“Describ[es] the Type VII and its place in the history of warfare . . . probably the finest book on German submarines of WWII available in print.”—Firetrench First conceived in the mid–1930s, the Type VII was still in production in the closing stages of the Second World War a decade later. Subject to continuous improvement through six major variants and with around 650 completed, it was built in larger numbers than any other submarine design in history. It formed the backbone of the Kriegsmarine’s campaign against merchant shipping for the whole of the war, and in terms of tonnage sunk was by far the most successful U-boat type. This encyclopedic work combines a technical description of the type in all its variations with a history of its development and an overview of its most significant operations—especially those convoy battles that were to have a crucial impact on the evolution of the design and its equipment. A particular attraction of the book is the comprehensive visual coverage—photographs of virtually every aspect of design, construction, fittings and shipboard life; highly detailed general arrangement plans and close-up scale drawings; and, with modelmakers in mind, a stunning collection of full-color three-dimensional illustrations of every external feature and variant of the boats. There have been many books on U-boats reflecting an enduring public interest so any new offering has to be special. With its unique concentration of information and illustrative reference, Type VII is unrivalled. “A comprehensive history of the Kriegsmarine’s most potent weapon . . . includes detailed modelmakers’ plans together with over 320 photographs.”—Maritime Advisor

The ‘ShipCraft’ series provides in-depth information about building and modifying model kits of famous warship types. Lavishly illustrated, each book takes the modeller through a brief history of the subject class, highlighting differences between sister-ships and changes in their appearance over their careers. This includes paint schemes and camouflage, featuring colour profiles and highly-detailed line drawings and scale plans. The modelling section reviews the strengths and weaknesses of available kits, lists commercial accessory sets for super-detailing of the ships, and provides hints on modifying and improving the basic kit. This is followed by an extensive photographic gallery of selected high-quality models in a variety of scales, and the book concludes with a section on research references – books, monographs, large-scale plans and websites. This volume is devoted to the largest class of submarines ever built, the Type VII, which formed the backbone of the German effort in the critical Battle of the Atlantic. A pre-war design, the Type VII was developed as the campaign progressed and was still in frontline service in 1945. All the major variants, as well as minor changes to equipment, are covered here. With its unparalleled level of visual information – paint schemes, models, line drawings and photographs – it is simply the best reference for any modelmaker setting out to build one of these famous boats.

In the first volume of this two part issue devoted to Autoimmune Blistering Diseases (AIBD), diagnosis and clinical features of these diseases are covered by an internationally recognized group of authors. Topics include Pemphigus Vulgaris, Pemphigus Foliaceus, Linear IgA Bullous Disease, and Hair and Nail Loss in AIBD.