A fascinating account of a plane that served on both sides during World War 2 and in a variety of environments from Pearl Harbor to the deserts of North Africa to the barren forests of Karelia and the jungles of Burma.

The Curtiss P-36 was considered a revolution in performance design in comparison to other US fighters. Yet by the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the P-40 was increasingly supplanting the P-36, which the US then exported to France under the guise of the Hawk 75. Flown by the French, captured by the Germans, sold to the Finns, transferred to India and Africa, and even incorporated into the RAF, the Hawk 75 saw service in every theatre of operations and in a variety of combat environments.

This book depicts the interesting life of this plane, with colour artwork, photographs and first-hand accounts.

Lionel Persyn is one of the new generation of researchers and writers on French military aviation of World War 2. He has already written widely about French aces for several respected French language magazines. He has also recently collaborated on an in depth study of the Curtis Hawk 75 in French service, a type on which he is regarded as an expert.

Kari Stenman is the world's leading authority on the Finnish Air Force during World War 2, and has written or co-authored many books on the units and aircraft of this most interesting service. He has previously co-authored volumes for Osprey on Finnish Aces in the renowned Aircraft of the Aces series and on their leading fighter unit LeLv 24 for the Aviation Elite series.

Andrew Thomas is one of Britain's leading RAF researchers having published numerous articles and books on the subject as well as readily assisting other authors. Having joined the RAF to fly straight from school he has maintained his enthusiastic interest in the history and development of his Service throughout his career.

Based in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, Chris Davey has illustrated more than 20 titles for Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces, Combat Aircraft and Aviation Elite Units series since 1994. He is one of the last traditional airbrush artists in the business and has become Osprey's artist of choice for both USAAF fighters and RAF subject matter, proving his undoubted skill when dealing with large aircraft subjects such as the Halifax and Sunderland.