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Rating: 
Summary: A "C-" at best
Review: As a history of the A-2 and G-1 jackets, this book falls well short. The authors present a weak history of these sought-after jackets that is frequently interrupted by rather dull accounts by former members of the military reminisincing about their personal jackets. Not enough attention is paid to the 20+ wartime manufacturers and the different contracts for the A-2' jacket . In addition, the authors make several technical mistakes in identifying certain models of jackets, such as the A-1 that the author frequently calls a "pre A2" or not mentioning the first version of the G-1 called the M442 or misidentifying a D-1. The authors are also well out of date with the current companies manufacturing high end reproductions. If one is interested in these jackets and their history, they would be better severed by starting with the Eastman catalog and Internet sites of History Preservation Association, Lost Worlds, and Aero Leather Clothing.
Rating: 
Summary: All Hail the Flight Jacket!
Review: Flight jackets are very special articles of clothing to many (including the preceding reviewers) hence their continued popularity since their inception which the authors tackle on all fronts. Unlike the first reviewer, I LIKE to hear the stories of individuals and their jackets. It adds context and the taps the passion that many feel for the jackets which has led to their special status in the military and civilian marketplace. Conversely, I find the listing of contract numbers and the like boring (there is already a book out on Combat Flying Clothing that covers all USAAF WWII flight gear by Sweeting...I suspect the preceding reviewers have it. THAT's a reference book). I have many books on aircraft specs and history, but many more on tales of aviators and units that are not reference books per se, but tell their stories. Any good aviation library ought to have both. So what is this book? At any rate, it has scores upon scores of newly discovered images of A-2 and G-1 jackets which sets it above the very few other books that deal exclusively with the A-2 and G-1 Flight Jackets. The authors deserve a great deal of credit for unearthing so many "new" images from a wide variety of sources (check the photo credits, they are widespread and no doubt a result of diligent research. Too many times, I see the same "retread" photos used over and over). Is it a definitive reference book?...I don't think it was intended to be one, but it is a gorgeous book with many, many color photographs even from WWII era. I found it to be more than a Flight Jacket Book, it really comes across as an aviation history thorugh the many images that grace the pages. Being a naval aviator myself, I earned a G-1 and found the book to be a rich addition to my collection. I have given it as a gift and recommended it to many others. I'm glad to see it available again as many friends have seen my copy and wanted one for themselves. It would have been nice if the publisher had allowed the authors to update it after 10 years, but I suspect Motorbooks wanted to reprint it as is to avoid the costs associated with doing so. I'm sure the authors would be willing, but they don't make decisions on reprinting, publishers do. Perhaps there will be another opportunity down the road if Motorbooks reads the reviews.
Rating:
Summary: All Hail the Flight Jacket!
Review: This book, one of the first if not the first one to cover vintage flight jackets, has been out of print for several years now, so it's good to see it available again. On the other hand, this new printing offers no revisions or corrections (including photos printed in left-right reverse and repro jacket makers who no longer exist), and so it still falls way short of being a worthy reference for flight jacket enthusiasts. Some jacket information in the book can be misleading and indicates a lack of fundamental research, even by basic observation. Relating an expression of surprise over hearing of an original A-2 made of goatskin, for instance, does a real injustice to the actual sizable fraction of goatskin A-2's, including entire contract runs. The revision history of the G-1, which has had a much longer life than the A-2, is virtually ignored, including the fact that the designation of "G-1" did not appear in the jacket itself until the late 1940's. While there are some good photos throughout the book, and there is undoubtedly some good and interesting information, more coverage of jacket details would have been appropriate and the credibility does suffer from errors and superficial treatments. With respect to the ever expanding interest in vintage flight jackets and those who wore them, this book makes a good starter for someone wanting to know about the A-2 and G-1, but it's not a definitive reference. And considering the incredibly long and impressive list of people in the Acknowledgments section, it is tempting to wonder how good this book could have been.
Rating:
Summary: Not enough solid jacket information
Review: This book, one of the first if not the first one to cover vintage flight jackets, has been out of print for several years now, so it's good to see it available again. On the other hand, this new printing offers no revisions or corrections (including photos printed in left-right reverse and repro jacket makers who no longer exist), and so it still falls way short of being a worthy reference for flight jacket enthusiasts. Some jacket information in the book can be misleading and indicates a lack of fundamental research, even by basic observation. Relating an expression of surprise over hearing of an original A-2 made of goatskin, for instance, does a real injustice to the actual sizable fraction of goatskin A-2's, including entire contract runs. The revision history of the G-1, which has had a much longer life than the A-2, is virtually ignored, including the fact that the designation of "G-1" did not appear in the jacket itself until the late 1940's. While there are some good photos throughout the book, and there is undoubtedly some good and interesting information, more coverage of jacket details would have been appropriate and the credibility does suffer from errors and superficial treatments. With respect to the ever expanding interest in vintage flight jackets and those who wore them, this book makes a good starter for someone wanting to know about the A-2 and G-1, but it's not a definitive reference. And considering the incredibly long and impressive list of people in the Acknowledgments section, it is tempting to wonder how good this book could have been.
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