I'd like to say good things about this book, I really would, since Peter C. Smith collected a great deal of Japanese material in the process of putting this book together. However, I can't say that this book was really written so much as being assembled, in that as a narrative it's rather weak.

Not helping matters is that there are quite a few statements that seem rather dubious on reflection, such as referring to how US "Task Force 37" had more anti-aircraft firepower than all of Great Britain. Not only is no source for this factoid offered, but there's also the small matter known to most students of the period that the fast carrier strike force was referred to as Task Force 38 or Task Force 58 depending on what command staff was assigned. There are really rather too many statements like that for my comfort in this book.

Part of the problem is that in writing a book just about the Aichi D3A, Smith probably limited himself too much. He should really written a book about the whole war-time career of the Japanese dive bomber squadrons, whether equipped with the "Val" or its replacement the Yokosuka D4Y "Judy."

So if you're looking for a book on this topic, you would probably be better off settling for Osamu Tagaya's new Osprey booklet on the "Val." On the basis of his companion Osprey work on the Mitsubishi G4M land-based bomber, he has more of a knack for narrative and is less given to superciliousness and bombast. ( )