Exotic History
Well, this is definitely a niche book, but you wouldn't be reading this review if you weren't interested in this niche. As I'm conducting research into this very specific subject, this happens to be a superb book for me. But even if you're just a military aviation or jet combat enthusiast, this is wonderful title. As a bonus, the book is replete with photographs of personalities and equipment and even a few good gun-camera shots.
Fricker writes very well, and his attention to detail is excellent. Bear in mind, though, that his research comes only from official Pakistani sources; you should take many of the claims with a grain of salt and be wary of inflation and hyperbole. Overall, however, this book is a font of knowledge on a subject about which almost no information is available outside of the sub-continent.
If you decide to buy this book you should definitely consider reading as well "The India-Pakistan Air War of 1965" by P.V.S. Jagan Mohan and Samir Chopra. This book gives you the story from the Indian point of view, and both cites and rebuts Fricker's history.
The truth, undoubtedly, lies somewhere in between.
