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Hidden Warbirds: The Epic Stories of Finding, Recovering, and Rebuilding WWII's Lost Aircraft
Aviation historian Nick Veronico has been investigating and writing about aircraft wrecks for many years. His website, wreckchasing.com, is the go-to source for enthusiasts who want to know more about how to locate vintage airplane wrecks and then tell their stories.
In this engaging new book, Veronico explores the romantic era of World War II Warbirds and the stories of some of its most famous wrecks, including the Dotty Mae (a P-47 submerged for over 60 years in the Traunsee in Austria, excavated and recovered with great care), the Swamp Ghost (a B-17E which crashed in New Guinea in the latter days of World War II and which was only recently discovered), and Glacier Girl (a P-38, part of "The Lost Squadron," which crashed in a large ice sheet in Greenland in 1942). Throughout, Veronico provides a history of the aircraft, as well as the unique story behind each discovery and recovery with ample illustrations. Hidden Warbirds is aviation history at its best.
In this engaging new book, Veronico explores the romantic era of World War II Warbirds and the stories of some of its most famous wrecks, including the Dotty Mae (a P-47 submerged for over 60 years in the Traunsee in Austria, excavated and recovered with great care), the Swamp Ghost (a B-17E which crashed in New Guinea in the latter days of World War II and which was only recently discovered), and Glacier Girl (a P-38, part of "The Lost Squadron," which crashed in a large ice sheet in Greenland in 1942). Throughout, Veronico provides a history of the aircraft, as well as the unique story behind each discovery and recovery with ample illustrations. Hidden Warbirds is aviation history at its best.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
27 people are currently reading
276 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas A. Veronico
48 books31 followers"I research and write for my personal enjoyment and educational enrichment. I am honored and humbled by the people I meet who so generously give of their time and share their stories for my projects."
-- Nicholas A. Veronico
Author Nicholas A. Veronico comes from a family of pilots, both his mother and father held private tickets, and his brother is a commercial pilot who flies for a major airline.
Veronico got his start in aviation journalism as a freelance journalist in 1984, then joined Pacific Flyer Aviation Newspapers. He then went on to serve as editor of In Flight USA, contributed extensively to FlyPast magazine, and in 1994 joined Airliners: The World's Airline Magazine. On a freelance basis, he has contributed to Air Classics, EAA Warbirds, Warbirds Worldwide, Airliner World, Classic Wings, and many others. His career path lead to the high-tech industry where he worked for an embedded systems-on-a-chip magazine, Silicon Strategies. Subsequently, he served as editor of "Gridpoints, the quarterly publication of the NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division," which covered NASA's scientific achievements in computational physics using high performance computers. He now works as a science and technology journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In addition to working in the magazine field, Veronico has collaborated with a number of today's best historians and authors and has written more than 30 books on a wide range of aviation and military topics, and local history subjects. He also served as the lead scriptwriter for Scrapping Aircraft Giants, a TV documentary by Daurg Productions and shown on The Discovery Channel. His homepage is www.pacaeropress.com.
Recently, the Military Writer's Society of America (www.militarywriters.com) recognized Veronico's history of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration team and his book on military aircraft storage (AMARG) with distinguished book awards.
-- Nicholas A. Veronico
Author Nicholas A. Veronico comes from a family of pilots, both his mother and father held private tickets, and his brother is a commercial pilot who flies for a major airline.
Veronico got his start in aviation journalism as a freelance journalist in 1984, then joined Pacific Flyer Aviation Newspapers. He then went on to serve as editor of In Flight USA, contributed extensively to FlyPast magazine, and in 1994 joined Airliners: The World's Airline Magazine. On a freelance basis, he has contributed to Air Classics, EAA Warbirds, Warbirds Worldwide, Airliner World, Classic Wings, and many others. His career path lead to the high-tech industry where he worked for an embedded systems-on-a-chip magazine, Silicon Strategies. Subsequently, he served as editor of "Gridpoints, the quarterly publication of the NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division," which covered NASA's scientific achievements in computational physics using high performance computers. He now works as a science and technology journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In addition to working in the magazine field, Veronico has collaborated with a number of today's best historians and authors and has written more than 30 books on a wide range of aviation and military topics, and local history subjects. He also served as the lead scriptwriter for Scrapping Aircraft Giants, a TV documentary by Daurg Productions and shown on The Discovery Channel. His homepage is www.pacaeropress.com.
