Hitler's Raid to Save Mussolini: The Most Infamous Commando Operation of World War II

Book Description

The first book to tell the incredible story of the most famous German commando operation of World War II-the dramatic and daring rescue of Benito Mussolini

The Allied invasion of Italy pressed on through the summer of 1943, the strutting dictator, Mussolini, was overthrown and imprisoned by his own people in a remote mountaintop resort. Furious at the turn of events, Adolf Hitler, Il Duce's sworn ally, promised to rescue Mussolini and restore the Rome-Berlin Axis.

On September 12, a small convoy of glider aircraft suddenly began crash-landing near the hotel-prison where Mussolini was held and German commandos poured out of the half-wrecked planes. The soldiers quickly overwhelmed the hotel and seized Mussolini, who had watched the drama unfold from a second-story window. "I knew my friend Adolf Hitler would not abandon me," said a grinning Mussolini to his rescuers.

Hitler's rescue of Mussolini was one of the most famous commando operations of the twentieth century and shocked a war-weary world. It was also the dramatic culmination of the bizarre relationship between Hitler and Mussolini-a relationship that had disastrous consequences for the globe.

In this vivid and lively narrative filled with drama, intrigue, action, and some of history's most notorious characters, author Greg Annussek recounts the dramatic story of Germany's secret six-week operation to find and rescue the prisoner Mussolini and restore him to power.

Customer Reviews:

The Story of a Daring Commando Raid, Well Told.......2006-10-08

Otto Skorzeny has long been remembered as the mastermind of the greatest commando raid of World War II, the German rescue of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini from "house arrest" in a remote mountaintop resort known as the Hotel Imperatore. On September 12, 1943, after several weeks of imprisonment by an anti-Mussolini faction of the Italian government airborne commandos landed in gliders, stormed the hotel, and spirited Mussolini away to Berlin. It was a daring raid, one for which Skorzeny gained much acclaim, but certainly not his only such operation. Rightly, author Greg Annussek tells the Skorzeny story, but he goes further by drawing in other important characters in the episode and noting the raid's role in the wider effort of the Second World War.

"Hitler's Raid to Save Mussolini" is a stimulating narrative history. It serves a useful purpose in highlighting "Operation Oak," as it was called, and helps to expand the general audience's knowledge of the subject. To his credit, Annussek delved deeply into the published literature on the subject, and fully references this book, although he does not mine unpublished primary source documents that might have broadened his study. Nonetheless, this is an excellent work, making accessible one of the most exciting commando operations of World War II.

A well researched, insightful book.......2006-01-11

At first I dismissed this book based on several reviews I had seen that seemed to elude to a poorly compiled, misleading story. It is not that at all.

While this book does discuss Skorzeny's role in the Gran Sasso raid, it takes a well researched view of the variety of players involved in the decision, planning and execution of Operation Oak from the times just before Mussolini's downfall up to the end of the war. I found this book to be well researched, with plenty of facts, insights and details presented. I thought the writing style was very comfortable, especially given the sensitivity of World War 2 writing and the shear volume of facts (and speculation) involved.

I whole-heartedly recommend this book to those interested in this famous raid, Fallschirmjagers, Skorzeny, War on the Italian Front, late war politics, and those who like a good factual, adventure story!

One Exploit of a Famous Commando.......2005-09-13

Otto Skorzeny is one of those bigger than life individuals that came out of World War II. Easily the most famous commando type to come out of the war, this book tells the tale of just one of his exploits, the rescue of Mussolini after the Italians had arrested and imprisoned him.

Hitler was furious at the Italians for treating his friend Mussolini this way. The answer was a dramatic rescue by Skorzeny. Called Operation Oak, a hand picked selection of German soldiers flew to the remote hotel where Mussolini was being held and then flew him out of Italy to Germany.

This incident is possibly the best known of Skorzney's exploits. Others include the attack on the Belgian fort Eban Emael, and after the war he broke out of an American POW camp and set up the ODESSA organization to assist in the escape of former SS men to South America.

