Warplanes of the Second World War - William Green
 

I have vols 1-10 but it looks as if the series stopped with Vol 10 Bombers Germany

Does anyone know if he ever finished the series ? Missing the UK and USA leaves a big hole in what was/is a handy-dandy set of reference books.............. :(:(

william Green
 

I have 1-10, the UK is in Vol-2 and USA in Vol-4 :)

Fighters 1-4 Complete

Flying Boats 5

Floatplanes 6

Bombers 7-10 stops at Germany .................

H.H. No that series did not go beyond Vol 10. Jack Bruce was running a parallel series for WW1 and got up to Vol 4 (Fighters), Vol 5 was announced but I don't think it ever came out.
According to Jack at the time, the book series was becoming uneconomical for Macdonalds to continue . A shame as they were a good handy reference.

Vol 5 was printed l have copy. I have all 5 plus the 10 ww2. Pity the series was abandoned.

I wonder if he ever finished the writing|? If so it might be possible to find some way of publishing them...........

I have all 10 but checking Google today they're all available from different sources (in varying conditions) but shop around - prices vary enormously - in the USA they are very high indeed

ericferret . You are right of course! I've just realised I do have it off the shelf at the minute for modelling a Morane Parasol.
I was getting confused with the WW2 series , since in the end paper of this volume ( WW1 Vol5) is a reference to Bill Green's War Planes of the Second World War :
" In preparation:
Volumes 11-12 Bombers and Reconnaissance Aircraft (Gt.Britain to Italy)

Followed by other volumes dealing with the remaining combat aircraft in alphabetical order of the countries."

These were the ones of the WW2 series that didn't appear of course.

The WW1 Vol5 back dust jacket also states with reference to that series:

"Subsequent volumes will deal with fighter aircraft of other nations,followed by additional volumes on bombers, reconnaissance aircraft,seaplanes and flying boats,and miscellaneous types."

Wow, had those as a kid, but long gone with family break-ups various!

Great series and compulsive reading as a kid.

You think they'd have stretched to Vol 11 GB & Italy wouldn't you.........

Bombers
 

I never realised that the Bombers are missing, Doh LOL

So it was economics.... I had combined Christmas and birthday presents to secure the first ten volumes so I was not a happy bunny when I realized that there were to be no more. They were 15/- apiece, I think, which was quite steep given their page count and small format.

but packed with info ....quite how he did so much research is beyond me - in the pre-internet age as well

My only gripe was /is he spends almost as much space on documenting a version that maybe was a single copy as he did on the versions that were produced in the hundreds

True, but do remember that he had also written the earlier ( and more expensive) "Famous Fighters/Famous Bombers of the Second World War" books,also published by Macdonalds.

William Green was also resposible for The Observer's Book of Aircraft series published by Frederick Warne.

My collection has most of the prints & reprints from the initial issue in 1952 up the 1991/2 issue. Does anybody know if there were any more issues? I had a standing order at a book shop who told me at the time that it was the final one.

Tengah Type.
Although 1952 is commonly accepted as the first edition, ( the first by Green and Pollinger) it was not . A clue is in the Preface opening line ..: This new edition of The Observers Book of Aircraft
Before this and also published by Frederic Warne was an original in 1942 with a revised edition in 1949 by Joseph Lawrence in the common size in which he states "This edition is almost new book........"
Then the November 1952 edition is subsequently adopted as the first edition and all goes logically up to the "Eighth (1960) edition :January 1960.
Then one year later we have the Tenth edition of January 1961. I have not seen a ninth edition. The series then runs on with annual editions up to the last edition I have ,which is the fortieth edition in 1992 dubbed "1992/93" on the cover. Although I never saw any since I gather that a German edition might have continued the line ...

Haraka

Likewise no Ninth edition and missing the Final(?) edition.

However I do have a four edition set of " Aircraft Identification friend or foe? "
Revised edition, produced by " The Aeroplane " magazine in Dec 1940 to Jul 1941.It is in a similar format, with photographs and silhouettes.

It includes the Heinkel He 113 " which has shown itself to be faster and much more manoeuvrable than the Me 109, but has been shot down by Hurricanes and Spitfires ".

I think you have hit upon an element of continuity there as the 1949 "Observers " pays tribute to Aeroplane for illustrations and "the outline sketches showing them from three different angles".
The He 113 saga is officially explained, although I have chatted with one BoB pilot who swore he engaged one off Northern England. His is one of a number of accounts. I do wonder sometimes about possible semi-official operational evaluation, but there is no firm evidence.
However:
"Absence of evidence does not necessarily indicate evidence of absence" :)

May I add, now re reading my 1949 edition that,as a curio it has some merit. As a source of reference however it is worse than useless. Perhaps as a result of WW2 restrictions both illustrations and 3 Views are way out of date.Hump backed P-47s, early Mustangs,Flying boat Catalinas, Mk1 Halifaxes etc.etc. What did strike me was the erroneous plan view of the Lockheed Shooting Star with a lovely wing with only L/E sweepback. As faithfully copied with the Dinky toy model of my childhood!!
Incidentally,on a technicality,the 1949 edition was the first Observers "Aeroplanes": the earlier editions being dubbed "Airplanes" ( what???!!!!)
When you read the later volumes of "Aircraft of the Fighting Powers" a few of these errors seem to be irregular to say the least .

I have a (much-loved) Dumpy Book of Air Forces of the World from 1957 - quite a bit of useful text especially on early missiles........

I think we are getting into serious thread drift here. Like H.H. I still have my Dumpy books from the 50's along with many others. Perhaps somebody might like to start discussing influential Aviation books from childhood as a History and Nostalgia thread?