******
- Verified Buyer
The selling options for this book were "used" "very used" and so on. I wasn't expecting much when this package arrived, BUT this book was nearly perfect!! There was some creasing in the binding, so you could tell it wasn't new, but there was no damage to the pages, no markings of any kind, and even the dust jacket was impeccable. I had seen this publication a few years back and it was quite expensive. I can't say how delighted I was to get it for a cheaper price and in such great condition. The book itself is a wealth of information, and I can't tell you how happy I am with this purchaseAll the points previously made do hold, not sure I share the reservation on the book not having the 80's re-activation of the class, there is plenty of info online on that matter, we need more of the WWII period, which this book provides in plenty of detail.Graphically, this is the best reference modelers can find on Big Mo and her sisters. The plan profiles given are useful, although perhaps they could have been printed on fold-outs using a bigger scale, but hey, that's a minor nit-pick. Other than that perhaps more color profiles from Walkowiak such as the one on the cover and it would been THE reference on the Iowa class.The photograph selection is second to none, do wish some of them had been made larger, but the number given plus the depth of detail shown more than make up for it. Historical facts, service record, is only superficially covered, but based on the title of the book this wasn't the place for that. May I suggest the Paul Stillwell book, Battleship Missouri: An Illustrated History as the perfect companion to this book. Once in possession of both books and you will be set.The book includes most record, data and parameter one is expecting. The only downside is choosing USPS to deliver the book is not a pleasant for either seller or customer.Like the subject matter. Book is not what I wanted. This very same covered book in the library is twice as big and thick. Not as much detail.This was a fairly pricey book for me, but I had just bought a model kit of the ship and wanted to read about it and use the photos for detailing information. Another book I bought had a lot more human interest information and less about iron actual iron; this book had just what I wanted. Lots of history and many good pictures, etc. It had a lot of information about the design of the turrets and the internal problems in the Navy that that revealed.All in all, well worth the money to me.This is an excellent product. The gentlemen that collaborated on this product did a fantastic job of organization, research and writing an easy to read and informative publication. Worth the money and maybe more.This was a superb book on America's most famous class of battleships. I loved the detail into the design, the building, and the features of the Iowa class battleships. The book's description of the battleships armament, watertight compartments was excellent and I enjoyed this book. I had been looking for it for a long time.Do yourself a favor: if you really want to see what craftsmanship, precision, and quality can produce, read this book. Required reading for anyone who has ever put to sea, or has dreamed of the passion for distant horizons.Very interesting book ! The drawings are very accurate, the pictures are in very good quality and all of the ships from the Iowa class battleships are very well documented and illustrated. アイオワ級戦艦を俯瞰するための好著。船体や装備の説明にあたり、文章の他に写真とイラストが多用されている。写真は、大型の物が多く印刷も鮮明なものがほとんどである。キャプションも丁寧につけられているので、写真の状況も解りやすい。表紙カバーは、1944年5月から1945年１月までのミズーリで、このイラストも資料性が高い。 本書は、アイオワ級の装備体系の説明を中心としているので、４隻の個々の変遷についての記事は少なめであり、より詳細な事は別にあたる必要があるが、それでも４隻それぞれの代表的な時期の上面図と右側面図が1/700程度のスケールで記載されている。 艦船模型を趣味にしている者で、アイオワ級に関心を持ち始めた者や、製作にあたり、資料として写真の読取の訓練を行いたいと思う者にとって格好の１冊である。