Hitler's Squadron: The Fuehrer's Personal Aircraft & Transportation Unit, 1933-1945

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Hitler's Squadron: The Fuehrer's Personal Aircraft & Transportation Unit, 1933-1945
C. G. Sweeting
Manufacturer: Brassey's Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

 Details the aircraft and missions of Adolf Hitler's personal aircraft transportation squadron  An unparalleled reference guide to some of the legendary aircraft of the era, including the Junkers Ju 52/3m, the Focke-Wulf FW 200 Condor, and the Junkers Ju 290

 Contains rare photographs of Hitler's personal planes and of life inside the inner circle of the Third Reich

Adolf Hitler was the first head of state to have his own personal pilot and airplane. His interest in aviation as a propaganda weapon as well as transportation led him to order the establishment of a special air squadron, the Fliegerstaffel des Fuehrers. To command this unique unit, he chose Hans Bauer, veteran World War I combat ace and pioneering airline pilot. During the 1930's and World War II, the Fuehrer's own pilot and special aircraft flew the famous and the infamous. Baur flew Hitler, his inner circle, and visiting dignitaries throughout Europe, to Hitler's secret headquarters and to the far-flung battlefields of the Eastern Front.

Book Description

Adolf Hitler had high hopes for his conquest of Norway, which held both great symbolic and great strategic value for the Führer. Despite early successes, however, his ambitious northern campaign foundered and ultimately failed. Adam Claasen for the first time reveals the full story of this neglected episode and shows how it helped doom the Third Reich to defeat.

Hitler and Raeder, the chief of the German navy, were determined to take and keep Norway. By doing so, they hoped to preempt Allied attempts to outflank Germany, protect sea lanes for German ships, access precious Scandinavian minerals for war production, and provide a launchpad for Luftwaffe and naval operations against Great Britain. Beyond those strategic objectives, Hitler also envisioned Norway as part of a pan-Nordic stronghold--a centerpiece of his new world order. But, as Claasen shows, Hitler's grand expectations were never realized.

Göring's Luftwaffe was the vital spearhead in the invasion of Norway, which marked a number of wartime firsts. Among other things, it involved the first large-scale aerial operations over sea rather than land, the first time operational objectives and logistical needs were fulfilled by air power, and the first deployment of paratroopers.

Although it got off to a promising start, the German effort, particularly against British and arctic convoys, was greatly hampered by flawed strategic thinking, interservice rivalries between the Luftwaffe and navy, the failure to develop a long-range heavy bomber, the diversion of planes and personnel to shore up the German war effort elsewhere, and the northern theater's harsh climate and terrain.

Claasen's study covers every aspect of this ill-fated campaign from the 1940 invasion until war's end and shows how it was eventually relegated to a backwater status as Germany fought to survive in an increasingly unwinnable war. His compelling account sharpens our picture of the German air force and widens our understanding of the Third Reich's way of war.

This book is part of the Modern War Studies series.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding Military History.......2006-12-13

Professor Claasen and Joel Hayward, of "Stopped at Stalingrad" fame, both teach in New Zealand. No offense to Kiwis, but what a waste!! These guys are great writers, and this book is more than a look at the Luftwaffe's role in the little-remarked upon Norwegian front. Just as in Hayward's book, there is much discussion on the Kriegsmarine's operations, all of it fascinating. For example, I have read a lot on WWII (believe me), but until this book I did not know the US Navy ran a carrier operation off the Norwegian coast using the USS Ranger! I can most confidently recommend this book to any WWII buff. It is very well-written, and extremely informative.

Strong and readable.......2005-04-12

I can't comment about the contested accuracy of the German translating in this book because I can't read German. But I read the book carefully as I have long been interested in the overlooked Norwegian campaigns and I think the author has written a strong enough book with a good narrative and clear maps. I enjoyed reading it, and I learned a lot about the Luftwaffe and its commanders that I did not know. I don't think it'll ever be considered definitive, but, as I rate it a deserved four stars out of five (therefore above average), I do recommend it to readers who don't yet know much about the Norwegian campaigns, especially the Luftwaffe's participation in them.

Solid History.......2005-02-01

I am writing with my co-author a book on the invasion of Norway and Denmark and the first four weeks of the war there. Claasen's analysis is brilliant. There may be (or not, I can not say) some errors in his footnoting but his understanding is spot on. We reference him a great deal in our manuscript.

