I can't think that there is a person on the planet that hasn’t heard of the famous Jeep. A small 4-wheel drive vehicle that is still going strong today, the forerunner of the SUV market, and main stay for the military of many nations for decades.
Here we have a short, concise, no frills history of the Jeep's development, from the pre-Bantam days of the Howie belly whopper.
Bantam’s design, Willy’s and Fords entering the competition.
A short explanation of why Willy and Ford became the major suppliers.
Further development, and improvements are well covered, although not in great detail. A nice chart of all the major changes over the 1941-45 period is included for fast reference.
The Jeep Variants are covered, including those that did not enter production. As usual the photographs are well produced, and clear. I was happy to see a photo of the Willy’s Jeeplet, and Willy’s Jungle Burden Carrier.
An interesting section is on how the Jeep got it’s name, and Steve discloses a few more interesting ideas, besides the old cartoon character name story. More food for thought!
The book is not going to turn you into an instant expert on the jeep, but that’s not its intended purpose. What it will give you is a good general understanding of this famous vehicle, in an interesting easy to read format. Steve gives a long list of available books at the end for those who have the desire to read more and learn more about the subject.
The illustrations are up to the usual high standards of Osprey Publishing too. I enjoyed this volume. Recommended.
SUMMARY
Once again Steve Zaloga comes through with a short, concise history of the ubiquitous Jeep!
About Dave O'Meara (Grumpyoldman) FROM: FLORIDA, UNITED STATES
I'm rewriting this in a much more humoristic way, to help over inflate my ego, and place my self on a pedestal, because I don't have a life, and plastic models are the only thing I live for. I plead guilty as charged to excessive babble, light hearted humor, and continued encouragement to youngsters...
