XB-70 Valkyrie: The Ride to Valhalla

Rating:
Summary: The best of 3 minimal books
Review: As a book dedicated to such an historic aircraft there is surprisingly little information about the aircraft. There's lots of writing about the history surrounding the aircraft's development and political struggles, but almost no information about what the aircraft actually did (and couldn't do). The author spends a lot of pages blaming politicians for the cancellation of the aircraft without discussing it's significant technical problems. Compared to what is now available regarding the SR-71, the story of the XB-70 has yet to be thoroughly recounted.

Rating:
Summary: history
Review: Ho-hum. Only a few good photos. Fairly thorough but boring. Except for air-to-air radio transmissions during The Crash, not much excitement for an awesome airplane.

Rating:
Summary: WOW!!!
Review: I didn't know anythng about the history of the XB-70 till I read this book. It gave me the ins and outs of the whole thing. Great book!!

Rating:
Summary: Lightweight fare
Review: I was very disappointed with this book, especially given the authors' backgrounds. Some good photos and background info. I was hoping for interviews and input from parties directly involved in the XB-70 program, but there were none.

I *really* wanted to like this book, but it was only the merest hint of what it could have been.

Rating:
Summary: XB-70 Valkyrie:The Ride to Valhalla
Review: The XB70 has been a great mistery for a long time. Its secrecy was largely due to the great leap in aeronautical science when the technological race between US and former CCCP was at its peak. Designed successor to B52, the XB70 has a troubled story from the start, its fortunes were forever sealed by McNamara's will to terminate the program. The book is about the history of political tribulations at all levels (USAF comands and interservice rivalry plus adverse lobbying in the Kennedy Administration and in the Congress, the last being not enough supportive). A respectable critical survey on program managment is given, providing a chronological description of machinations that overshadowed even the final experimental program.

Many details are covered but always from the historical point of view. The volume does not provide many technical facts and it still lacks a description of the airplane engine and systems, besides a precise perfomance summary is missing. The most important facet is the conversation record of the crash (XB70 ship AV002 and NF104 n?813). If the reader is looking for some Washington politics insight or behind the scene work, the narrative style is remarkable, but if he is looking for technicalities he has to wait for a new release or new bunch of declassified data.

Rating:
Summary: XB-70 Valkyrie:The Ride to Valhalla
Review: This is a history, not a picture book. While photographic collections are important, they should be supplemented with meaningful history. That is what this book does. It gives previously unreported historical details, along with supporting photography. Other books can supply the additional photographic details. This book has heart. The authors have made sure that the real story is told, not just the official version. Wouldn't it have been nice if they'd been allowed to print everything they know?