The German Aces Speak: World War II Through the Eyes of Four of the Luftwaffe's Most Important Commanders

Colin D. Heaton · Anne-Marie Lewis · Brig. Gen. Robin Olds, USAF (Ret.) · Oberleutnant Kurt Schulze

Nov 2011 · Zenith Press

About this ebook

DIVDIVFor the first time, four German WWII pilots share their side of the story./divDIV/divDIVFew perspectives epitomize the sheer drama and sacrifice of combat more perfectly than those of the fighter pilots of World War II. As romanticized as any soldier in history, the WWII fighter pilot was viewed as larger than life: a dashing soul waging war amongst the clouds. In the sixty-five-plus years since the Allied victory, stories of these pilots’ heroics have never been in short supply. But what about their adversaries—the highly skilled German aviators who pushed the Allies to the very brink of defeat?/divDIV/divDIVOf all of the Luftwaffe’s fighter aces, the stories of Walter Krupinski, Adolf Galland, Eduard Neumann, and Wolfgang Falck shine particularly bright. In The German Aces Speak, for the first time in any book, these four prominent and influential Luftwaffe fighter pilots reminisce candidly about their service in World War II. Personally interviewed by author and military historian Colin Heaton, they bring the past to life as they tell their stories about the war, their battles, their lives, and, perhaps most importantly, how they felt about serving under the Nazi leadership of Hermann Göring and Adolf Hitler. From thrilling air battles to conflicts on the ground with their own commanders, the aces’ memories disclose a side of World War II that has gone largely unseen by the American public: the experience of the German pilot./div/div

About the author

Professor Colin D. Heaton served in the U.S. Army and later the U.S. Marines. He was a guest historian on the History Channel program Dogfights: “Secret Weapons,� and he has authored several books of military history, including German Anti-Partisan Warfare in Europe 1939–1945 and Night Fighters: The Luftwaffe and RAF Air Combat over Europe, 1939–1945, which he coauthored with Anne-Marie Lewis. He has taught history and military history at American Military University.

Anne-Marie Lewis received her BA with honors and MA from American Military University in international relations and is also a professional photographer. She coauthoredNight Fighters: The Luftwaffe and RAF Air Combat over Europe 1939–1945with Colin Heaton, andalsoNoble Warrior: TheStory of Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, USMC (Ret.), Medal of Honorwith Colin Heaton and Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston.