The intial stages of learning for a Private Pilot's Licence can often be difficult; a new style of learning of novel concepts. I initally tested another renowned name for my PPL study, 2 names in fact, from well respected Piloting supply shops before I used the Oxford books. Of the 2 first books, one was far too wordy with scarcely any diagrammatic explanations, and the other the complete opposite.
I then used an Oxford PPL book and the learning became far easier. Admittedly these books do have more information than AFE and Trevor Thom, but this information only betters one's understanding of aviation, thus making them a better, safer pilot. The fact that these PPL books present learning beyond the PPL sold them to me.
The books themselves are large, hardback books with high quality images from Rolls Royce and Airbus alike, with easy to digest and enjoyable explanations. These books accounted for my 94% average in the PPL examinations.
Pros:
-High quality images & diagrams
-Excellent explanations
-Includs the OAT Media Nav Computer Disc
Cons:
-They weigh 2x as much as any other PPL books.