Recently, the Military Writer's Society of America (www.militarywriters.com) recognized Veronico's history of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration team and his book on military aircraft storage (AMARG) with distinguished book awards.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 1, 2015
An informative and interesting book about the discovery, salvage, and restoration of WWII aircraft of both the Allied and Axis powers. The planes were rescued from all over the world, in jungles, swamps, mountain tops, deserts, hundreds of feet below the water and even trapped and encased in ice hundreds of feet below the surface of the Greenland ice cap. Many planes were even resqued from the waters of Lake Michigan near my home. They were aircraft lost during training exercises during the war.
The stories of their crews, discoverers, salvagers, and restorers, and their eventual placement in museums or flying air shows was very interesting.
The stories of their crews, discoverers, salvagers, and restorers, and their eventual placement in museums or flying air shows was very interesting.
July 24, 2013
This was a First Reads win for me, but I only enter giveaways for books that catch my interest. I was happy to have won this one.
Judging from the cover, I expected something along the lines of Clive Cussler's "Sea Hunters," and that's pretty much what I got with a little extra.
First, let me say something about the book itself. It was HEAVY because it's printed on beautiful, thick glossy paper. It's a hardcover (I expected paperback) and the dust jacket is eye catching and printed on heavy stock. I felt like I was opening one of those fantastic, expensive books that only libraries generally can afford to purchase. There were high quality pictures on virtually every page and even though I read every word, my young son was able to glean almost as much from the captions (in a good way).
It was very interesting to read the stories of how the planes came to be abandoned and it was even more interesting to read about the lengths people went to just to recover them. The plane in the Greenland ice cap was an amazing story. I was disappointed that there wasn't more to that story or more pictures, simply because I was fascinated by the account. I wish they'd shot a documentary of that one and the Swamp Ghost (the plane on the dust jacket). If anything, I wish Veronico had more pictures and more anecdotes from each of the chapters because I wanted more. I think I read this book over three days, which is tough to do when you've little kids in the house. It was enthralling to me and I would definitely read another volume should Veronico choose to publish another. It was easy to read, even for a guy who's not a gearhead, and anyone who finds this book remotely interesting from the book description will enjoy this read. Kudos.
Judging from the cover, I expected something along the lines of Clive Cussler's "Sea Hunters," and that's pretty much what I got with a little extra.
First, let me say something about the book itself. It was HEAVY because it's printed on beautiful, thick glossy paper. It's a hardcover (I expected paperback) and the dust jacket is eye catching and printed on heavy stock. I felt like I was opening one of those fantastic, expensive books that only libraries generally can afford to purchase. There were high quality pictures on virtually every page and even though I read every word, my young son was able to glean almost as much from the captions (in a good way).
It was very interesting to read the stories of how the planes came to be abandoned and it was even more interesting to read about the lengths people went to just to recover them. The plane in the Greenland ice cap was an amazing story. I was disappointed that there wasn't more to that story or more pictures, simply because I was fascinated by the account. I wish they'd shot a documentary of that one and the Swamp Ghost (the plane on the dust jacket). If anything, I wish Veronico had more pictures and more anecdotes from each of the chapters because I wanted more. I think I read this book over three days, which is tough to do when you've little kids in the house. It was enthralling to me and I would definitely read another volume should Veronico choose to publish another. It was easy to read, even for a guy who's not a gearhead, and anyone who finds this book remotely interesting from the book description will enjoy this read. Kudos.
May 8, 2015
I enjoyed it, but.....
It was pretty much what I thought it would be, a book with good stories of how planes were lost and then recovered, some to fly again. Although th tales were nicely told, the extensive references to aircraft numbers make the seem more of a book for aficionados, the author almost lost me in the introduction. Still, enjoyable, but I think more so if you're a recovery or airplane geek.