One example: the "Rowehl" long distance recon Luftwaffe air units (using 4-engine craft) are not even mentioned in virtually all books. We knew it existed and had helped in the campaign but could not find details. We were digging through all sorts of sources and went back to Claasen who had a very short but solid understanding of what this recon group accomplished before the war in 2 pages of text. It gave Germany photographs of the harbors they were about to attack! It brought closure to our search.

Claasen also has a sound understanding of why the conflict came about.

Uneven book.......2005-01-28

Despite its title,the major part of the book covers the German invasion of Narvik in some detail, though I am concerned by the fact that in consulting his sources, the author uses the relevant German KTB and the USAAF's historical researches and studies to shed light on the Luftwaffe (which is good) but relies on dubious popular history books for the RAF, which made the book detailed in part, while patchy and incredulous ans simplistic in others (eg kill claims by the RAF!).

Also I find the run of the mill exposition of the Luftwaffe's fatal lack of a startegic bomber verbose, and redundant.

Average.......2004-11-23

The writer's many mistakes made while translating and even copying German titles and bibliographical details weaken the confidence I have in this work's accuracy, despite what his mate J Hayward says below. I just read an article by Claasen in a strat journal I subscribe to and it suffers from the exact same weakness (v. unreliable German trans). The very first endnote had an obvious copying error, and so did many others! All this notwithstanding the Claasen Norway book has good photos and a generally interesting narrative. It is worth a read, but grad students and others wanting precision will need to go elsewhere.

Stopped at Stalingrad: The Luftwaffe and Hitler's Defeat in the East, 1942-1943 (Modern War Studies(Paper))

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stopped at stalingrad
A Great Book
This is the strongest Stalingrad book!
Magnificient!
Excellent Book on this portion of the Eastern Front

Stopped at Stalingrad: The Luftwaffe and Hitler's Defeat in the East, 1942-1943 (Modern War Studies(Paper))
Joel S. A. Hayward
Manufacturer: University Press of Kansas
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0700611460

Book Description

By the time Hitler declared war on the Soviet Union in 1941, he knew that his military machine was running out of fuel. In response, he launched Operation Blau, a campaign designed to protect Nazi oilfields in Rumania while securing new ones in the Caucasus. All that stood in the way was Stalingrad.

Most accounts of the Battle of Stalingrad have focused on the dismal fate of the German Army. Joel Hayward now chronicles Luftwaffe operations during that campaign, focusing on Hitler's use of the air force as a tactical rather than strategic weapon in close support of ground forces. He vividly details the Luftwaffe's key role as "flying artillery," showing that the army relied on Luftwaffe support to a far greater degree than has been previously revealed and that its successes in the East occurred largely because of the effectiveness of that support.

Hayward analyzes this major German offensive from the standpoint of cooperation between ground and air forces to attain mutually agreed upon objectives. He draws on diaries of both key commanders and regular airmen to recreate crucial battles and convey the drama of Hitler's frustrations and reckless leadership. Ultimately, Hayward shows, the poorly conceived strategies of Hitler, Goering, and others in Berlin doomed the efforts of air commander Wolfram von Richthofen, a courageous and resolute leader attempting to come to grips with an increasingly impossible situation.

Stopped at Stalingrad is a dynamic case study in combined arms warfare that fills in many of the gaps left by other studies of the eastern war. By reconsidering the campaign in the light of a wider body of documentary sources and analyzing many previously ignored events, Hayward provides military historians and general readers a much deeper and more complete understanding of the Battle of Stalingrad and its impact on World War II.

This book is part of the Modern War Studies series.

Customer Reviews:

stopped at stalingrad.......2007-02-22

Very thoroughly researched book. Could have explained infantry operations in a little more detail after all most of the movements of the Luftwaffe happened in direct support of infantry movement. Could have given a little bit more weightage to characteristic traits of leaders involved in action. But all in all a very lucidly written book a definite buy for anyone interested in eastern theater of WWII

A Great Book.......2006-09-19

This book is a treasure. Saying it deals with just the Luftwaffe effort does not really address the scope of the book. In addition to the author's fabulous treatment of air operations, it has some great stuff on naval operations in the Crimea. This book is an absolute MUST for your WWII library. This guy is a lecturer at some college in New Zealand. Get him to some University in the USA!!

