Read the review here

Flying in Ireland

Norman Franks is a well-known, respected and authoritative author on military aviation, so any book from him is to be welcomed.

This is a thought-provoking little book, if you didn’t know much about ASR before reading it, you will find it highly instructive.

Ulster Aviation Society

The book follows the same layout as all of the Images of war books that I have read and done a review on, though this one is as much more for me with one of my grandfathers having flown Lysanders, before being posted to the Royal Naval Air Service and training on various aircraft including some time on the Supermarine Walrus in a search and rescue capacity for the RNAS before being posted to a Seafire squadron in the Mediterranean. The book does flow from start to finish with superb pictures and great captions and covers a lot about the history of some of the bravest men in the world.
I do for me, at least, this is one of the best books in the series of Images of War that I have read and reviewed just so much information written superbly by author Norman Franks
a credit to Pen and Sword for publishing such a great book.

Read the full review here

Armorama

reviewed by John Deamer

Model Boats, July 2019

Familiar names like the sea mine hopping Australian Tod Hilton, the ubiquitous Tom Fletcher of 277 Squadron RAF, and the legendary kiwi Arnold Divers, who completed many rescues with 283 Squadron RAF in the Med, regularly pop up and their adventures are supported by an (expected) impressive selection of photographs.
It is perfect for a first look at the ASR.

Flightpath Magazine

If you like the Supermarine Walrus and plan to build one of the upcoming Aifix 1/48 scale kits this book will be a great companion.

FineScale Modeler magazine, March 2017

One of the advantages of the Walrus which is clearly illustrated is not just the ability for it to rescue bomber crews just as well as single or twin seat types. It coped well with operating from land bases, on its' undercarriage, just as well as on the water and of course was good for the pilot to fly. The pictures illustrate the aircraft well, and it is worth giving a reminder that the one on display at the RAF Museum Hendon is a worthy representative that saved many lives of valuable, highly trained airmen. Maybe not glamorous but the work of the Air Sea Rescue units during the war was invaluable so this makes for a good reminder, with a number of photos that will provide potential inspiration for modellers as well.
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Read the full review here.

Military Model Scene, Robin Buckland

The compiler of this book is a prolific author, who has written mainly on aspects of Coastal Command during the Second World War. The title of the book is a little misleading, as the photographs contained within focus on the Walrus aircraft, and the squadrons and men who flew these ungainly amphibians, and does not cover the wider R.A.F. Air-Sea Rescue organisation during the war. Having said that, it does not invalidate the purchase of this book, as the photographs and accompanying text is very informative and interesting.

The book comprises photographs that I have not seen before in print. They convey a good coverage of the role of the Walrus, and the operations it undertook rescuing airmen from the sea throughout the six years of the war. There are seven chapters, each commence with a precis of the operations of the period being covered. The chapters cover the war chronologically, and include the Mediterranean and Italian theatres.

In conclusion, I found this book very interesting and informative. The text is written well, and includes personal aspects as well as significant operations. It has been added to my collection with pleasure, and I recommend it to anyone interested in this neglected area of Coastal Command during the Second World War.

British Military History, Rob Palmer

The Images of War series is always a visual delight, displaying some of the rarest images available, many seen for the
first time by the public. This addition to the series maintains this very high visual standard and covers a subject that has received very
little coverage in print before. Strongly Recommended.

Read the full review here.

Firetrench

Images of War – the RAF Air Sea Rescue Service in World War two was a worthwhile read, with a good collection of photographs focusing on the aircraft used by the air sea rescue service, their crew and the people that they rescued from the sea over the course of World War Two.

The writing is of good quality, the content appropriate, and the first two and last chapters enjoyable reading. The chapters in the middle of the book focus on describing a number of the rescues carried out, and while the content (and the authors command of the subject) are excellent, the delivery felt a bit ‘list like’, with the flow of writing weighed down somewhat by the authors’ insistence (no doubt from admirable intentions of not omitting people from the book) on listing the names of many of the individuals involved.

Overall a comfortable recommendation for those interested in the subject – a quality edition to the library.

Dave Long