Stefan Terzibaschitsch books

[Johan]

Hello!

Any comments or views on the books by Stefan Terzibaschitsch? Mainly interested in Battleships of the US Navy in WWII and Aircraft Carriers of the US Navy...

Thank you very much for replying!

[maxim]

They give a nice overview about the ships, contain tables with changes in armament, electronics and camouflage patterns etc. The drawings are ok and there are many photos.

But they will not answer every question, e.g. in the cruiser book I found nothing about USS Chicago's fit during the Battle of Savo Island.

[Cliffy B]

I personally love all 3 of his books and find them to be great photo references. The line drawings are also very good but are bit more simplified than the ones you'd find in say, Friedman's books. That's mainly due to space and the fact that they are all drawn to a common 1/1200 scale in each book but they are still very detailed. He has photos for EVERY ship listed in each book and many are very good showing nice angles and close-ups. Many are from his personal collection so you won't find them anywhere else. Others are official USN photos that are only found in crappy low-res versions online. The charts in each of them are very informative and make for an easy quick reference. Task Force/Group assignments for the entirety of the war, Carrier Air Groups/Wings from 1920's to 1980's for EVERY carrier. Things like that make them golden for me. Yeah you may or may not be bale to find that info digging around the net, but I prefer to have it easy accessible on the bookshelf instead.

If you want to see what you'll be getting see if your local library has any copies or can order them for through an inter-library loan.

I'd highly recommend you get all 3; Cruisers, Battleships, and Carriers if for nothing else than the photos and drawings. The BB books covers the Montanas and the Lexington-Class Battlecruisers. The cruiser book covers the Omahas through to Long Beach with several of the obscure ones in between (like the Norfolk and the Atlanta conversion to a shock trials ship). The Carrier book covers CV-1 through CV-71.

[graham]

The Carrier books was reissued with more information on the later Nimits carriers there is also a book on CVEs "Escorts Carriers abd Avaiation Support Ships of the US Navy"
ISBN 0-8317-2979-1 1981 Conway Maritime Press
Worth every cent I paid for them

Graham

[Cliffy B]

Didn't know he did one on CVEs! Is it laid like the other CV book? What are the other "aviation support" ships the title mentions? Just Seaplane Tenders or more obscure types like the LSTs configured to launch observation planes for example? I'm looking around the net and there are several for cheap but I can't find any kind of a review of preview anywhere.


In reference to the Carrier book, make sure to get the SECOND EDITION from 1989 like Graham said, or else you'll miss info on the Nimitz-Class and possibly some other things.

[graham]

His CVE books is very like his CVA books, and most of the information I have never seen eleswere and the subject is not quite mainstream even more valuable than his books on CVA etc
the "Aviation Support Ships" sections is 32 pages with sections on
AKV Cargo Ships and transport Aircraft Ferries
APV Transports and Aicraft Ferries
ARV/ARV(E) ARVH - Aircraft helicopter repair Ships
AV/AVP/AVD - Seaplane tenders
AVB - Advance Avaition Base Ships
AVS Avaitation Supply Ships
Avt - Auxiliary Aircraft Transports

I couldn't see anythink on the LSTs

Graham

[Cliffy B]

Sounds like another winner! Just found for under $20 on Amazon, now its up to the mail man

[Dick J]

I have several of his books, and they are a valuable resource. However, he does make a few significant errors. The photos are good, but the drawings can not be used as "blueprints" for things like model making. Some of his ship-fit data, like the AA upgrades, should be verified through other sources before they are accepted as "gospel".

[ensign2547]

Have a number of his books, good research books with excellent photos, but typical line drawings, good for 1/1200, not good for 1/700 with no hull lines or deck level details.