Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bomber Boys: WWII Flight Jacket Art about?
It is a coffee table book that chronicles the US Army Air Forces in World War II through the hand-painted A-2 leather flight jackets airmen wore. It pairs high-resolution photography of the jackets with personal accounts, stories of sacrifice, and contemporary portraits of veterans, treating each jacket as a wearable diary of one airman's service.
Who created the book and what expert content does it include?
Commercial photographer John Slemp created Bomber Boys over an eight-year journey, visiting 12 museums and private collections to photograph these historic artifacts. The book is enriched with contributions from leading experts, including a fashion-history chapter by Laura McLaws Helms, a collecting and valuation guide by Antiques Roadshow appraiser Jeff Shrader, and a care section for vintage leather jackets.
How many pages is the book and how many jackets does it feature?
Bomber Boys is a large hardcover coffee table volume with 398 pages, featuring 104 unique, original WWII-era painted A-2 flight jackets. The collection spans both the European and Pacific theaters and showcases the incredible diversity of designs and symbols, with each jacket telling the personal story of the crew member who wore it.
Is the book hardcover, and what is its format?
Bomber Boys is a large-format hardcover coffee table book. The substantial hardcover construction is designed to display the high-resolution jacket photography at its best and to hold up to repeated viewing across its 398 pages. It suits its role as both a visual gallery and a lasting reference work on WWII A-2 flight jacket art.
Does it include the Tuskegee Airmen and the WASPs?
Yes. Beyond the imagery, the book connects you with the human experience of the war through moving personal accounts, stories of sacrifice, and contemporary portraits of the veterans, including the famed Tuskegee Airmen and the trailblazing Women Airforce Service Pilots, known as the WASPs.
Why were WWII A-2 flight jackets hand-painted?
Airmen turned their A-2 leather jackets into wearable diaries, personalizing them as unique testaments to the bravery, humor, and identity of the man who wore each one. The designs and symbols varied widely from crew to crew, and Bomber Boys documents this art alongside the personal stories behind it.
How many A-2 jackets did John Slemp photograph for the project?
Over his eight-year journey, John Slemp photographed historic A-2 jackets across 12 museums and private collections. From that work, the book presents 104 unique, original WWII-era painted jackets, chosen to showcase the diversity of designs and symbols across both the European and Pacific theaters of the war.
Does the book cover how to care for and value vintage leather flight jackets?
Yes. Alongside the photography, the book includes expert guidance for collectors. There is a collecting and valuation guide by Antiques Roadshow appraiser Jeff Shrader and a dedicated section on the proper care and preservation of vintage leather flight jackets, helping owners protect and understand the value of these historic artifacts.
Does the book include an index to look up units, names, or aircraft?
Yes. Bomber Boys includes a comprehensive index, so you can quickly locate specific military units, individual names, or aircraft referenced throughout the volume. This makes the book function as both a beautiful visual gallery of flight jacket art and a practical reference tool for researchers, collectors, and family historians.
What is the ISBN or product number for this book?
The product number for Bomber Boys: WWII Flight Jacket Art is 9798986516905, which also serves as its ISBN. You can use this number to confirm you are ordering the correct edition of John Slemp's award-winning hardcover volume rather than a different title or printing about WWII flight jackets.
Who is the book a good gift for, and what reading age is it suitable for?
Bomber Boys is written to be accessible to readers from middle school and up, so no aviation background is needed to appreciate it. Award-winning and named Fashion Book of the Year in 2024, it makes a meaningful gift for the aviator, historian, artist, student, or patriot, and a tribute to the Greatest Generation.
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