It was pretty much what I thought it would be, a book with good stories of how planes were lost and then recovered, some to fly again. Although th tales were nicely told, the extensive references to aircraft numbers make the seem more of a book for aficionados, the author almost lost me in the introduction. Still, enjoyable, but I think more so if you're a recovery or airplane geek.
January 31, 2014
Great book! I really enjoyed the historical facts that were included, and all the details about finding lost aircraft.
February 9, 2014
Hidden Warbirds - Lost and Found
One of the great ironies of World War II is that the conflict involved an effort to build aircraft at a rate unprecedented in history. New planes kept rolling off lines in factories one across the US that used to make nearly every conceivable household good, one after the other, around the clock, as has been so well documented in The American Aircraft Factory in World War II. Then, at the War’s end, most of these aircraft were disposed of, huge junkyards covering vast areas, once mighty aerial knights, the pride of our nation’s aeronautical engineering and ingenuity, all waiting to be melted down into metal ingots, as was so ably documented by photographer William Larkins in Surplus World War II Aircraft. It is with several of these now classic photos that the story of Hidden Warbirds begins.
World War II was over. Society was enjoying newfound wealth; with so many bright and shiny things to enjoy, few gave much thought to aircraft that were now obsolete, old-fashioned relics of little use in the Atomic Age. The new bombers dwarfed even the best of what World War II had to offer. Gleaming jet fighters, silver bullets in the sky, flew faster than the speed of sound. Airliners offered the comforts of the fanciest hotels. Jetliners would do the same but at much higher speeds. With all this gleaming silver hardware, who could be bothered by rumbling, olive-drab anachronisms? The once-mighty aircraft of World War II faded from memory. Several machines were brought to life in films like Tora, Tora, Tora and The Battle of Britain, re-enacting old, glorious battles and dogfights. The flying machines in those films caught the imagination of a small group, the spark that would start the warbird movement. It would be some two decades, however, before interest in World War II aircraft would attract the attention of the general public. Many people were captivated by these flying machines, exotic curiosities, now that most veteran aircraft were long gone. As interest in old warbirds grew, their value increased accordingly. The initial batch of World War II aircraft were found among private citizens who converted the old machines to crop dusting, firefighting, and search-and-rescue operations. More came from the air forces of poor nations looking to update their fleets, the most notable examples being the B-24 Liberators from India and F-4U Corsairs from Honduras. Enthusiast started to comb remote parts of the world, thick rainforests, high mountains, and deep oceans and lakes for old wrecks – once discarded trash – to rebuild and restore into showpieces. Hidden Warbirds, with veteran aviation writer and “wreck chaser” Nicholas Veronico at the helm, delves into five areas in which people with the interest and money ventured to find their project airplane.
Part One delves into the recovery and restoration of a Curtiss Helldiver, Douglas Dauntless, and Vought Vindicator (the sole survivor of its type), the last bearing the proud history of its pilots having been awarded Navy Crosses for their valor. Part Two takes us into the tropical rainforest of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea to recover a Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress, an incredibly rare Northrop P-61 Black Widow, and equally rare collection of Japanese fighters and bombers. This part of the book is the subject of great controversy; the Black Widow is genuine (I have witnessed the restoration of that aircraft at the Mid Atlantic Air Museum), but whether the aircraft built up from the remains of the Japanese machines can be considered genuine artifacts rather than reproductions is being hotly debated. Part Three takes us from the steamy tropics to the frozen north, where a Lockheed P-38 Lightning was recovered under the Greenland ice, and Martin B-26 Marauders and B-24 Liberators were found in the Alaskan Arctic wastes. Part Four covers some lucky finds, a P-51 Mustang in a garage, a Lockheed Harpoon on a deserted grass strip, and a very derelict B-17E in the woods behind the house of a scrap dealer – the old aircraft was too tough for modern implements of destruction to cut into bite-size pieces! Part Five, most astonishing of all, chronicles the recovery of entire fleets, either form the scrapyards of small Latin American countries that no longer needed their Mustangs and Corsairs to huge Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers stacked up on a compound like toys after they were used for target practice at the height of the Cold War (when, as has already been mentioned, nobody cared about these old warplanes). How many are still out there? To what extent will someone go to rebuild an aircraft from what not long ago was considered junk? Veronico also leaves us with an excellent bibliography for those who want to read further on this unusual subject, in books, magazines, or online. We will be treated to even more in a follow-up volume.
