Fiat CR.32 1935-1943 Book Review
By David L. Veres
| Date of Review | November 2012 | Title | Fiat CR.32 1935-1943 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | N/A | Publisher | La Bancarella |
| Published | 2010 | ISBN | N/A |
| Format | 80 pages, softbound | MSRP (Euro) | 20.00€ |
Review
Perhaps more than any other Italian aircraft design, the CR.32 symbolized Fascist military might in the 1930's.
A principal protagonist of Spain's bloody civil war, FIAT's lithe little fighter performed ground-attack, training and night-interceptor tasks with Italy's Regia Aeronautica during World War II.
First installment in La Bancarella's new Immagini series, Fiat CR.32 1935-1943 sports over 200 spectacular shots across 80 pithy pages. Contents chronologically course from initial employment through combat in Spain and WWII to second-line service. And bi-lingual Italian-English captions capably tell the tale.
Most images appear previously unpublished. And some proved patently provocative. That 1936 shot of an early Italian CR.32 in Spanish roundels, for instance, nearly gave me whiplash!
Gremlins sometimes skulk this sumptuous study. At the earliest point of Italy's intervention in Spain, that 1936 cockade might have actually mimicked Republican colors. And that's an Argentine "NA-16" – not "Hawk 57O" (sic: "Hawk 75O") – on page 12
But I quibble. La Bancarella's photo volume clearly mined for archival gold – and hit a mother lode. Regia Aeronautica enthusiasts will love this ripping reference.
Robustly recommended!
My sincere thanks to La Bancarella for this review sample!