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Best Aviation Pictorials

Aircraft: The Definitive Visual History
Aviation enthusiasts of all stripes and ages will welcome learning more about key brands and big players from yesterday and today — whether it's the marvels of hot air balloons or the fantastic engines of Boeing, Lockheed, and more. DK's aim is to inform, enrich, and entertain readers of all ages, and everything DK publishes, whether print or digital, embodies the unique DK design approach. DK acts as the parent company for Alpha Books, publisher of the Idiot's Guides series and Prima Games, video gaming publishers, as well as the award-winning travel publisher, Rough Guides.
Reviews
"I purchased this book as a gift for a family member, they really love the book and the pictures within it."
"I purchased this for an ex pilot and air force retiree, he loved it!!"
"This was a gift for my brother in law, he loved i!"
"This is a very well done biography of aviation."
"DK encyclopedias rule."
"Nice book for your bookcase."
"Covers the entire history of flight including a lot of non American planes."
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Moonshots: 50 Years of NASA Space Exploration Seen through Hasselblad Cameras
Moonshots presents stunning photos of space and Earth from NASA’s archives - taken by Gemini, Apollo, Space Shuttle, and ISS astronauts using high resolution Hasselblad cameras. Piers Bizony is an experienced multimedia professional that has written about science and the history of technology for a wide variety of publishers worldwide, and has undertaken major projects for the media departments at NASA and ESA.
Reviews
"Very well put together book with some great photography."
"Really a nicely curated collection of NASA photography not just from the Apollo missions but from the Space Shuttle and ISS as well."
"This book is unbelievably beautiful."
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Building the P-51 Mustang: The Story of Manufacturing North American's Legendary WWII Fighter in Original Photos
The P-51 Mustang holds a fascination unlike any other World War II aircraft, and countless books have been written about nearly every aspect of the Mustang's colorful history.
Reviews
"It is a great honor to be able to put names and faces behind all the hard work that made the P-51 a possibility, and everyone is included in the managerial level, and had it been possible, I believe the author would have included the names of each and every North American Aviation employee that contributed to the making of the Mustang (there is even a picture of the 10,000th Mustang made that was signed by all of the production line workers, then sent overseas!!)."
"As the author writes that many good books exist (and some poor ones too), this is a MUST for any Mustang lover/aficionado/fan-atic. If you are looking for fighter group history and air battles, you must go elsewhere to collect information (like the Osprey series)."
"One of O'Learys -- who in his earlier efforts tended toward the sensational 'pop' perspective on aircraft history -- best efforts."
"A unique and fascinating look at the actual production of the P-51 illustrated with mostly high quality photos taken by factory photographers."
"Albeit black & white original photos, the photos are of amazing quality and are very comprehensive."
"Absolutely mind boggling!"
"Great pictures and details."
"The P-51D has been my personal favorite, but to see the assembly of this great fighter down to the minor details, makes this the book to have!"
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Best Helicopters

Principles of Helicopter Flight
Recently updated, this comprehensive handbook explains the aerodynamics of helicopter flight, as well helicopter maneuvers, unlike many aviation training manuals which are strictly how-to guides. W. J. Wagtendonk is a retired flight instructor and a former pilot in the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Reviews
"To be honest, read it slow because the concepts are difficult for some to understand."
"This is a good book for anyone wanting to become familiar with the in depth "nuts and bolts" of helicopter flight."
"I fly radio controlled helicopters and wanted to understand the principles of flight plus some flight characteristics that baffled me."
"Excellent info but cheaply made, the pages started coming out on the first use."
"Anyone looking at taking helicopter flight lessons or just wanting to further your knowledge, this is a great book."
"I used this prior to Army Aviation School, and it provides a good solid foundation prior to getting down to the school."
"The book dives deep into the physics and science of rotorcraft flight."
"You can get this at the Library, but the presenter did a nice job of getting it to Kindle format- very good technical book."
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Best Ship Pictorials

