Books by David Doyle

Even today, almost eighty years after its first flight, the North American P-51 Mustang remains one of the most famous and recognizable aircraft in the world. Nimble and fast, qualities that lead the Mustang to be used even today in air races, the aircraft was forged in battle. This, the second of two volumes on this iconic aircraft, explores the "bubbletop" versions that helped bring the war to the German and Japanese homelands. These Mustangs were widely used escorting Allied bombers deep into the enemy homeland. The story of this historic fighter is told through carefully researched archival photos, as well as photographs of preserved examples, illuminated through detailed captions, thereby illustrating not only the use of the late WWII Mustang, but also the details of its construction. Large, clear photos, coupled with descriptive and informative captions, put the reader on the airfield and in the sky with this historic aircraft.

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was not only the largest and most advanced US aircraft to see combat in World War II, it was also the most expensive weapons system of the war, even exceeding the cost of developing the atomic bombthe weapon that ultimately would be delivered to Hiroshima and Nagasaki by a pair of B-29s in August 1945. Through a broad range of photos gathered from around the world, this book, the first of a two-volume series, chronicles the design, development, and World War II combat of the iconic Superfortress. The story of this historic aircraft is told through carefully researched photos, which are reproduced in remarkable clarity. Large, clear photos, coupled with descriptive and informative captions, unlock the secrets of this aircraft.

The M551 Sheridan is often referred to as a light tank, but in actuality it was an armored reconnaissance/airborne assault vehicle. The M551 was designed to be a lightweight, amphibious, air-droppable vehicle armed with a massive 152 mm gun that doubled as a rocket launcher. The gun launcher was designed to fire the MGM-51 Shillelagh antitank missile, or 152 mm conventional rounds with a combustible cartridge case. The vehicles saw extensive use in Vietnam, Operation Just Cause in Panama (where they saw their only combat air drop), and Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The Sheridan ended its service with the US Army masquerading as Soviet Bloc vehicles at the National Training Center. Through dozens of archival as well as detailed photographs of some of the finest extant examples of these vehicles, the Sheridan is explored, and its history explained. Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

The Douglas Dauntless was the US Navy's frontline dive-bomber in the early days of WWII. Even after the larger and more powerful Helldiver joined the fleet in the later stages of the war, the Dauntless remained in the fray, flying from the decks of escort carriers, which were too small to permit the operation of the later aircraft, as well as continuing to serve from the decks of fleet carriers. The Dauntless took part in many of the most notable battles of the war in the Pacific, including Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal. Carefully researched war-era photos are augmented with color images of current-day preserved aircraft, capturing the details of this flying legend. Part of the Legends of Warfare series. --

Among the iconic aircraft of World War II, the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt not only was physically the biggest single-engine fighter, it also had an enormous impact on history. In terms of its combat effectiveness, P-47 fliers destroyed 7,067 hostile aircraft, with about half of those “killsâ€? recorded during aerial combat. Thunderbolt pilots reported destroying 6,000 enemy tanks, 68,000 trucks, 86,000 railway cars, and 9,000 locomotives. For a single-engine fighter, such a tally is definitely one for the history books. The history of this iconic aircraft is presented through carefully researched archival photos, as well as photographs of preserved examples, thereby illustrating not only the combat use of the Thunderbolt, but also the details of its design and construction. Large, clear photos, coupled with descriptive and informative captions, put the reader on the airfield and in the sky with this historic aircraft. Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

The B-24 Liberator remains to this day the world's most produced heavy bomber and multi-engine aircraft, and the most-produced military aircraft in US history, with almost 19,000 examples leaving the assembly lines of five plants. Through a broad range of photos gathered from around the world, this book, the second of two volumes on the B-24, chronicles the design, development, and wartime use of the iconic late-production aircraft, featuring gun turrets on the nose. The story of these iconic WWII aircraft is told through carefully researched photos, many never before published, which are reproduced in remarkable clarity. Large, clear images, coupled with descriptive and informative captions, unlock the secrets of this aircraft. Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

Although bombed at Pearl Harbor, USS Tennessee was back to sea before the year was over. The crew of the resilient warship fought from Alaska's Aleutian Islands to Tokyo Bay, surviving enemy artillery, bombs, and kamikaze attacks, and even collisions with other American warships. In 1945, Tennessee took part in the famous Battle of Surigao Strait, the last battleship versus battleship combat in history. The hundreds of photographs in this volume, many previously unpublished, trace the history of this iconic warship from its launching in Brooklyn in 1919 to its scrapping in Baltimore forty years later. Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

Through historic photos, this volume traces the development, production and deployment of this iconic piece of military equipment from the drawing boards to the Cold War battlefields of Europe.

