Military Model Scene

Title: LandCraft 1, The Jeep

Author: Lance Cole

Publisher: Pen and Sword Books

ISBN: 978-1-52674-651-4

 

The first book in this new LandCraft book series, tackling military vehicles that are not tanks, as these are already featuring in the associated TankCraft series. These are good value softcover books, aimed squarely at the modellers though of interest to a wider range of military vehicle enthusiasts. Fitting perhaps that the first book in the series features perhaps the most recognisable military vehicle of WW2, the Jeep.  Used in all theatres of war and manufactured in vast numbers as well as yet more being built after the war.

Following the Introduction that kicks things off, then we get the story of the Development & Design of this light 4x4 vehicle, the predecessor of the huge range of modern civilian 4x4 SUVs that so many of drive today. Next is s section that describes the Jeep in Detail, so we get to see the little details that identify Jeeps from early to later variants and the different manufacturers, mainly Willys and Ford, with the section being split so the final couple of pages follows on after the Model Products element. So, then we have a section of 9 pages of good colour artwork, illustrating a good mix of variants and colour schemes and these lead nicely into a Model Showcase, with 4 different 1/35 Jeep builds, all expertly finished. This leads quite naturally into a section on Model Products, 7 pages covering the various Jeep models/accessory sets which are on the market and in a mix of scales, especially in 1/35 and 1/72.

The final two sections cover the Jeep In Service & In Action and Second World War Jeep Variants. These are quite short sections but bearing in mind the potential information on these topics, these give a useful summary that does what it needs to for the modeller that this book is aimed at.  I should add at this point that the book is well illustrated throughout, with archive photos as well as a lot showing restored Jeeps which are around in large numbers even now.

A good value book which is a good start to the new LandCraft series from Pen & Sword and author Lance Cole has made a very nice job of it I think.

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Thanks to Pen and Sword for this review copy.

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Robin