The title of this latest book by David Doyle in the AFVisual series is slightly deceptive.  While the M42 Duster is the main subject of the book, it is not the only one.  Its predecessor, the M19 Gun Motor Carriage, occupies almost one quarter of the pages.  I'm certainly not complaining about that, since I've always been a fan of the sleek-looking M19, and it is a logical grouping, since the two vehicles share a common turret and a common role in the postwar US Army.

In a departure from the earlier AFVisual books that I have, this one is in a smaller A5 format and is spiral bound.  While the spiral binding may not wear as well as more conventional formats, I do find it useful in the way it lays flat on a table; this is a useful feature for a modelling reference.  Also unlike previous books in the series, there is no text in this book at all beyond the captions.  Those, however, are well-written and full of good information on both the development an characteristics of the vehicles.  Differences between the pilot vehicles and the A1 versions of both the M19 and M42 are also explained in a clear manner.  Aside from various test photos that show the external characteristics of the tanks, there is a good selection of service photos in both colour and black and white.  The M19 service photos all show the vehicle in service during the Korean War, while the M42 is shown both in Vietnam and postwar service (sporting the MERDC scheme).  Only American vehicles are shown in service; none of the many export customers who operated the Duster are featured.  Finally, there are some walkaround photos of a nicely preserved M42A1 and another M42 that is on outdoor display.

A nice bonus is the inclusion of seven pages of the original Ordnance Corps drawings of the M42, as well as a side view drawing from the same source of the M19.  Two data pages from the US Army are also included, which provide technical data for each vehicle.

I highly recommend this book for anybody interested in either the M19 or M42; it has a very good balance of detail and combat photos of both vehicles.  It is an excellent reference for anybody tackling the ancient Tamiya M42 or awaiting the long-promised AFV Club kit.