The M36 combined the proven chassis of the M10A1 Gun Motor Carriage, itself based on the reliable Sherman automotive components, with the potent 90mm cannon that would arm the M26 Pershing, creating a capable tank destroyer fit to engage the legendary Panther and Tiger tanks of Nazi Germany.

The M3A1 Scout Car, produced by White Motor Company of Cleveland, Ohio, served as the US Cavalry's primary scouting and reconnaissance vehicle during the early days of the US entry into WWII. A powerful Hercules engine, four-wheel drive, and relatively light weight gave the vehicle both impressive on-road speed and reasonable off-road maneuverability. Typically armed with a trio of heavy and light machine guns, the vehicle was not intended to "slug it out" with the enemy, but rather to locate the enemy and, through its impressive array of radio equipment, report the positions to more heavily armed forces. Through dozens of archival photos, including previously unpublished images, as well as details of some of the finest existing examples, this iconic vehicle is explored and its history is explained. Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

"The Grumman J2F Duck formed the backbone of America's over water utility squadrons from 1934 until beyond WWII, setting various aviation records during this service. A single-engine amphibious aircraft (also produced by Columbia Aircraft), the Duck saw service with the US Navy, Marine Corps, Army Air Force, and Coast Guard in a variety of roles including, reconnaissance, air-sea rescue, scouting/observation, and more. This volume is profusely illustrated with scarce archival photographs from diverse collections, including previously unpublished images."--Publisher's description.

The M40 Gun Motor Carriage and M43 Howitzer Motor Carriage are featured in over 200 photographs, providing a detailed study of the conception, development, testing, and combat use of these key vehicles. As the US entered WWII, the nation lacked heavy self-propelled artillery, instead relying heavily on towed artillery, much of it WWI-surplus. Only 100 examples of the nation's first heavy self-propelled gun, the M12, were built. Finding favor once deployed, attention was turned to developing an improved model. Initially designated the T83, and later as the M40, the new 155mm Gun Motor Carriage was first fielded in the closing months of WWII. Already scheduled for mass production, the M40, and its companion 8-inch howitzer-armed M43, continued to see extensive use during the Korean War, providing crucial support to infantry and armor formations. Historic period images, as well as, meticulously photographed surviving examples, provide a detailed look at this important piece of US military hardware. Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

The F4F and FM Wildcat aircraft was the US Navy's front-line fighter in the early days of WWII. This iconic aircraft was designed and produced by Grumman, as well as the newly-formed Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors. As larger and more powerful fighters joined the fleet in the later stages of the war, the Wildcat remained in the fray, flying from the decks of escort carriers, which were too small to permit the operation of the later aircraft. The Wildcat was remarkable not only because it served through the duration of the war, but also because it was the mount of some of the nation's most distinguished aces, including Butch O'Hare and Joe Foss. Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

The Curtiss P-40 had a production run of 13,738 aircraft, making it the third most produced US fighter of WWII. Famous as the "shark-mouthed" aircraft of the legendary American Volunteer Group--"Flying Tigers"--the P-40 was first flown in 1938, and was used by the United States and many of its Allies throughout the war. This volume tells the story of this iconic aircraft--from design and construction to combat use to detailed images of existing examples--through carefully researched photos, some of which have never before been published, and which are reproduced in remarkable clarity. These stunning photos, coupled with descriptive and informative captions, put the reader in the skies with this historic aircraft.

The Douglas Devastator was the US Navy's first all-metal combat aircraft, the Navy's first airplane with a fully enclosed cockpit, the first aircraft to have hydraulically folding wings, and the first US Navy torpedo bomber to see combat. Although facing staggering losses in the early stages of the war in the Pacific, the brave men flying the Devastator from the decks of such famed ships as Enterprise, Hornet, Yorktown, and Lexington held the line against the enemy. Through carefully researched photos, many of which have never before been published and which are reproduced in remarkable clarity, the history and details of this iconic aircraft are revealed. This clarity, and the large size of many of the photos, coupled with descriptive and informative captions, puts the reader in the skies with this historic aircraft.

The USS Iowa (BB-61) was the lead ship in the United States Navy's last, and most battle-worthy, battleship class, which also included the New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Missouri. This volume explores Iowa's design, construction, launching, and commissioning, as well as its extensive wartime activities in both World War II and Korea. Also covered are its post-Korea years in the reserve "mothball fleet," recommissioning in 1984, and coverage of the tragic 1989 turret explosion that killed forty-seven sailors. The carefully researched photos, many of which have never before been published, are reproduced in remarkable clarity, and coupled with descriptive and informative captions, this book puts the reader on the deck of this historic warship throughout her history. Part of the Legends of Warfare series.