"Dora's of the Galland Circus"
By Jerry Crandall

ISBN 0-9660706-2-3

MSRP $28.00
72 Pages

The colorful, red and white striped long nosed 190's of JV-44 have long been a favorite of modelers. Now, they are the subject of the first book in the "Eagle Files" series by Jerry Crandall.

The first section of this book numbering some 45 pages, takes a good look at the Doras of JV44, and the men that flew them. Very well illustrated, the first 45 pages of this book is crammed full with over 30 black and white photographs covering the 4 JV-44 Doras and their pilots, some of which have never been published before now. For each aircraft, there is a discussion about the interpretations of the colors and markings used, and whatever history is known about each of the pilots and machines.

There are 9 plates of color illustrations by Thomas A. Tullis. These plates include top, bottom, right and left side views of "Rot 1", top, bottom, and left side views of "Rot 3" and "Rot 13" and right and left side views of "Rot 4". For me, these color plates alone were worth the price of the book!   This book is an excellent companion to the Eagle Cals decals #48-14, and #72-14, both sheets cover all four of the Doras that are featured in this book.

The remainder of the book contains some photos of the Ainring airfield, and some of the other aircraft that were found there after the war. On the back page, are some modern day photos of the area around Ainring, and some of the wartime structures that are still standing.

If you are a fan of late war Luftwaffe aircraft, you will enjoy this book for the photos. It should inspire you to grab a 190D kit and head to the workbench!

Review by:
Steve Stohr
Associate Editor