One of my customers and fellow AMPS club member (president) took delivery of his DUKW book last month and quickly ordered the CCKW book last week due to the high quality contained within. It will be here for him to pick up by the end of this week. As always, our local AMPS and IPMS members get a discount Keith.

Going to have to wait for the electronic version - too rich for my blood!

It's 504 pages of CCKW love... Hardcover, excellent production quality, glossy paper and high quality photo reproduction. Literally hundreds and hundreds of photos, most are factory or official photos that are nice and clear, sharp, well lit and "posed" to show off the details in question. There are only a couple of sets of plans that are included to show the detail differences between the Timkin and "banjo" (called "corporate axles" by GM). However, the photos and text are enough to model just about any of the subject vehicles. Thirty-two chapters covering everything from proto-development by Holabird depot, Corbitt, Marmon-Herrington and GM, covering all GM models from the 4929, through the ACKWX, the CCKWX, CCKW, and the AFKWX, long-wheel and short-wheel base, with and without winches, specialty trucks, use in WWII all the way through to use in Korea. The Timkin and "corporate" axles, steel beds, wooden beds, composite beds and back to steel. Full-cabs and "military cabs." And on and on... I'm about 2/3 through my copy (chapter 24, Engineer Trucks, sub-section "Line Construction Trucks"), and just like the DUKW book, this book is what Richard Hunnicutt would have written if he had ever done a book on the Duce-and-a-half. Instant classics, both, the DUKW and CCKW books. David Doyle is to be congratulated on bringing this and the DUKW book to print, and I really hope that he has enough material to do a companion volume to the DUKW on the GPA and M29. The price isn't too bad right now. Squadron Signal has it on sale for about US$67, and I got my LHS to special order me a copy - no shipping cost along with our model-club discount. (Thanks Keith!) In any event, these are not your old familiar Squadron Signal "In-Action" or even the newer "Walkarounds," but rather "serious" research. Well written, well produced, and, in my opinion, well worth the cost. I will have no hesitation in getting the next book in this series (80XXX, Historical Reference) no matter who the author is. If this subject holds any interest for you, I don't believe that you will regret shelling out the coin for a copy.

Thanks for letting us know about the 'very high' quality of detail contained within the covers Mike. With all the problems surrounding the 'Ampersand' organization and failure to produce anything in a timely manner, perhaps Squadron Signal (MMD) has found an opening worth filling. The next MMiR is way past the promised date (June) but at least we now know better than to expect anything to show up at the appointed day, or month for that matter. I can't believe I gave you a discount, beating Squadron's sale price, silly me, I must learn to pay attention. Keith.

I have both now on there way via amazon, so looking forward to seeing these Keith

Just bought a copy on Amazon. Great reference!

The "Walk Around" isn't the book being discussed here. The "Walk Around" booklet is the snack-sized bag of chips equivalent to Squadron Signal "Historical References" series #80002, "The GMC CCKW Truck In US Service" which is a full, 10-course meal with wine and coffee. The Squadron Signal "In Action" and "Walk Around" booklets are good initial modeling references, but they offer only the briefest overview of their subjects. This is not to say that the thin soft-covers are not useful (goodness knows I must have 30 or 40 myself including Waffen-Arsenals and all the way back to "In-Action" number 1). And for the price, they're really good "starter" books on the subjects they cover. However, as my library has grown over the years, so has my appetite for more "serious" and in-depth coverage of subjects. I'd rather spend $50-60 or more on a single decent book that offers complete coverage than spend that same or more on 3 or 4 "In Action," "Walk Around" and or Osprey "New Vanguards" covering the same subject that repeat the same basic information and share most of the same photos. This new "Historical References" series from Squadron Signal shows that they can produce such serious works, and they and David Doyle are to be congratulated on the effort. I hope they both continue down this road. But no one should be confused here, the new CCKW series #80002 is not the "Walk Around" or another "In Action," but something on an entirely different and higher level.

Mine arrived last week. Excellent book. I think Dave out did himself one this one.

mine arrived yesterday... all i can say is wow with a capital W, both books really are brilliant so much information and pictures a lot I haven't seen before. well worth the money IMHO