This is the strongest Stalingrad book!.......2005-07-29

Anthony Beevor's wife and publisher (the well-connected Hon. Artemis Cooper, no less) had her publicity machine whip his good book on Stalingrad into a huge international best-seller. That's perfectly okay. I liked Beevor's book very much, and do commend it to readers. But Beevor's isn't the most authoritative and analytical book on Stalingrad, that frightful, turning-point battle. Joel Hayward's book is! I'm pleased that, while it has never sold as many copies, Hayward's uniquely-conceived book has earned fantastic reviews and been quoted and acknowledged as highly-influential (and mandatory reading) by almost every subsequent writer on the eastern front, including Glantz, Erickson etc.

Hayward's book masterfully explains why, strategically, Hitler planned a major campaign in 1942 after not winning in the east during the previous year. It superbly elucidates why, even though the city of Stalingrad was never one of that major campaign's goals, Hitler then became distracted by it, to the point whereby its capture mattered more than the Caucasus oilfields he was originally, and very rationally, committed to seizing and exploiting.

Hayward's book also analyses air power and joint-service matters but always relates these in a seamless way to ground battles and operations. His book is therefore strikingly-different to all previous, army-focused books on Stalingrad (including Beevor's) which barely mentioned air power despite it dominating all successful battles during 1942, in and around Stalingrad itself, and during the air-lift.

Hayward's analysis of that increasingly-futile and tragic air-lift, and its highly skilful defeat by the Red Air force and Red Army, is by far the most original, complete, meticulously-researched (all from unpublished archival sources) and informative ever written.

I cannot recommend this original, insightful book highly enough. Buy Beevor's journalistic book, of course. But you must buy this volume if you want a thorough, analytical, scholarly work that explains why things happened and what it all meant.

Magnificient!.......2005-01-24

This is one of the very best book on the Luftwaffe by serious, academic historian, and possibly the only one to date to give credit and recognition to one of the best tactical minds of he Luftwaffe, GFM von Richtofen.

While justifiably lambasting the Luftwaffe (and Hitler too) on its short sightedness in forgoing the development of a strategic, heavy bomber in favour of tactical, short range fighters and light payload bombers, Hayward does remind us the indispensable role of the Luftwaffe as the Heer's flying artillery and its role in her battlefield successes.

The fact that the Luftwaffe was staffed mainly by transferees from the Heer may be a determining factor in shaping its mission as a tactical, close support airforce, and its reluctance to develop, acqueisce or sustain a naval air arm for the tonnage battle in the Atlantic (same can be said of Raeder's and Dönitz's strategic shortcomings, both concentrating on their respective favourites, battleships and U-boats, while paying little heed to the crucial role of air cover for naval actions) may stem from the tradtional rivalry during the Kaiser's times between the senior service, Army and the Kaiser's favourite, the Kriegsmarine, which in the Great War proved to be a less than war winning tool, and a dtermining factor (with her mutinies) in the dissolution of the Reich.

It is amazing that nobody in the top echelons of the Luftwaffe had articulated a strategic vision for the role of the service in war. Same with the Krigesmarine with its focus and fetish on battleships and U boats.

Bearing in mind that Germany was flanked by her traditional enemies in Europe, and the need for the avoidance of the nightmarish 2 front war like the last war, which stretched Germany to her limits as a middling power battling the superpowers (Britain, Russia and USA), the much vaunted General Staff as well as OKW, OKH. OKM. OKL had not seen the need for a strategic airforce of long range fighters and high altitude heavy bombers (plus aircraft carriers for the inevitable last fight with the US after mastery of Europe) that will serve as a deterrent in any enforced peace with Britain and USSR, or as an indisepnsable deep penetrating tool for crippling her enemies' military-political-industrial complexes, the cross-Channel invasion of Britain, the strangling of trans-Atlantic trade between Britian and her Dminions as well as her banker, the US.

