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hnbdgr
Jun-26-2016, 12:58
Hi All,

I wanted to get this book:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/8087888928/ref=acr_dpx_hist_2?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=two_star&showViewpoints=0

But reviewers say it's a poor translation missing words etc. Can anybody recommend a good paperback version?

Alternatively are there other accounts of BoB from the German side in paperback form?

many thanks!

hnbdgr :salute:


NOTE: Sorry for the stupid title! I forgot the check it before posting. It meant to say The First and the Last by Adolf Galland :doh:

RAF74_Buzzsaw
Jun-26-2016, 15:53
People who expect a book which focuses on Galland's air to air combats and victories are going to be disappointed.

This book does look at a few combats, but is more focused on the big picture, ie. the politics and strategy of the Luftwaffe and and Nazi Germany's aircraft industry as seen by Galland.

If you want pilot accounts focusing on combat, I would recommend you look at the replies, (including mine, which include books focused on the German experience) in these threads:

http://theairtacticalassaultgroup.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21423

http://theairtacticalassaultgroup.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4051

I still think Galland's book is a worthwhile read. :salute:


Hi All,

I wanted to get this book:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/8087888928/ref=acr_dpx_hist_2?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=two_star&showViewpoints=0

But reviewers say it's a poor translation missing words etc. Can anybody recommend a good paperback version?

Alternatively are there other accounts of BoB from the German side in paperback form?

many thanks!

hnbdgr :salute:


NOTE: Sorry for the stupid title! I forgot the check it before posting. It meant to say The First and the Last by Adolf Galland :doh:

hnbdgr
Jun-26-2016, 16:07
Ah excellent many thanks Buzzsaw, I'll look through those threads :thumbsup:

DerDa
Jun-27-2016, 15:19
You have to keep in mind when those books were written. After the war lots of high ranking Wehrmacht guys were desperately looking for jobs, their writings are sometimes a kind of white washing and PR effort. Galland’s book appeared first in 1953 when he was working for Peron’s Argentinian Air Force. Because of his personal history, opinions and involvement in the ‘Third Reich’ he was not tolerable for the new German ‘Luftwaffe’, not even in cold war times.
Others were more successful, especially Steinhoff, who exaggerated his role in the ‘Fighter Pilot Rebellion’ in his book ‘In letzter Stunde’ (‘The Final Hours: The Luftwaffe Plot against Goring’) and tried to clear his name in ‘Die Straße von Messina’ (The straits of Messina: Diary of a Fighter Commander’). All this helped his career considerably, in 1956 he became brigadier.

All these books contain pretty little combat reports.

From the German side there is a fantastic series of books edited and partly written by historian Kurt Braatz (NeunundzwanzigSechs Verlag), including biographies of Günther Rall and Walter Krupinsky (who almost led the Spitfire flight of 41st squadron on on Battle of Britain Memorial Day in 1956). Both were not involved in the BoB. Those guys usually did not talks bad about each other, but reading between the lines you get some impression of Galland or Steinhoff, that is quite different to their self-promotion.
In this series also the autobiography of Julius Meimberg appeared, written ten years before his death in 2012. Unlike the others, mentioned above, he never tried to pursue a military career. This book (’Feindberührung: Erinnerungen 1939-1945’) includes his experience in the battle of Britain, Northern Africa and again at the channel. In my opinion it is brilliant. I find especially interesting his account of his fist flights with the FW 190, because they perfectly complement Alan Deere’s famous report, which Meimberg includes in full length. (I tried a translation of some paragraphs in a discussion in the 1C forum once, if someone is interested I can try to find the link)
Unfortunately, as far as I know, these books were never translated into English, but I highly recommend them.

Incog
Jun-27-2016, 16:20
I've got this book, it's a good read!

hnbdgr
Jun-27-2016, 17:47
Thanks for further recommendations. It's been a while since I read german, though still probably possible. No chance of it existing as an audio book :D ?

ATAG_Ezzie
Jun-28-2016, 03:37
This is one of my top shelf favourite books. It's about Luftwaffe night fighter activities later in the war so slightly off topic.

https://www.amazon.com/Duel-Under-Stars-German-Fighter/dp/0947554424

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Johnen

Ezzie