Lockheed Blackbird: Beyond the Secret Missions (Revised Edition) (General Aviation) Hardcover – November 22, 2016

I frequently find hard cover books too expensive, but this one was worth every penny. I am an aviation nut and this book is probably the most comprehensive thing I've ever read about the SR-71. A great piece of reference material, but also a great read.

Lots of technical info, but intermingled in all of this is a story of epic accomplishments by ordinary people with vision, drive and a desire to succeed! Overall, I enjoyed it. Its just hard to put all of this in the 60's.

This is a fascinating description of the history of this aircraft, including design, testing, specifications, missions, mishaps & close calls, pilots & RSOs, and the final battles to keep it funded. A highly recommended resource for all things SR-71.

This book is very informative, with great pictures describing the whole CIA A-12 Oxcart thru USAF SR-71 story. Descriptions of aircraft systems, the various Detachments around the world where the SR-71 was deployed are well written.I really liked this book a lot.

This is a great discussion on the design, engineering, development of the Lockheed A-12 and SR-71. The book covers just about everything about the design, development, issues, and capability. It starts with the A-12 and finishes with the SR-71.If another country had the resources (engineers, manufacturing, and logistics), a specification could be written from the details in this book for a foreign made SR-71. What is missing are the key details in the design for someone to resurrect a new SR-71.It was a very complex aircraft under apparent evolution. I would be afraid to know the cost per hour to operate this complex beast.It is an incredible tale.

Great photos and great explanations of SR-71 operations

I loved the level if details. I never knew the difference between the A-12 and the SR-71 before this. I liked the pilot accounts of their flights and problems encountered.

The history of Lockheed's Skunkworks and the aircraft produced there was thoroughly presented. I did find the book a bit choppy - it certainly wasn't a novel - but it was certainly worth the work.

Une radiographie complète (en anglais) sur le SR-71, son programme de fabrication, ses caractéristiques et les missions. Une bible pour les passionnés de cet avion mythique avec des photos en petit format mais peu connues.Un texte dense avec l'histoire tenue secrète pendant des années ...

Straordinario volume che racconta in maniera dettagliata e definitiva la storia di uno dei più misteriosi e affascinanti velivoli della storia dell'aviazione, dalla sua nascita come aereo-spia da ricognizione strategica per conto della CIA all'impiego da parte dell'US Air Force nelle missioni PHOTINT, ELINT e SIGINT sopra i cieli del sud-est asiatico, la Cina, la Corea del Nord, l'Unione Sovietica e l'Europa dell'Est negli anni più "caldi" della Guerra Fredda. L'autore Paul F. Crickmore riunisce in questo volume di oltre 400 pagine una messe davvero impressionante di dati e informazioni su ogni aspetto della carriera del leggendario aereo della Lockheed attingendo a fonti molto spesso di prima mano, resoconti diretti dei piloti e moltissimo altro materiale d'archivio rimasto per molto tempo classificato, tutto ciò senza ovviamente trascurare la descrizione particolareggiata di tutti quegli aspetti tecnici che fecero dell'SR-71 un aereo "da primato" per quanto riguardava le incredibili sfide tecnologiche e industriali che i progettisti della celeberrima azienda aeronautica di Burbank furono chiamati ad affrontare e a superare nella sua realizzazione. Di notevole livello anche il corredo fotografico del volume, ricco d'immagini di grande e grandissimo interesse, per quanto molte di esse già pubblicate sugli stessi volumetti della Osprey scritti sul medesimo soggetto dallo stesso autore. Pregevoli le appendici in coda al volume, come l'elenco dettagliato di ogni missione svolta, che testimoniano l'enorme e approfondito lavoro di ricerca svolto da Crickmore nella compilazione di questo libro, un lavoro durato per oltre 30 anni ed ora consegnato finalmente al lettore. Se non ci si sente scoraggiati dal testo in lingua inglese, si tratta a mio modo di vedere di un volume imperdibile per chiunque sia appassionato allo specifico argomento o alla storia dell'aviazione in generale, senza per altro sottovalutare il suo notevole interesse per quanto riguarda le vicende del confronto tra i due blocchi negli anni della Guerra Fredda, molti dei quali ancora avvolti nella impenetrabile riservatezza del segreto militare, sui quali l'SR-71 Blackbird cercò di fare luce nel corso delle sue audaci missioni volando a tre volte alla velocità del suono a 24.000 metri di altezza sopra il livello del mare.

As a former SR-71 operational crewmember, I have thoroughly appreciated and enjoyed every work that Paul Crickmore has written about this magnificent machine over many years. “Appreciated” for his attention to accuracy, and “enjoyed” for his expert story-telling skills. His latest revision of “Lockheed Blackbird – Beyond the Secret Missions” exceeds every expectation I could have held for a comprehensive update of the original volume, which itself began as a superb piece of writing first published 23 years ago. In fact, although technically labelled a “revision,” I personally see this current effort as a new book in and of itself. In this volume, information from newly incorporated intelligence, operational, and personal anecdotes fill out and help clarify aspects of the Blackbird’s previously highly classified and truly fascinating history. Additionally, a newly added, expansive library of color photographs, many of which have never before been published, further augment the book’s look, feel, and readability. Paul Crickmore continues to contribute to the Blackboard’s spectacular legacy by combining the meticulous research of a skilled technical writer with the artful enthusiasm of a novelist. Every time I pick up one of his SR-71 books, it puts me back in the cockpit. I can’t provide a more enthusiastic review than that…

しっかりとした装丁のハードカバーの書籍です。情報量もさることながら、カラー刷りであり、英文もさほど難しい表現はないので非常に読みやすいものとなっています

Very interesting book about air-reconnaissance and how the "Blackbird" (SR-71) was developed after U2 was found out to be vulnerable. Only for the true enthustiast as the amount of details can be too much for other readers!