Book excerpt: This new highly illustrated and comprehensive book covers the history of the Italian Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force) from 1940 to 1943—an area of aviation history of increasing interest to historians, enthusiasts, and modelers. The book covers the aircraft, camouflage, and markings of the various aviation arms of the Italian Regia Aeronautica. Its machines were invariably colorfully camouflaged for tropical and over-water use and richly emblazoned with individual, tactical, and unit markings, making for popular modeling subjects. They flew in several operational theatres between 1940 and 1943 including France, Belgium, Yugoslavia, Russia, and Greece, and produced a number of flying aces such as Teresio Martinoli, Franco Lucchini, Leonardo Ferrulli, and Franco Bordoni-Bisleri. All aircraft are covered—day fighters, bombers, dive-bombers and ground-attack units, and maritime and transport aircraft. This is an ideal volume of reference for aviation modelers, particularly those with a specific interest in Italian aviation.