GMC CCKW 2½ Ton Truck - Armor Walk Around No. 18 Paperback – March 1, 2010

If you're assembling some WW2 model scale truck, then this is a must-have: just tons of pictures and notes. Very handy and about the right size to have on your modelling desk.

Book had lots of good photos. Very helpful in identifying details.

This is the first CCKW specific book to be published in 10+ years and it fails MISERABLY. Squadron generally has some very good pictures for modelers in its airplane and tank books.. but this CCKW book is HORRIBLE. I am ashamed I own it.The book details 3-4 trucks. And 'details' is a very, very lose term. Mostly outside shots (standard front, quarter, rear etc) shots of some trucks in bad condition. One truck has rust holes, the other has painted over rust. Nothing specific about the trucks is given. CCKW owners generally go by frame serial numbers when describing trucks as it tells you the trucks body type, axle type, and general manufacturing date. None of that is given so there is no way to know if the pictured truck is supposed to have a specific cab, engine, accessory, bed, fuel tank etc.The trucks pictured are NOT factory restored trucks. They are simply European use trucks that have a mix mash of parts. One CCKW still had the square European mirrors installed, yet had US Army WWII markings. BAD BAD BAD. One picture (my favorite) clearly shows a modern, plastic, inline fuel filter cut into the fuel line just before the carb. The same picture showed the wrong horn, no radio filters, an incorrectly mounted starter switch.. in total there were 9 items that were wrong for a production WWII truck.I am ashamed to own this book. I didn't even put it on the bookshelf with my original TMs out of respect for them. For modelers this book fails miserably. For restorers this book fails miserably.

Mostly widely known material, it did add less than expected for me.

The photos of the restored CCKW's are excellant and present many different versions of the GMC truck. A must for WWII truck owners and others who appreciate the success of this amazing truck.

Book ContentThis review is of Squadron/Signal Publications' book, "GMC CCKW 2 ½ Ton Truck- Walk Around". The book is authored by prolific and highly respected military vehicle historian David Doyle. If you're not familiar with the Walk Around Series of books, these books focus on providing photos of specific (preserved) vehicles and they are chock full of fine detail photographs that are useful for modelers and hard-core military vehicle enthusiasts.The subject of this soft cover book is the US WWII era GMC CCKW 2 ½ ton ("Deuce and a Half") truck series. Although there are many different vehicles photographed, the following trucks are covered in detail:CCKW-352 Short Wheelbase Truck (Closed Cab)CCKW-352 Short Wheelbase Truck (Open Cab)CCKW-353 Long Wheelbase Truck (Closed Cab)CCKW-353 Long Wheelbase Truck (Open Cab) with No. 7 Wrecker (Hoist & Towing) SetCCKW Long Wheelbase "Air-Transportable" Truck (Open Cab)CCKW Long Wheelbase Cargo/Dump Truck (Open Cab)CCKW Long Wheelbase L-2 Airfield Service Truck (Closed Cab)CCKW Long Wheelbase Truck (Open Cab) with LeRoi 105 GA CompressorCCKW Long Wheelbase Mobile Shop Truck (Open Cab) with ST-6 Collapsible BodyPhotograph and/or Illustration Quality and SelectionSquadron/Signal is known in the modeling hobby for the quality and quantity of photographs they provide in their books. This latest selection is no exception. Squadron and Mr. Doyle provide approximately 223 photos and 2 illustrations on 80 pages; 217 of those images are in color. Although there are a few photos of "in action" vehicles, most of the photos provided are of preserved vehicles.Even with that stunning quantity of photos provided, most of them are of sizes that are actually usable. Sometimes when publishers include a lot of photos in a book, many are unusable as a modeling reference as they are too small to identify many of the specific details. Squadron has balanced this aspect well. The quality of the photographs is as usual with Squadron products, outstanding. The images are of high quality, clear and in vibrant color. Small details can be readily identified when viewing most of the pictures.Also, the selection of photographs provided by Mr. Doyle is exceptional in quantity and variation. This might be the best feature of this book as it not only contains a decent number of overall shots of each vehicle, but you get tons of fine detail pics of each of the trucks covered as well.Lastly, the two (2) color illustrations by Don Greer are located on the front and back covers of the book. They are quite interesting and attractive and show the "Deuce and a Half's" special character.Use as ReferenceThis book is an exceptional reference for modelers and vehicle enthusiasts as well. It is a great value for the money considering the relatively low retail price of around $19 USD when taking into account the large number of high quality color photographs provided. Basic information is provided on CCKW truck series and variants, but if you are looking for the end all "tome" on these vehicles, this isn't the book you want. However, if you are purchasing this book it is probably for the photos and you definitely get your money's worth in that respect.ConclusionOnce again, Squadron/Signal and David Doyle hit a Home Run with this latest offering on the US WWII Era CCKW 2 ½ Ton Truck Series. The massive number of photos provided in the book is of the usual high quality we've come to expect from both the publisher and Mr. Doyle. If you are a fan of the "Deuce and a Half" or contemplating building one of the myriad number of model kits available of this ubiquitous vehicle, this book is a must have.

"Good generals understand strategy. Great generals understand logistics"....except I'm a Tanker and really don't care about trucks...except I just finished reading about the Red Ball Express and that got me interested in this book by David Doyle and I learned a lot about these amazing trucks.The “Jimmy” was the work horse of the Red Ball Express. Reliable, rugged and manufactured in staggering quantities (over 562,000) serve in every theater and used by just about everyone. Primarily designed for cargo & personnel, their use was limited only by the imagination of the GI who were very inventive. Cargo, long bed, short bed, fuelers, ambulances, dump trucks are just some of the examples which are shown here in excellent detail with superb color photos. The color photos are crisp, clear, excellent, supplemented by informative captions that help the reader understand what they're seeing.A great photo essay to add to your collection, highly recommend for anyone building a model of this truck, historians and yes, tankers will enjoy as well.

great book really pleased, thanks