Hello,

Fresh from the oven my latest review of the most amazing book ever published about AFV colors. This new release from AK Interactive is the most comprehensive and detailed document ever made for us, modellers and war era lovers. Take a look at the full review at Michigan Toy Soldier Store Blog and prepare to be amazed !! There's nothing like this book out there...



Check out the full review on the link below :

https://michtoy-from-the-front.blogspot.com.br/2018/02/trench-runner-dispatch-julian-conde.html

The book is a limited edition, hand signed and checked each copy for color accuracy before leaving the factory. The book is printed with a 4% error tolerance from the real color.

























Don't miss this one !

Best
Julian

www.michtoy.com

I notice that this review makes no mention of the comments of one of its contributors, Mike Starmer (whose previous professional career seems of limited relevance in the context of his knowledge of British colours), who reported that much of his contribution was omitted and replaced by ‘rubbish’:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/433829/thread/1510297886/1/Ak+interactives+book+and+colors+vs+Mig

Would that not be relevant to a review of a book which purports to be the definitive work on the subject of colours for several nations? Were the other contributors treated better? Does it tell us anything about the commitment to proper research?

I don’t know as I haven’t bought it but if I read a review I’d expect some critical evaluation of the validity of the contents, given the marketing hype. Then again, I may be unusual.

This isn't so much a review as it is a promotional ad for the book, especially considering the poster is an employee of Michigan Toy Soldier.

Can't sell copies if you highlight the bad points. Owning a copy myself, I can tell you the written portions needed better proofing for errors but I can live with that--it's the pics I wanted.

Also I have a copy of this book, is it a good book? ... yep! ... done very well, but but ....i quote the 2 comments above ... it's not perfect,and if one of the authors says so, say's all, I would have preferred or a bigger book or few pages more,maybe less dedicated to Germans and I would have added the Italians,and 'some more page' to the allies.

Also like always happen they have forgotten the Japanese, the PTO as usual is totally forgotten,but in a book of "Real Colors of WW2" should be part of it or you can call "Real Colors of ETO"

So it is the super-book comparable to the bible, that if you do not buy it you will make the second biggest mistake of your life after the marriage with your first wife ?!?! .... nah .... but it is definitely a good book

As far as I’m concerned, there is an ‘elephant in the room’, which either no-one has noticed, or no-one is mentioning...

And that is that these are not the ‘real colours of WW2’. How so?

These are the colours of seventy+ year old objects, whose intervening history is probably uncertain... So the colours have had all that time to age, fade, weather and what have you. As to what colour any of the objects were, originally, it’s pretty much anybody’s guess. This book can’t tell you, and nor can anyone else... Unless someone out there has the exact formula for how to mix (say) Dunkelgelb, from the ‘right’ set of chemicals in the right proportions.

That said, it looks like a lovely book, full of pictures of fascinating things! I’m very tempted!

Unless you have read the introduction explaining the research done, or the pedigree of the men asked to contribute to this book, then you are hardly in a position to judge their findings. Suffice it to say that time does not change everything.

Just to Clarify, I am not a paid employee of Michtoy. I am a writer / contributor for them that lives exactly 5.125 miles away from the store (São Paulo - Brazil / Michigan - USA) and the opinion I gave is mine alone. I wish I could live by reviews and earning money with the hobby. But it's just a hobby, for me at least. I am happy to contribute by writing reviews, makings tests and showing content. I have 20+ years of Modeling so I know a thing or two, and I can relate to seeking information about new products and releases.

Now, I did not know about the problems related to the British color and the author (can someone prove that the comment was made by the man himself, and not a fake profile / account with a real guy named Bubba who loves peanut butter and unicorns ?), either way, I won't be looking for other people's words on a product, since I am able to give my own. If the author has an issue, he should go public and we all could be aware of, not a single comment on a forum page. If they made him wrong, he should get his rights, and do it properly, and hopefully clarify what could be actually wrong with the book.