One of the great ironies of World War II is that the conflict involved an effort to build aircraft at a rate unprecedented in history. New planes kept rolling off lines in factories one across the US that used to make nearly every conceivable household good, one after the other, around the clock, as has been so well documented in The American Aircraft Factory in World War II. Then, at the War’s end, most of these aircraft were disposed of, huge junkyards covering vast areas, once mighty aerial knights, the pride of our nation’s aeronautical engineering and ingenuity, all waiting to be melted down into metal ingots, as was so ably documented by photographer William Larkins in Surplus World War II Aircraft. It is with several of these now classic photos that the story of Hidden Warbirds begins.
World War II was over. Society was enjoying newfound wealth; with so many bright and shiny things to enjoy, few gave much thought to aircraft that were now obsolete, old-fashioned relics of little use in the Atomic Age. The new bombers dwarfed even the best of what World War II had to offer. Gleaming jet fighters, silver bullets in the sky, flew faster than the speed of sound. Airliners offered the comforts of the fanciest hotels. Jetliners would do the same but at much higher speeds. With all this gleaming silver hardware, who could be bothered by rumbling, olive-drab anachronisms? The once-mighty aircraft of World War II faded from memory. Several machines were brought to life in films like Tora, Tora, Tora and The Battle of Britain, re-enacting old, glorious battles and dogfights. The flying machines in those films caught the imagination of a small group, the spark that would start the warbird movement. It would be some two decades, however, before interest in World War II aircraft would attract the attention of the general public. Many people were captivated by these flying machines, exotic curiosities, now that most veteran aircraft were long gone. As interest in old warbirds grew, their value increased accordingly. The initial batch of World War II aircraft were found among private citizens who converted the old machines to crop dusting, firefighting, and search-and-rescue operations. More came from the air forces of poor nations looking to update their fleets, the most notable examples being the B-24 Liberators from India and F-4U Corsairs from Honduras. Enthusiast started to comb remote parts of the world, thick rainforests, high mountains, and deep oceans and lakes for old wrecks – once discarded trash – to rebuild and restore into showpieces. Hidden Warbirds, with veteran aviation writer and “wreck chaser” Nicholas Veronico at the helm, delves into five areas in which people with the interest and money ventured to find their project airplane.
Part One delves into the recovery and restoration of a Curtiss Helldiver, Douglas Dauntless, and Vought Vindicator (the sole survivor of its type), the last bearing the proud history of its pilots having been awarded Navy Crosses for their valor. Part Two takes us into the tropical rainforest of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea to recover a Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress, an incredibly rare Northrop P-61 Black Widow, and equally rare collection of Japanese fighters and bombers. This part of the book is the subject of great controversy; the Black Widow is genuine (I have witnessed the restoration of that aircraft at the Mid Atlantic Air Museum), but whether the aircraft built up from the remains of the Japanese machines can be considered genuine artifacts rather than reproductions is being hotly debated. Part Three takes us from the steamy tropics to the frozen north, where a Lockheed P-38 Lightning was recovered under the Greenland ice, and Martin B-26 Marauders and B-24 Liberators were found in the Alaskan Arctic wastes. Part Four covers some lucky finds, a P-51 Mustang in a garage, a Lockheed Harpoon on a deserted grass strip, and a very derelict B-17E in the woods behind the house of a scrap dealer – the old aircraft was too tough for modern implements of destruction to cut into bite-size pieces! Part Five, most astonishing of all, chronicles the recovery of entire fleets, either form the scrapyards of small Latin American countries that no longer needed their Mustangs and Corsairs to huge Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers stacked up on a compound like toys after they were used for target practice at the height of the Cold War (when, as has already been mentioned, nobody cared about these old warplanes). How many are still out there? To what extent will someone go to rebuild an aircraft from what not long ago was considered junk? Veronico also leaves us with an excellent bibliography for those who want to read further on this unusual subject, in books, magazines, or online. We will be treated to even more in a follow-up volume.
