Spitfire, The History
I was gifted the first edition of this book and was immediately captivated by it, the book is a facinating look at the Spitfire from its inception to retirement and everything in between.
Written by Eric B Morgan and Edward Shacklady and first published in 1987, the book comprises over 600 large format pages with over 1400 illustrations many of them in colour, along with the service history and serial number of every Spitfire ever built.
With a foreword by Jeffrey Quill, who was involved in the test programme before becoming cheif test pilot with Supermarine. He said of Eric B Morgan and Edward Shacklady…..
They have made full use of the material at their disposal to produce what must be as difinitive a history of the Spitfire as is ever likely to be written.
Is it worth it?
When the second edition was published in 2000 I bought a copy and still have both, they are the reference I use for all things Spitfire. The book is not by any means a light read, but it contains a wealth of information just not available from any other sources and for me is invaluable.
Containing information on every single Spitfire built, with some fantastic detail – this is a truely worthwhile addition to any aviation enthusiast’s library and if you have an interest in the Spitfire then this book will have pride of place in your collection.
The book is sometimes available on Amazon, or from the used book companies that advertise their books through Amazon – sometimes available at a reasonable price in the order of £30 – but sometimes commanding much more. So if you have an interest in the Spitfire, having a copy of your own is a worthwhile investment and it is likely to be well used.
Other Reviewers
There are a number of reviews of the book visible on Amazon reviews and all of them are very positive, for me it was interesting seeing what other people though of the book by reading their reviews.