aircraft types still being built).

This volume of the series covers the design, development and service of one of the most impressive commercial airliners ever built.

The book looks at all of the operators of this airliner (as by the date of publication) as well as an in-depth look at the systems testing and integration testing of this gigantic widebody inter-continental airliner.

An interesting note: The engine nacelles (covers) on the Boeing 777 are the greater than the fuselage cross-section of the Boeing 707, 727, 737 and 757.

Philip Birtles has done aviation lovers a great favor by writing one of the most detailed and picture-intensive books for the newest Boeing jetliner. Birtles traced the planning, design, and development of the Boeing 777 models. The pictorial covers the Boeing 777-200, 777-300, and the long-range 777 models in operation. The book also has special features on technical details such as the jet engine, engine pod, vertical stabilizer, horizontal stabilizer, spoilers, flap, sound suppressor and thrust reverser. The book concludes with coverage on the first Boeing 777 delivery. Great gift idea. A must for fans.

This book covers the development, testing, and enough of the technical details of the 777 to keep any reader interested. Lots of great photos, and the last section of the book shows the planes that were delivered to the airlines that were the launch partners. I believe that this book is better than the one by Wagner et. al.

A must for the collector. color photo's and detailed drawings and pictures. This is the way to do it right. Includes Inception of the Globemasters, phototypes leading up to the C-17, Development History -photo's in the building stages - many, Missions, Productions list, and Specs, A "gotta a have one".

I enjoy this book immensely. If you're an enthusiast, you know that there aren't a lot of books currently available on the C-17; the plane is just too new. The C-17 is, however, a fascinating plane, and if you're eager for more info you won't be disappointed with this book. The textual content is first rate. It has a very pleasing rhythm and balance. If you have other aerospace books on your shelf you know that sometimes the writer is very technically knowledgeable without possessing adequate writing skills. Or, the information is unbalanced (e.g., too much history, too little technical, or vice versa). This book was both written well, and edited well. The photos, too, are very good. While most are black-and-white [there are several pages of 4-color photos], they are well printed and not distracting because of their monochromatic nature as in some other, cheaper publications. I was also impressed with the tidbits of information that Norton delivers. You'll read about and see information on hidden features (e.g., jacks, APUs, exterior lights, etc.). All in all, it's a very well delivered presentation on the newest airlifter, and a worthy addition to your aerospace library.

With less than a decade from its first flight, and with production less than halfway through its presently federally funded run, the C-17A Globemaster II is still considered a young aircraft. Aviation specialist Bill Norton presents the reader with a profusely illustrated history of this remarkable American military aircraft's gestation, development, unique features, strategic and tactical airlift missions; and service record to date. Boeing C-17A Globemaster III is a remarkable and impressive addition to any personal, professional, academic, or community library aviation history collection.

I recently completed reading Dr. Hopkin's excellent book on an unbelievable aircraft. The only thing that the C-135 series of aircraft didn't do was air-to-air combat! The book is an exhaustive, highly-detailed history of every model of aircraft developed from the basic KC-135 Stratotanker, covering the development history of each mission type (tanker, transport, reconnaissance, etc.) and also each specific aircraft modified for its particular purpose. I flew on 3 different models of the RC-135 series for 3 years while in the Air Force and was amazed at how many previous reconnaissance variants preceeded the common types used today. I recommend this book for any military aviation buff, but also for anyone who was privileged to have been a crewmember on such a versatile aircraft over the last 40+ years. The many previously-unpublished photographs nicely compliment the very informative text.

As a current aircrew member on the Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft, I am always looking for anything out there with the history of our airframes. This book is EXCELLENT. The data is accurate and even though you might think you have seen or heard of every variant of the 135 out there, after reading this book you'll soon discover there are a lot more. I highly recommend this book as the benchmark 135 book on the market

I was a crew member on RC-135s for 7 years and when I saw this book I could not put it down. It gives excellent, well explained descriptions of each variant along with photos making it easy to follow and equally interesting. My compliments to Dr. Hopkins.

I really enjoyed this book! It was very well written and the photos are also great. I remember my time in the Air Force and this book really was accurate.

I found this book to outstanding.This book is full of memories of my life at Castle afb,ca. 1981-1984.

This book is arguably the best book overall on the US Air Force's B-52 heavy bomber covering it's first 40 years, i.e. up to 1995. The B-52 has seen much action in Bosnia and Afghanistan since this book's publishing in 1995, so be aware of this if you are looking for the most recent chapters in the life of this venerable warhorse. Robert Dorr's excellent writing combined with Lindsay Peacock's fascination with the aircraft of the now defunct Strategic Air Command make this book a necessary purchase for all people who have been associated with or are interested in Boeing's bomber masterpiece. Walter Boyne's (a former B-52 pilot) 144-page "Boeing B-52: A Documentary History" first completed in 1981 is also an excellent book but, more for the serious historian or former crew-members due to it's in-depth discussions on equipment and tactics. "B-52 Stratofortress" totals 229 pages and covers a broader range of topics with only slightly less depth. The readability is excellent even to those not intimately familiar with "B-52ese" and/or Air Force acronyms. Chapters include development of the B-52, nuclear bomb tests in the Pacific, technical features, newer models, ground alert operations, weapons, B-52s in combat in VietNam, action in Desert Storm, and aircraft/unit attrition up to 1994. Also included are nine separate appendices covering 39 pages listing each model's specifications, production details, variants, unit usage of each aircraft, B-52 usage of each wing and squadron, base assignments, modifications on each model, a cutaway drawing of a B-52G, individual aircraft distribution of the B-52 fleet in 1964, unit distribution over the years, individual aircraft losses, and details on aircraft consigned to storage. A tremendous variety of excellent photos with informative captions are used showing most every aspect of the "BUFF" in use. Of particular interest to the laymen or Carswell AFB veteran is a chapter describing a low level mission one of the authors got to fly in a B-52H out of Carswell in early 1991.

If you are fascinated by B-52s, this is the book for you... It is not a "general" coffee-table book for the "general" public, though. There is no war-mongering in this book either. It is an excellent survey of a remarkably versatile aircraft.

The book is great except for one thing. There are not nearly enough, or any, photo's of the inside cabin. I would certainly like see what a 747 looks like on the inside with various views of all 3 levels of the giant. Unfortunatly, the book only shows you one 1969 photo near the front of the book. That of the first
class area. Otherwise, a great book.
David Todd

As with their other collaborative efforts, Norris and Wagner present us with a wealth of quality photographs on the best-known airliner. More than that, the authors take us on a journey of how the 747 came to be and where it is today. Each series and variant is surveyed; the information is concise and accurate. While this book may not be the visual feast laid out before us in the Airliner Color History series, this book is highly engaging and well worthwhile to any airliner aficianado.

Not so informative to bore an aircraft enthusiast, yet provides enough to ponder an aircraft engineer. This contours enough history and facts about the mighty 747 that it's worth reading twice. Ive used this book for foot noting a few aviation college classes. If you like airplanes like I do, you'll enjoy this book.