Inter-service rivalry will see the Luftwaffe refusing to build up a naval air arm, or let the Kriegamrine to have one, nor did the latter, with its uni-dimensional focus on the war at sea, see the need for aircover and aircraft carriers ( all because of the myopic expedient that for the same amount of steel, you can build 20 U boats in a shorter time) for her naval units. This led to the loss of aircover over her bases, and drove the U boats underwater (thus limiting her striking power as they fought on the surface!) and her surface units immobilised in hideouts in France and Norway.

Without a strategic airforce, and with the loss of air supremacy at home and above the battelfields, Germany suffred from the vicious cycle of loss of aircover, then devastated industries, then even less aircrafts, arms and munitions to fight off her enemies on all fronts,and so on. In the end, the Luftwaffe was no more than the Heer's last mobile artiller and machine gun battalions (most of the Heer's artillery was horse drawn) and the Kreigsmarine an impotent coast guard.

It would be interesting to see if, like the Generalstab, most of the Heer transferees were artillerists ( the most technical proficient branch and thus uniquely suited to the technically most demanding service), who with their mindset would predisposed them to a tactical, close support vision of the Luftwaffe

Excellent Book on this portion of the Eastern Front.......2004-09-04

The author has done an outstanding job on this book. I was very pleased with the coverage of the Crimean battles of early 1942 and the launching of Operation Blue when Richtofen's Corps was moved north to support the attack. You get a good, solid picture of the decision's at Army Command, Group, corp, and Division level throughout. The best part for me about a book is when I learn not just one thing, but learn new info on several aspect's of this huge struggle in the East. Enough praise now purchase this book! Anyone interested in the Eastern Front of WW2 should have this book.

Hitler's Luftwaffe: A Pictorial History and Technical Encyclopedia of Hitler's Air Power in World War II

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Nice companion to 'Warplanes of the Third Reich'
Oustanding Historical Reference Volume

Hitler's Luftwaffe: A Pictorial History and Technical Encyclopedia of Hitler's Air Power in World War II
Tony Wood , and Bill Gunston
Manufacturer: Book Sales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0890097585

Customer Reviews:

Nice companion to 'Warplanes of the Third Reich'.......2002-09-03

There are quite a few books about this subject on the market, and I rate this one second best. Top of the market in my eyes is 'Warplanes of the Third Reich' by William Green (672 pages!), but this book can serve as a nice companion or indeed as a replacement if your budget is a bit tight. The main advantage this book has compared to William Green masterpiece is the colour artwork, which is sadly lacking in the Green book. The only thing in which the comparison falls out negative against Green is the amount of information about each individual plane, but there is more general information about the Luftwaffe in WW2 to make this up. Highly recommended indeed.

Oustanding Historical Reference Volume.......2000-05-04

This work is an exhaustive study of the Luftwaffe's inventory from 1931 - 1945. Naturally the famous are here: Ju87, Me109/110/262, Fw190, He111/162, but the obscure as well: the Bv40 Interceptor Glider(!), the asymmetric Bv141 observation aircraft, and the He100 fighter. The entries (with drawings or photographs) of these one-off variants and technological near-misses make the volume worth owning. Over 150 fixed-wing aircraft, gliders and helicopters are combined with an excellent overview of the Luftwaffe from creation to destruction. Additionally, appendices contain the Luftwaffe's chain of command, and a glossary of Luftwaffe-speak.

Book Description

This is the personal account of a Luftwaffe aide always at Hitler's side from 1937 until the last days in Berlin, now published for the first time in English. Nicolaus von Below was a 29-year-old pilot when Goering selected him for the position of Hitler's Luftwaffe adjutant. He was with Hitler at every stage as World War II was planned, started and unfolded, and his observations tell of Hitler's responses to momentous events as well as military decisions and policy-making at Fnhrer Headquarters. His account is a superb source describing life in Hitler's inner circle, relied on by Gitta Sereny in her biography of Albert Speer. He provides fascinating insight into how Hitler planned the invasions of Poland and Russia, what he thought of Britain and America, why he placed his faith in the V-1 and V-2 projects, how others dealt with him, and much more. Von Below was present at the assassination attempt in July 1944, and records the effect on Hitler and his followers. He portrays the hopeless mood caused by Germany's losses in 1944 and the collapse of German fronts in 1945, leading to Hitler's final days as the war in Europe came to an end. Von Below was the last of Hitler's close military entourage to emerge from the bunker alive.

