FirstRead  

AK Interactive has released an updated and extended edition of their Real Colors of WWII book released in 2017. It describes the camouflage development and colours of German, Soviet, US and British army vehicles during WWII.

This Limited Edition title is presented in 228 full-colour glossy pages enclosed between hard covers. It certainly looks like a high-quality package.

The list of Authors is very impressive – Steve Zaloga, Mike Starmer, Johannes Denecke, Przemyslaw Skulski and Jurgen Kiroff.

The book is divided into four standalone sections:

• German Army Colours and Camouflage by Johannes Denecke and Jurgen Kiroff  – 86 pages

• Soviet Military Vehicle Colours in the Second World War by Przemyslaw Skulski – 30 pages

• British Army Vehicle Colours 1934-1945 by Mike Starmer – 42 pages

• US Military Vehicle Colours of the Second World War by Steven Zaloga – 49 pages

Each of the sections are supported by beautifully reproduced wartime colour and black and white photos plus large attractive side profiles. The pages are also scattered with reproductions of supporting documentation.

Body text is broken down into logical and easily digestible chunks. Captions are useful.

Colour samples are also included. These are not actual paint chips, but the publisher claims that their reproduction is checked and calibrated as far as current printing technology will allow. Personally, I always take printed colour samples with a grain of salt, but the many colour photos will also offer an excellent indication of the real colours.

It is not surprising that the German section dominates the content considering the diversity of colour schemes and applications, but the other three sections cover their subjects admirably too.

AK Interactive’s Real Colors of WWII Armor – New 2nd Extended and Updated is a high quality publication with a stellar range of authors.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Thumbnail panels:

It will be a useful one-stop introduction to this very broad subject that will be especially appealing to modellers with plenty of inspiration by way of the profiles and wartime colour photos.

Thanks to AK Interactive for the sample.