The Luftwaffe

To be honest,I most probably wouldn`t have bought a book like this but I had to read it, because of my studies.Now I buy my own one because I must have it!It is excellent to read and James S. Corum speaks fluently German and had access to all important archives as well as he had contact to a lot of families of former Luftwaffe aces and Generals.His studies are reliable and of excellent use for all who are interested in this topic.I just bought his new one from Richthofen. Lets see how that is.I`ll keep you informed on that one too.This book is also a very usefull gift for aviators who are interested in this matter.

Another outstanding contribution to 20th Century military history by the Univ. of Kansas Press. God bless them, they publish some great monographs. Proessors Corum and Muller of the School of Advanced Airpower Studies at Mawell A.F.B. know more about the Luftwaffe than any people in the world, except maybe Horst Boog in Germany. And since all you can get by Boog is the incredibly expensive volume he worked on in the WWII history they are writing in Germany, I am very happy with Profs. Corum & Muller. I wonder if they are happy at Maxwell A.F.B. or would rather be at some Big 10 school writing their stuff? Anyway, Corum's book is an excellent look at how the German operational air war was created. Quite readable, it has flat out some of the best general discussion on the Spanish Civil War I have ever read, going beyond just air operations. Corum understands that air operations necessarily include strategic, tactical, and naval operations, and goes into German naval air operations even while the Kriegsmarine itself put so little effort into a fleet air arm. Good discussions of all of the key characters, and this is another book that makes it clear that someone has to get around to writing a book on Manfred von Richtofen. This book is not for the casual WWII reader, and coming to it with some knowledge of German air types is helpful. All in all I enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to students of the Luftwaffe or WWII air operations in general.

James Corum has penned a masterful account of the birth and rise of the Luftwaffe, starting with German air power during World War I and concluding with the onset of the Second World War. He writes with authority and clarity on the subject and has been rightfully recognized for dispelling many wrongfully-held concepts regarding the Luftwaffe.I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the subject. Read it.

A highly detailed account of the development of a "shadow" Luftwaffe following WW I through the start of WW II. Germanmilitary and politicians planned a new air force, tested aircraft, trained pilots and did a great deal to facilitate the creation ofthe Luftwaffe during the period when the Versailles Treaty allowed no German air force. Pilots were trained for civil airlinesand gliding clubs for young men were subsidized. When the Nazis came to power, they threw the Versailles Treaty out thewindow and began constructing military aircraft, air fields, infrastructure. Detailed enough to satisfy the sophisticate historybuff.

A great history book- something that is extraordinarily rare these days. Near perfect in every detail. Buy it.