Southdown, based in Brighton, was one of the most important bus operators in southern England. Formed in 1915 from an amalgamation of three earlier operators, the company became a subsidiary of BET and survived as a separate operator until all of BET's subsidiaries were nationalised as part of the National Bus Company in 1969. Even after nationalisation Southdown endeavoured to retain an element of individual identity, adopting a NBC version of its traditional pale green livery rather than either the poppy red or darker green adopted elsewhere.Since the publication of their first volume on Southdown, Glory Days: Southdown, both Glyn Kraemer-Johnson and John Bishop have become recognised as amongst the country's leading authorities on the subject of Southdown, in particular, and of bus operations in southeast England in general. This new book continues the Southdown story, examining the history of the operator from the point in the mid-1970s when NBC corporate identity started to rob the constituent companies of their individual identities through to the late 1980s when Deregulation and Privatisation resulted in the death knell of many of the most famous names in the British bus industry. The book includes an impressively detailed narrative recalling the story of Southdown during these years supplemented by a broad selection of fine images. Together they beautifully capture the evolution of the fleet and operations from the final years of the pre-NBC vehicles inherited in 1969, through to the arrival of Leyland Nationals.
This book represents probably the most detailed study published in the English language of the camouflage and markings of the fighter aircraft of the Soviet Air Force during World War 2. Erik Pilawskii is a scholar of the Soviet Air Force in World War 2 and has undertaken several years of research to produce this ground-breaking book. With information drawn from previously inaccessible Soviet archives, the author firstly presents a detailed analysis of the developments, trends, patterns and irregularities of the colour systems seen on Russian fighters and offers a fascinating insight into the workings of the Soviet manufacturing system responsible for this task. There then follows a technical study of each of the main fighter aircraft and variants including the Lavochkin LaGG-3, the Lavochkin La-5, -5FN and -7, the Mikoyan and Guryevich I-200, MIG-1 and -3, the Polikarpov I-15, I-152, I-153, the Polikarpov I-16, the Yakovlev Yak-1, Yakovlev Yak-7, UTI-26, Yakovlev Yak-9 and Yakovlev Yak-3 as well as notable prototypes and developmental aircraft.
Variants, weapons and equipment are all detailed Each technical description is followed by a detailed description of camouflage and markings - factory-applied, field variations and seasonal. The text is supported by hundreds of rare and previously unpublished photographs and more than 40 commissioned full colour artwork subjects. Furthermore, hundreds of colour illustrations portray the immense variety of patterns related to this fascinating subject.