Based on my own experience with research (Books, Panzer colors, Web, and federal standard catalogue) this book was a amazing piece of education. So much that I wrote about in a honest, real hobbyist point of view. 99% of the pictures I've never seen, and 80% of the paint facts (There are scans of real documents on the books) that gave the instructions to paint vehicles in the war I was not aware of. I would never imagined that so much detail and precision were in place, specially for Germany. If the color did not match from one city to another at the time, one brand to another, one factory to another, that's another ballgame, the instructions and guidelines were precise and real. These 4 guys (Authors) know more about war paint than all of us combined. This is a fact.
I respect Mr. Zaloga as much as Tony Greenland, John Rosengrant, Shepard Payne and such memorable Gods of our hobby.

So, if a good brand (AK - key player in the hobby) puts money, effort, and brings 4 authorities on board, they get a amazing book out and impressed me, a regular joe, that had the chance to write about it in a blog, they got a happy customer. One thing that was missing about this book so far, was detailed photos and reviews on the web, showing the extensive content, so we can judge if our U$90,00 should be spent on it. Based on that fact I went for a long, complete review of it. Again, my words, my expectations and what I think of it. For me it is a amazing book, and I am happy to have it. Having a chance to review such a great book was a privilege.

About the method used for color capture, yes, they are all old, weathered samples, but yes, these guys know the perfect formula for Dunkelgelb, combining expertise, instructions/documents and expensive precision machines to measure it. They are not making a book this complex out of the blue.

So, if my reviews (past and future) are not welcome here, because they look like a paid ad, let me know, so I can keep myself away. Even tough when something looks bad (product reviewed) I say it out loud. There is no room for guessing how I make my reviews, so I laid it as it is.

Best,
Julian

I think you did a fine review of the book. Enough so that I ordered one. For everyone else, it was a review of a book done by someone who was glad they read it. The book is not perfect, I didn't see where that was said. I do believe AK will probably put out another addition with other theaters as a focus. Will there be a perfect color swatch? I dought it. However the more samples of the same colors you can compare, the closer you get to an acceptable average. Real life you had some color variations due to different manufacturers and fading caused by UV light. To the authors work I have little fault. Grumbles might be aimed at the editors if the work was not published in its entirity. But that is not the issue of the reviewer.

Julian, I guess your nickname here and the banner on your footer lead to think you work somehow for Michigan Toy shop. If you say you are only a contributor, which is mentioned also on the footer, it is fine. But I think it is a reasonable first thought.

As for the review, it expresses your opinion about the product, some may agree and some may not. In my opinion you did a good job, as I do not expect any reviewer to be aware of everything written anywhere else.

That said, it is an important fact about the British part that you missed, and once revealed I do not think you should discredit it creating doubts about the authoring of the comment -nor it should be ignored. A review can be enriched with other's comments and experiences both before and after written.

Thanks for this and other reviews you make, they are always helpful and interesting (but a bit more humble would not harm )

Having done considerable camouflage research in various military fields I may be able to comment a little on the topic. There are plenty of books out like this book (for example Danjou et Seignon Peintures de Guerre: Un Siecle de Camouflage de l'Armee Francaise) and this review reads more like a breathless fanboy diatribe. There needs to be a more critical pose taken. This is supposed to be a review not a sales pitch

The book is no doubt a significant contribution and adds to the knowledge available but it is not the last word. There is no such thing - given the sheer range of vehicles and theatres vehicles operated in and the time separation from the actual events there never can be. This should not stop anyone who wants to from buying this book as long as they are aware of the book's limitations (which incidentally are shared by many other books in the field and to some extant are unavoidable). AK are to be congratulated in bringing it out and one hopes it sells well.

Greg, Thank you. I am glad someone liked. I would have loved to see similar in depth reviews of all the things I want before I could make my mind on buying it or not. Here in Brazil we don't have access to all the good stuff there is on modeling, and magazines and books are even more difficult to get our hands on. I was genuinely impressed, and glad to make the review.

Carlos Martin, yes, they could think I am being paid, but I am not. This as I said, was my impression on the book, and you are right, I would not seek other peoples opinion when reviewing a product. I need to give my own, based on my experience, and my impressions, otherwise it would have a pre judged opinion. Since British is not my cup of tea (German and USA are) I was really not aware of this fact, yet to be confirmed. My only British model kit is a incoming Thunder Model Scammel, that I will have to research the colors and profiles to build. Thank you for the input, and I would like to say that Tenerife's Auditorium is the most amazing theater I have ever worked on. The design is just out of this world. Love your island.

Best,
Julian