August 29, 2015
Nicholas Veronico has done a service to those interested in the preservation of vintage military aircraft by chronicling the rescue and restoration of aircraft associated with World War II. Those who fought this war are leaving us at the rate of a thousand a day. The youngest of these veterans are now in their late 80s. Soon they will be gone, but thanks to the people Veronico features in this book, their memory will live on in the machines they flew and fought in during the world’s largest conflict. One of many of the book’s attractions is the beautiful color and black and white photos of these warbirds, giving the book coffee table credentials once one is done reading it.
Veronico devotes individual chapters to single or like aircraft. Every rescue and restoration of an aircraft is a story of adventure, persistence, and passion. Without the dedication and resources of a certain few, these aircraft would be lost forever. The story of Swamp Ghost, a B-17E bomber is illustrative. It belly landed in February 1942 in a remote part of New Guinea. Five decades later a group of individuals began salvage operations, which were very difficult and expensive, and were filled with excitement, danger, drudgery and ultimately success. Today Swamp Ghost is part of the Aviation Museum of the Pacific’s collection of aircraft at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It is being restored in the resting position that it was found in, in New Guinea. It will be a permanent reminder of that often forgotten theater of war’s veterans.
My favorite chapter involves Taigh Ramey’s rescue and restoration of a rare Navy PV-2D Harpoon. From an early age Taigh became involved with the rescue and restoration of vintage aircraft. He assisted his father, as part of a larger team, in the restoration and delivery of a B-29 bomber to England in his youth. His own business today is the restoration of vintage aircraft.
Taigh found the Harpoon on a ranch in northern California. It had been ‘resting’ there for sixteen years after being retired from fighting fires. Taigh’s crews repaired and refurbished the essential parts of the plane to get it airborne and flew it out to their home base at the Stockton, California airport. In the ensuing years Taigh has done an excellent job of restoring this aircraft to its original military configuration inside and out.
I have had the pleasure of seeing this aircraft on several occasions. Airshow goers generally don’t recognize it. The Harpoon and its immediate predecessor, the faster but less stable PV-1 Ventura, were the Navy’s only land based medium bombers. They fought World War II in the unheralded theaters of the Aleutian-north Pacific, the south and central Pacific, the Caribbean Sea, and the north, central, and south Atlantic. Often assigned anti-submarine patrol, these aircraft flew without fighter escort, protecting the flanks of the thrusts towards Japan in the Pacific and convoys feeding the war in Europe. Taigh’s efforts are memorializing the bravery of the officers and men who flew these planes over the vast oceanic battlefields of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Hidden Warbirds is filled with these types of stories. Chapters may be read in any order—each stands alone as a story. One of my next books will be Veronico’s sequel, highlighting a new series of warbird rescues and restorations.
Veronico devotes individual chapters to single or like aircraft. Every rescue and restoration of an aircraft is a story of adventure, persistence, and passion. Without the dedication and resources of a certain few, these aircraft would be lost forever. The story of Swamp Ghost, a B-17E bomber is illustrative. It belly landed in February 1942 in a remote part of New Guinea. Five decades later a group of individuals began salvage operations, which were very difficult and expensive, and were filled with excitement, danger, drudgery and ultimately success. Today Swamp Ghost is part of the Aviation Museum of the Pacific’s collection of aircraft at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It is being restored in the resting position that it was found in, in New Guinea. It will be a permanent reminder of that often forgotten theater of war’s veterans.
