Hot Skies Over Yemen Volume 2 Book Review
By David L. Veres
| Date of Review | August 2019 | Title | Hot Skies Over Yemen Volume 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Tom Cooper | Publisher | Helion |
| Published | 2018 | ISBN | 9781911628187 |
| Format | 84 pages, softbound | MSRP (USD) | $29.95 |
Review
Enrich your understanding of a major flashpoint in Hot Skies Over Yemen, Volume 2 – 14th in Helion’s vital “Middle East@War” series.
Subtitled “Aerial Warfare Over Southern Arabian Peninsula, 1994-2017”, format follows author Tom Cooper’s proven prescription.
After addenda and errata to Volume 1, coverage commences with an illuminating “Geo-Political Backgrounds” chapter – followed by five sections charting combat through 2017.
With Yemen’s complex, convoluted combatants, readers can dispute details and question conclusions. But broad perspective counts. And Tom Cooper deftly distills and delineates key warring blocs – and surveys issues from multiple, major vantage points.
These include Yemeni factions, Saudi-assembled Arab coalition forces, and external interests. “Houthi” elements enjoy special attention.
And like all Helion “@War” titles, military equipment – notably the broad range of participating warplanes, UAVs, and missiles – take center stage.
Yemeni MiG-29SMs. Saudi Typhoons. UAE Mirage 2000s. Kuwaiti F/A-18Cs. Chinese Ch-4 drones. Even Sudanese Su-24Ms.
How about those IOMAX AT-802 light-strike machines?
It’s full of fascinating facts, too. Seeking to extend the range of R-17 Scud surface-to-surface missiles? Check here.
Dozens of rare photos season the study. Author Cooper’s 20 superb color profiles will stimulate your modeling muse. And three maps help chart actions.
Extended, explanatory captions and combat commentary also augment the account. And references, tables, abbreviations, and endnotes complete coverage.
But not all acronyms appear in the authors’ list. Some transliterations from Arabic look suspect. And some intriguing photos reproduce so small or grainy that details effectively vanish.
Also, what does “destroyed by the Saudi-led to coalition of left to rot” mean? And reasonable researchers can disagree about the influence of Iran and its proxy Hezbollah [sic: Hizballah] on events.
None of these nitpicks diminishes Cooper’s superb study. Make both Hot Skies volumes your handbooks on Yemen’s almost endless fighting.
My sincere thanks to Casemate Publishing for this review sample!