Customer Reviews:

The story of Hitler's Air Force Aide........2006-07-17

Von Below was Hitler's Luftwaffe aide. He details his story through the war years at Hitler's side. Von Below is somewhat self serving here as he tries to portray he had Hitler's ear on many important matters such as equipment and personnel. Perhaps he did, or maybe Hitler used him as a sounding board. It is interesting to read the revelations on Hitler's inner circle. Nothing new in facts are proved by his story. However, we get a better idea on how Hitler functioned during the war years.

Historians will find nothing new in this story. Hitler is portrayed as a hypocrite when he hears about the Katyn Forest Massacre of Polish officers and says that one should expect that from the Soviets. This was during the time when his soldiers and SS were massacring millions. As stated, the author inflates his contribution to Hitler's decisions. Otherwise, this is a nice read.

Worth the read.......2005-01-26

This book doesn't present anything groundbreaking about Hitler, but it s particularly valuable for its picture of what it was like to live around Hitler for many years. As part of Hitler's personal staff, especially for such a long time, Below's experiences were obviously unique and would be interesting to anyone interested in WWII or Hitler. It present an insider's view of what was going on at Hitler's headquarters. In many cases (he claimed) he was not in the know. Below wrote that it was only later, after the war, that he found out the full extent of the atrocities. This was probably true, as it was with many members of his personal staff, who lived isolated lives with Hitler, who never spoke directly about it. Below does say, however, that he finds it inconceivable that Himmler would have exterminated Jews without Hitler's knowledge. Himmmler would not have informed Hitler about the details, writes Below, but Hitler certainly gave his go-ahead. It's little passages like this one that make this book interesting to read, if one is interested in the subject.

Self-serving and dry.......2003-07-05

Readers expecting a plethora of new information on Hitler will be sorely disappointed. Von Below is a pedantic, careful and very dry reteller of history and his memoirs seem contrived in points and highly self-serving. Many reviews point out that von Below never heard Hitler mention the Jews or the death camps, but this is quite believable. Hitler compartmentalized all personal relationships and why would he mention these any atrocities to his Luftwaffe adjutant?

Von Below doesn't really tell us anything new about Hitler, and his personal anecdotes are tragically few. He comes up with some pithy observations on Goering and Goebbels, but it's frustrating that he doesn't elaborate more on Hitler, his entourage, or the inner workings at the Berghof, the Chancellory or in various wartime HQ's.

The book's main flaw is that it ends almost mid-word and mid-sentence. There is no explanation of what happened to von Below after the war, he simply stops the narrative and packs up shop. Very curious indeed. One improvement over the German-language version is the addition of notes, an expanded index and some editorial inclusions. Another weakness is that von Below was never close to Hitler, nor part of his intimate personal entourage. His transactions with Hitler were generally of a military, not personal, nature, but don't expect many fireworks in this dry tome.

A Treasure!.......2002-09-21

Although the book ends quite abruptly, it was a book that I could not put down. One can almost see in first-person Hitlers moods and thought processes. It's as if you were in the room with him. Very, very interesting.

