Grumman F-14 Tomcat: Shipborne Superfighter (World Air Power Journal) Hardcover – January 1, 1813

In my opinion, this is THE ultimate reference book for the much loved (and now much missed) F-14 Tomcat. While others think that a certain other book may be better, I disagree. I love the layout of the book, and the text is written by knowledgeable authors. There are a number of artworks, scale plans and annotations indicating the detail differences between the different marks and block numbers. The photos are also well reproduced, most of which are in color.This book is hard to find at a reasonable price, especially in mint condition, but it is well worth the hunt to track one down. You will not regret it.

I just bought a used a copy of this book and was a little apprehensive- being this is the most expensive used book I ever purchased! Now I must say it is the best book on the F-14! As a fine scale modeler I found the information, photos, diagrams and drawings of each machine extremely useful - some never seen published elsewhere. As other reviewers say this is the book on the big CAT! Worth every penny! If you are a diehard and serious F-14 fan this is the book that needs to be on your shelf! After studying the pictures it has inspired me to try to build machines with exotic markings and paint schemes that previously reluctant to try! Unfortunately it is out of print and does command a high price!

If only Jon Lake had included the F-14D NATOPS flight manual along with the other contents in this book, it would've been an unsurpassable book in every way!! The small print size is how so much information got "squeezed" into a book like this. When I first opened up the package as it arrived, I was initially put off just a wee bit by the relatively "thinness" of the book - until I opened it up and saw the font size they used to print the text - it's tiny! But, even at that, it's still a fantastic book & unlike any others I've ever seen on the Tomcat. Well worth the $$$ spent...!!

Pretty good. Gets way more deep into the acronyms than I care for. The hard covers have curved in just a few days after I'd received it, so I don't know if it was stored in a humid place or not. It is a ridiculous price for a book that was originally $30, but I go nuts with a purchase like this once-in-awhile.

This is truly one of the great classic books on one of the most iconic fighter planes in history. (Let's be honest - how many of us wished that we could fly the F-14 when we saw Tom Cruise in Top Gun!) Written before the Tomcat was out of service, but with its days numbered, this book is packed full of information about the F-14. It will clearly show the plane, warts and all.If you are really serious about learning about the Tomcat, this book needs to be in your library.

This book is a thorough and detailed description of the history and technology of the F-14 Tomcat up to about 1998.

Met my expectations.

This is THE book for Grumman's venerable F-14 Tomcat. Sure, some other books like Tomcat Alley by David F. Brown might beat it in the pictorial department, but overall the information in the articles plus the photos it already has beat any other book about the F-14 Tomcat. Everything about the Tomcat until the books date of publication is covered. From the early beginnings of the Navy's need for a Fleet Air Defense F6D Missileer and the VFX competition that Grumman won all the way to the combat record and current strike attack roles. Every F-14 variant is covered, even the ones that were only concept models. Plus great artistic renderings of historic F-14s. A lot of the articles here came from World Air Power Journal's F-14 cover issue back in the early 90s, but the information here is updated such as the squadron deployments, squadron disestablishments and the wars in Eastern Europe. All F-14 Squadrons in the US Navy are covered, and even some stuff about the IIAF/IRIAF F-14s. If all that isn't enough, there's a foreword by F-14 Tomcat pilot D. Stuart Broce, the VF-1 pilot who shot down a Mi-8 helicopter during Desert Storm. It's very interesting and heart warming to read. This book might be hard to find now, but if you get a chance, get it! 5 / 5 STARS!