My favorite chapter involves Taigh Ramey’s rescue and restoration of a rare Navy PV-2D Harpoon. From an early age Taigh became involved with the rescue and restoration of vintage aircraft. He assisted his father, as part of a larger team, in the restoration and delivery of a B-29 bomber to England in his youth. His own business today is the restoration of vintage aircraft.
Taigh found the Harpoon on a ranch in northern California. It had been ‘resting’ there for sixteen years after being retired from fighting fires. Taigh’s crews repaired and refurbished the essential parts of the plane to get it airborne and flew it out to their home base at the Stockton, California airport. In the ensuing years Taigh has done an excellent job of restoring this aircraft to its original military configuration inside and out.
I have had the pleasure of seeing this aircraft on several occasions. Airshow goers generally don’t recognize it. The Harpoon and its immediate predecessor, the faster but less stable PV-1 Ventura, were the Navy’s only land based medium bombers. They fought World War II in the unheralded theaters of the Aleutian-north Pacific, the south and central Pacific, the Caribbean Sea, and the north, central, and south Atlantic. Often assigned anti-submarine patrol, these aircraft flew without fighter escort, protecting the flanks of the thrusts towards Japan in the Pacific and convoys feeding the war in Europe. Taigh’s efforts are memorializing the bravery of the officers and men who flew these planes over the vast oceanic battlefields of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Hidden Warbirds is filled with these types of stories. Chapters may be read in any order—each stands alone as a story. One of my next books will be Veronico’s sequel, highlighting a new series of warbird rescues and restorations.
August 28, 2016
I've read this book twice since receiving it (how is that for a recommendation?) and I can honestly say that it's interesting, well researched, and filled with immersive photographs.
Hidden Warbirds tells the life story of more than a dozen and a half aircraft from construction to loss, recovery to restoration. The author spares no available detail and gives the reader an additional rare insight into the many diverse challenges these unique archaeologists encounter in the course of the salvage and restorations.
By far the most gripping parts of the book for me were the stories of the battles that these planes were lost in, often times told from the perspectives of the pilots themselves. It added a special kind of depth and realism to each chapter that really captured my attention.
I would unreservedly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in World War II, military planes, or aircraft restoration.
Thank you Goodreads First Reads, and Zenith Press for giving me this book as well as a look at the fascinating passion of warbird restoration!
Hidden Warbirds tells the life story of more than a dozen and a half aircraft from construction to loss, recovery to restoration. The author spares no available detail and gives the reader an additional rare insight into the many diverse challenges these unique archaeologists encounter in the course of the salvage and restorations.
By far the most gripping parts of the book for me were the stories of the battles that these planes were lost in, often times told from the perspectives of the pilots themselves. It added a special kind of depth and realism to each chapter that really captured my attention.
I would unreservedly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in World War II, military planes, or aircraft restoration.
Thank you Goodreads First Reads, and Zenith Press for giving me this book as well as a look at the fascinating passion of warbird restoration!
February 16, 2015
Find, Recover, Restore
At the end of World War II, the United States had thousands of aircraft it no longer needed. Some were scrapped, some were sold to commercial enterprises and others were sold or given to foreign governments. As time passed, interest grew in these important historical relics and getting them became a competitive pursuit. Many of the most prized examples had become casualties of the war. They were out there, but under water, in ice or sitting in swamps.. This book tells the story of dedicated enthusiasts who search for, recover and restore these artifacts. Time, skill and money are necessary for success. Some of the stories are fascinating in two ways: how the plane got where it was found and the difficulties and danger in recovering it. The "Swamp Ghost" of New Guinea is a prime example. The book drags a bit at times, because there a sameness in how the planes are restored. Nevertheless, this is an important story well told.
At the end of World War II, the United States had thousands of aircraft it no longer needed. Some were scrapped, some were sold to commercial enterprises and others were sold or given to foreign governments. As time passed, interest grew in these important historical relics and getting them became a competitive pursuit. Many of the most prized examples had become casualties of the war. They were out there, but under water, in ice or sitting in swamps.. This book tells the story of dedicated enthusiasts who search for, recover and restore these artifacts. Time, skill and money are necessary for success. Some of the stories are fascinating in two ways: how the plane got where it was found and the difficulties and danger in recovering it. The "Swamp Ghost" of New Guinea is a prime example. The book drags a bit at times, because there a sameness in how the planes are restored. Nevertheless, this is an important story well told.