A Sophisticated & Articulate Memoir.......2002-08-15

Von Below was Adolf Hitler's Luftwaffe adjutant for eight years, from 1937 to the very end of the war. As such he held many intimate conversations with Hitler and in this well-written (and very well translated) memoir, he claims to have had Der Fuhrer's confidence. That he remained in this job for 8 years is proof enough of that fact. Von Below's portrait of Hitler on the job is very different from the raving single-minded maniac usually portrayed in movies and popular biographies. Von Below claims that if one knew how to approach Hitler one could reason with him and even get him to change his mind. By this account Hitler was a hard-working, dedicated, charismatic and intelligent leader who was often misled by his subordinates. Von Below claims to have known nothing about the mass murders committed by the Nazis. He also claims to have had serious misgivings about Hitler's war strategy; and he writes that he was well aware of the shortcomings of the Luftwaffe. As a pilot himself, I tend to believe him outright on this point, but otherwise I don't know how much of the insight he claims to have had into strategic matters might have been colored by hindsight. In any event, he was never able to convince Hitler although he writes that many times he did express his doubts to Der Fuhrer, who always heard him out. Compare this book with the memoir written by Hitler's pilot, Hans Bauer. Both men, knowing the end was inevitable, stuck it out and for that we must admire their courage and dedication. I don't think they remained with Hitler in Germany's doomed capital because of some lemming-like compulsion to destruction ingrained in the German psyche, but because of their personal devotion to Hitler. And since neither man was an idiot nor a war criminal with nothing to lose, commanding such loyalty from men like these says a lot about Adolf Hitler's personality. Bauer spent 10 years in a Russian POW camp while von Below managed to escape the Russians after Hitler gave him permission to escape from Berlin. For my money this book ends too abruptly. I would like to know what happened to von Below after the war and that is why I gave it only 4 stars. But in summary, this book is a valuable addition to the study of Adolf Hitler and a testament to its author, who I think was a man of honor.

Hitler's Luftwaffe in the Spanish Civil War (Contributions in Military Studies)

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Hitler's Luftwaffe in the Spanish Civil War (Contributions in Military Studies)
Raymond L. Proctor
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Using existing Spanish and German documents and interviews with men who survived both the Spanish Civil War and World War II, Proctor details the origins of Germany's Condor Legion, sent by Hitler to assist Franco's forces during the Spanish Civil War. He investigates the problems encountered by the legion in Spain, including its organization, the extent of its training, the nature of its personnel, communications, and logistics, and the experience of operating in a foreign country as one of three allied forces in the civil war. The author provides detailed information about the German involvement in critical battles such as the Aragon Offensive, the Battle of Ebro, and the final assault on Catalonia. Proctor also assesses how effectively the Luftwaffe applied the lessons it learned in Spain to World War II and analyzes the lessons it missed.

Customer Reviews:

bibliographic data provided by EarthTomes:.......2005-11-17

Author: Proctor, Raymond L.
Title: Hitler's Luftwaffe in the Spanish Civil War / Raymond L. Proctor.
Publisher: Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 1983.
Edition Date: 1983
Language: English
Notes: Includes index.
Physical Details: x, 289 p. : maps ; 24 cm.
Series: Contributions in military history, ISSN 0084-9251 ; no. 35
Subjects: Spain.--Ejército Nacional.--Legión Cóndor.
Spain--History--Civil War, 1936-1939--Participation, German.
Spain--History--Civil War, 1936-1939--Aerial operations.
Spain--History--Civil War, 1936-1939--Regimental histories.
ISBN: 0-313-22246-0 (lib. bdg.)

Hitler's Fall Guys: An Examination of the Luftwaffe by One of America's Most Famous Aces

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Interesting but disappointing
A True Expert's Inside View
An Expert's View of the Luftwaffee
The Luftwaffe examined by an informed expert.
An insider's analysis of a powerful but flawed enemy.

Hitler's Fall Guys: An Examination of the Luftwaffe by One of America's Most Famous Aces
Walker M. Mahurin
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

This new book by famed U.S. ace Walker "Bud" Mahurin, is an examination of Germany's Luftwaffe by one who fought against them in the skies over Europe, and who befriended them after the war. Having found himself lucky enough to be included in some of the history of the United States Air Force because of his exploits during World War II and the war in Korea, Mahurin has become acquainted over the years with a number of ex-enemy airmen he fought against. Never expecting to destroy a number of enemy aircraft in his combat experiences, he considered himself fortunate to get to know leading combat airmen in his own air force as well as in the United Kingdom and Germany., b/w photographs, 6" x 9"

Customer Reviews:

Interesting but disappointing.......2002-01-14

I looked forward to reading this book very much and perhaps that is why I'm disappointed with it. It starts off well but somewhere along the line is sidetracked. I can't tell if its poor editing or if a significant part of the text is pulled from the interview text with Galland after the war (the English usage is poor; too poor for a someone who's first language is English). Despite other reviews to the contrary, I didn't find the "analysis" to be hardhitting. I found it redundant. It seemed like the only "analysis" was that of Galland, a supporter of the fighter service, which states over and over that the fighter service was mishandled. It's almost a sour grapes refrain. The very end of the book seems to try to make a case of how effective the Luftwaffe fighter arm was by quoting lots of statistics that don't seem to add up. Editing again or poor research? It reads quickly so give it a go if the subject is a favorite but don't expect anything from the "analysis" side.

