Mitchell Masterpieces part 3
An Illustrated History of B-25 warbirds in Business
Review
Dutch version

Author: Wim Nijenhuis  
Publisher: Lanasta, Walburg press
ISBN: 978-946-45-60-664
Published: 2024
Pages: 256, softback, English language
Price about 35,00 euro in the Netherlands.

This is now the third book about the Mitchell by Wim Nijenhuis in the Mitchell Masterpieces series, who we really can define a specialist on the North American B-25 Mitchell in all its ways and appearances. The first two parts dealt with the military Mitchell, now Nijenhuis is aiming on the Mitchells that are still actively flying on commission, maintained by volunteers and/or in museums or whatever and wherever, often always civilian.

Due to the end of the Second World War, an enormous amount of equipment became available which was often dumped on "scrapyards", of course also the Mitchells and fortunately the Mitchell also found its way to use in other areas and aircraft were kept as so-called "warbirds" and pampered with a lot of love and made airworthy again,  such as the Dutch Duke of Brabant (Air Force), nowadays the Klu (Royal Netherlands Air Force) Historic Flight at Gilze Rijen Air Base.

This third edition has no chapters, but is divided into the users and owners of the B-25 Mitchell around the world. The American part takes up about two-thirds of the book, the rest covers Canada, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Spain, Australia, the Soviet Union, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and Venezuela and not to forget the American film industry where they not only functioned as "stars" as in Catch 22, but also as a complete flying camera platform with transparent noses.  The B-25s were often used commercially for transporting personnel or goods, for training, firefighting, spraying crops or even as luxury business jets. I've even come across one mentioned in the book that ended up in another war with the Rebel Biafran Air Force in Africa.

As indicated, the book has 256 pages and no less than 750 photos from large to small and in black and white and colour. Appendixes take care of all civil registrations with type and USAAF serial numbers, a list of owners and museums and a list of the aircraft that are still flighing. Of the 120 remaining Mitchells (publication of the book January 2024), 40 are still airworthy.

Conclusion
Together with the two previous books by Wim Nijenhuis, this third volume makes a wonderful reference work about the North American B-25 Mitchell, complete with the "post-war" users and post-war is of course a relative term. It is again a very well-kept book with a lot of good photographic material. You will not find any technical drawings and/or profile drawings in it. Please note that the book is entirely in English. If you are in possession of parts 1 and 2, then part 3 should certainly be on your bookshelf, but it is also interesting as a stand-alone title.

Thanks to Lanasta/De Walburg Press for providing the review copy