August 29, 2013
I love this book - a combination of Indiana Jones meets World War II aviation. Veronico, an expert in the aviation archaeology community, profiles some of the best and most iconic Warbirds that were lost during the war, as well as the story of their recoveries and restorations. There are tons of stories in here, including Swamp Ghost and Glacier Girl (the latter being the subject of a great NOVA documentary a few years ago). If you are a budding historian who loves the romance of WWII with the thrill of a good detective story, you will love this book.
November 3, 2014
This book was about different stories or warbirds bieng restored to flying or static display condition. This had many stories of how they found it some history on that aircraft and then how the restored. My favorite part of the book was when they were telling how they found glacier girl and how they restored it because this is one of my favorite planes to see. One connection I had with the book is that I have seen every one of this planes at oshkosh EAA Airventure. I would suggest this book to any kid who is in to airplanes because this is a great way to learn how they made them fly agian.
February 18, 2015
This book is well researched, but would appeal only to a very limited audience. I was expecting, hoping, for more information on the back stories. The stories he gave in detail will probably already be familiar to readers as they have been well documented through books and television documentaries. There is a lot of detailed information, which slows the story parts. That being said, I commend those who are recovering and preserving this piece of history and the author for continuing to bring their work to the public.
January 18, 2014
This is fascinating. I've seen some of the warbirds at Reading and Oshkosh. Reading about how they have been preserved is worth wading through all those numbers.
June 22, 2013
Couldn't put it down. Amazing how these planes have been saved.
July 14, 2019
Read this book if you are interested in learning about the culture of people and organizations which search and find historic aircraft wrecks of the Second World War. Better, read this book if you want to learn the back stories of the recovery of many of these warbird wrecks from WW II to flying status as well as becoming exhibits in museums. Best, read this book for the stories of the service personnel who died within or survived the crashes that wrecked these aircraft — often, incredible stories of survival after becoming stranded in the remotest of territories are part of each war wreck’s tale.
Nicholas Veronico is an accomplished writer and photographer. He has an easy and flowing writing style that is informative, as well as deeply knowledgeable, not only giving readers the facts but relating the history leading to the crashes and the people involved — as well as each aftermath. The cover photo on Hidden Warbirds is of the famous B-17E known as “Swamp Ghost” since it lay forgotten in a New Guinea swamp until rediscovered three decades later. The survival story of the crew is remarkable as is the tale, taking several years, of Swamp Ghost’s recovery. This recovery was no easy task since the aircraft was neither in water nor on dry land and miles from firm ground. Politics and a little bit of greed are also part of the saga of getting Swamp Ghost to the Pacific Aviation Museum.
The chapter on Swamp Ghost, about 15 pages, is worthy of a separate review due to Veronico’s writing and image quality (National Geographic in caliber). The other chapters in this book are equal in those qualities, as well. Aircraft recovery and restoration are not only covered in detail but the community of finders (wreck chasers) and restorers are each specifically discussed — who they are and the specialties they possess. Aside from the well done index and bibliography there is an extensive listing of museums and restoration outfits — more than enough to inspire as well as amaze readers with respect to the world of finding lost warbirds, recovering them, restoring them and even re-restoring them. We learn, too, that recovering and restoring a warbird is not a money making enterprise and not by a long shot.
Throughout the book Veronico tells readers amazing stories. Some of the stories told in Hidden Warbirds are (though there are many more):
A Douglas B-18 Bolo which unintentionally crash landed in Hawaii — and so remote it is only accessable by helicopter, even today
A North American F-6D Mustang (a photo reconnaissance aircraft based on the P-51D) and the surprisingly numerous differences between the F-6 and the P-51 though they are outwardly nearly identical. This aircraft is now the famous “Lil Margaret” which has flying status.