A True Expert's Inside View.......2000-01-06

Walker Marhurin is one of America's greatest heroes, having shot down enemy aircraft in Europe, the Pacific and Korea, and having himself been shot down in all three theaters. He was also a marvelous leader in the air, and his comments on the Luftwaffe are invaluable. "Bud" takes both the contemporary German accounts and the later review of German activity by their leading aces, and analyzes them in simple straight forward language. This is a book that anyone with an interest in World War II aviation must have!

An Expert's View of the Luftwaffee.......1999-12-16

Hey, I'm just trying to get your attention! I've submitted two reviews on this book in the past and you've not used them. Any reason? Your pal, Walter Boyne

The Luftwaffe examined by an informed expert........1999-11-27

Few authors bring to the table the extraordinary qualifications of Colonel Walker "Bud" Mahurin, a truly legendary fighter pilot. Mahurin examines the rise and fall of the German Luftwaffe through the critical eyes of a man who fought against them successfully, and then came to know many of the principal leaders in the post-war period. The result is a very even analysis, giving credit where it is due (and the Luftwaffe pilots served their country well) and taking issue with the basic bad decisions of Luftwaffe leadership. Mahurin is the only man to have both scored victories and been shot down in the European, Pacific and Korean theaters, and his hard won experience is invaluable in assessing the brave, if ultimately futile, efforts of the German air force.

An insider's analysis of a powerful but flawed enemy........1999-11-18

Hitler's Fall Guys is an unusual book in that it is written by one of the greatest of American aviation heroes, Colonel Walker "Bud" Mahurin, about his one-time enemies, the men of the Luftwaffe. Mahurin, the only man who has scored victories in the European, Pacific and Korean theaters of war AND been shot down in all three of them as well, does two things. One, he presents familiar material in an entirly new light, offering insights never before presented, and based on his vast combat experience. Two, he presents entirely new material, again based on his unusual combination of experience and insight. Throughout the book, Bud maintains exactly the right tone of respect for the achievements of the Luftwaffe and hard-hitting analysis of its failures. This book fills in a lot of loose ends that books by former members of the Luftwaffe leave unanswered. A fine book by a true hero!

Average customer rating:

Hitler's Luftwaffe
Tony Woods , and Bill Gunston
Manufacturer: Random House Value Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books

History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 051718771X

Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain (Hitler's Forces Series)

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Unique Perspective of Battle of Britian

Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain (Hitler's Forces Series)
Armand Van Ishoven
Manufacturer: Vanwell Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Book Description

The Battle of Britain has always been seen as one of the major turning points of the war: the might of the Luftwaffe, devastator of half of Europe, turned towards the beleaguered British Isles to stamp out the RAF and prepare the way for Operation Sea Lion, the first proper invasion of Great Britain since 1066. So much pride and national spirit is tied up in this crucial battle that it has spawned numerous films and its anniversaries are greeted by television and newspaper coverage year after year. Hundreds of books have been written on the subject, its stories retold time and time again and one would think a new approach to the subject well nigh impossible.

Armand van Ishoven has done the impossible. A well respected author and authority on the Luftwaffe, his close contacts with wartime veterans have produced a fascinating collection of eyewitness accounts and reports many produced while the heat of battle was still on the writers and a staggering number of German photographs, few of which have been published before.

Customer Reviews:

Unique Perspective of Battle of Britian.......2000-03-31

This is an excellent book of vingettes from the perspective of the German Air Force. Broken into small chapters with hundreds of pictures never published before, the author has documented the air war from the participants perspective.

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