Tugboats Illustrated: History, Technology, Seamanship
Whether maneuvering ships out from between tight harbor finger piers, pushing rafts of forty barges up the Mississippi, towing enormous oil rigs, or just delivering huge piles of gravel to a river port near you, tugs exude a sense of genial strength guided by the wise experience of their crews. From the deck layout of a nineteenth-century sidewheel tug to the mechanics of barge towing―whether by humans, mules, steam or diesel engines―to the advantages of various types and configurations of propulsion systems, to the operation of an oil rig anchor-handling tug/supply vessel, Tugboats Illustrated is a comprehensive tribute to these beloved workhorses of the sea and their intrepid crews. Paul Farrell, an architect with a lifelong enthusiasm for tugboats and the working waterfront, has spent twenty-five years writing and researching his first book.
Reviews
"But this gem of a book is about tugs in the US as well as elsewhere."
"I thought it would be similar to other transportation related books by this publisher and consist of a large number of well-composed high quality photos of tugs and their operations with substantive supporting text. The photographs, most of which are in color, depict very few tugs in their entirety thereby not providing a very good overview of how tugboats evolved and how those used by different companies differed."
"This book goes into more detail regarding tugboat operations than any other book I have run across."
"The images are awesome, and it's chock-full of information about tugboats."
"I thought the pictures of the men working on the OSV's were great because they show the immensity and scale of man against nature."
"Very good coffee table book for the tugboat fan!"
"Delightful book for a tug affectionado."
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Best Railroad Pictorials

Train: The Definitive Visual History (Dk Smithsonian)
Featuring amazing images of trains, virtual tours of engines, and profiles of key innovators, designers, and engineers, Train: The Definitive Visual History traces the history of the railroad and the role of trains, from the first steam engines to today's high speed bullet trains.
Reviews
"A must for train lovers."
"Beautifully illustrated book on trains."
"I bought it for my 34 year old husband for Christmas and he loves it."
"My grandson loves this book."
"3 year old loves "reading" the book and learning about trains."
"Great photo's of high detail."
"Cool book, I got it for my dad."
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Best Motorcycle Pictorials

Harley-Davidson: The Complete History
Additionally, there are chapters from some of the most celebrated motorcycle writers of all time--Peter Egan, Kevin Cameron, Ed Youngblood, Allan Girdler, Steve Anderson, and many more. All of this material combines to tell the story of every major motorcycle that Harley-Davidson has built, from the very first prototype to the Silent Gray Fellow to the latest liquid-cooled CVO Electra Glides and Softails. Darwin Holmstrom has written, co-written, or contributed to over thirty books on subjects ranging from motorcycles and muscle cars to Gibson Les Paul guitars, including Indian Motorcycles , GTO: Fifty Years , Let's Ride: Sonny Barger's Guide to Motorcyclying , Top Muscle: The Rarest Cars from America's Fastest Decade , BMW Motorcycles , The Life Harley-Davidson , and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles .
Reviews
"Got this for my Harley loving dad and he LOVED it!"
"they glossed over a lot."
"a gift for my father."
"Awesome coffee table book and collectable for any Harley Davidson fan."
"Bought as a gift."
"This is a great book for the Harley fan."
"Loved this book."
"I purchased this as a gift for my father-in-law."
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Best Automotive Pictorial Books

The Complete Book of Corvette - Revised & Updated: Every Model Since 1953 (Complete Book Series)
From that first 1953 ’Vette to the brand-new 2014 Corvette Stingray—the triumphant culmination of Chevrolet’s longstanding sports car expertise— The Complete Book of Corvette pays tribute to one of America’s proudest sports car traditions and the innovative company behind it.
Reviews
"Christmas gift for my 11 year old son."
"Beautiful high quality, colorful book!"
"Lot's of Corvette information and updated from the last edition."
"Great all encompassing book on the Corvette!"
"Nice book lots of great pictures."
"Excellent corvette history book."
"Great history on Corvettes!"
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