The challenges when recovering U.S. Air Force as opposed to U.S. Navy aircraft
Japanese aircraft recovery from jungles, Luftwaffe aircraft from lakes, USN aircraft from underwater and U.S. Army Air Force aircraft from within a glacier
Veronico also does what the best non-fiction authors do — he provides context as well as perspective. He tells us how warbird restoration began and evolved with the times including the influence of internet resources. He also describes how restoration, at first basic, became a craft of the highest order with incredible attention to detail and authenticity. This story is told by a person who has been there and can relate his knowledge in a gifted way. Nicholas Veronico finishes with an epilogue that will make most of this book’s readers jump up and look for the many more remaining Hidden Warbirds.
Nicholas Veronico is an accomplished writer and photographer. He has an easy and flowing writing style that is informative, as well as deeply knowledgeable, not only giving readers the facts but relating the history leading to the crashes and the people involved — as well as each aftermath. The cover photo on Hidden Warbirds is of the famous B-17E known as “Swamp Ghost” since it lay forgotten in a New Guinea swamp until rediscovered three decades later. The survival story of the crew is remarkable as is the tale, taking several years, of Swamp Ghost’s recovery. This recovery was no easy task since the aircraft was neither in water nor on dry land and miles from firm ground. Politics and a little bit of greed are also part of the saga of getting Swamp Ghost to the Pacific Aviation Museum.
The chapter on Swamp Ghost, about 15 pages, is worthy of a separate review due to Veronico’s writing and image quality (National Geographic in caliber). The other chapters in this book are equal in those qualities, as well. Aircraft recovery and restoration are not only covered in detail but the community of finders (wreck chasers) and restorers are each specifically discussed — who they are and the specialties they possess. Aside from the well done index and bibliography there is an extensive listing of museums and restoration outfits — more than enough to inspire as well as amaze readers with respect to the world of finding lost warbirds, recovering them, restoring them and even re-restoring them. We learn, too, that recovering and restoring a warbird is not a money making enterprise and not by a long shot.
Throughout the book Veronico tells readers amazing stories. Some of the stories told in Hidden Warbirds are (though there are many more):
A Douglas B-18 Bolo which unintentionally crash landed in Hawaii — and so remote it is only accessable by helicopter, even today
A North American F-6D Mustang (a photo reconnaissance aircraft based on the P-51D) and the surprisingly numerous differences between the F-6 and the P-51 though they are outwardly nearly identical. This aircraft is now the famous “Lil Margaret” which has flying status.
The challenges when recovering U.S. Air Force as opposed to U.S. Navy aircraft
Japanese aircraft recovery from jungles, Luftwaffe aircraft from lakes, USN aircraft from underwater and U.S. Army Air Force aircraft from within a glacier
Veronico also does what the best non-fiction authors do — he provides context as well as perspective. He tells us how warbird restoration began and evolved with the times including the influence of internet resources. He also describes how restoration, at first basic, became a craft of the highest order with incredible attention to detail and authenticity. This story is told by a person who has been there and can relate his knowledge in a gifted way. Nicholas Veronico finishes with an epilogue that will make most of this book’s readers jump up and look for the many more remaining Hidden Warbirds.
July 7, 2020
Have read several of this type book, so many of the names mentioned were familiar. After all, there's only so many people that go out, find these old derelicts, and bring them back. I really enjoyed the photography that accompanied the stories, and they really give you a sense of what absolute pieces of junk these guys can bring back and make use of. I am in awe of their drive, and their talents.
April 6, 2021
I very much enjoyed this offering. More stories of recovered warbirds, I'm frankly astounded at the amount of material left hidden in the jungles, swamps and forests of the world.
The photos included really showcase the wrecks and what they end up looking like.
The photos included really showcase the wrecks and what they end up looking like.
June 12, 2024
Interesting finds of WW II aircraft.
Want to read
March 2, 2025On page 42
September 21, 2013
This was amazing! Incredible where these planes are found and how they come to be restored. Realized I had seen quite a few of them. Amazing history. Loved it!
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