What is everyone reading?

Mahross--please let me know what you think of the Red Baron book please? I NEED to start doing more ww1 reading.

 

Well, getting back on topic my latest ones are:

"Rommels War in Africa" by Wolf Heckmann

"Battle of Western Europe" by Michael Tamelander

"Red Storm on the Reich" by Cristopher Duffy

 

Heart, How is the Rommel book by Heckmann? I bought it myself a few months ago and it is in my to-read pile....

Should I bring it to the top or bootom?

 

Bring it to the top! It is very readable and enjoyable, in much the same way as Cornelius Ryan.

Rommel-fans beware though - Heckmann paints a pretty objective portrait and brings forward some less than charming personal qualities about the sly ole' Fox...

...I'll just leave that comment there as a cliffhanger)...

 

Thanks Heartland!

If it is like Ryan's book, it should be great!

I have the German edition, so that'll do wonders for my German reading skills...

 

Stevin i'm still reading Hitlers Gladiator--and I like it a lot -- and thank you for it After I finish this--i'm going to read: "Ostfront: Hitler's War On Russia 1941-45" by: Charles Winchester.

I just bought it today and have done some reading already. It seems to be well-written and had many nice photos and art work in it. A majority of the art is by Ron Volstad.

After this--i'm going to buy another Osprey title that is a 2 vol set on German Fokker D-VII aces. I'm here late today because of reading this book at Barnes and Nobles. This one is VERY well done.

 

Fokker DVII aces ? is that right ?! that sounds cool. will like your opinions on that after you receive the set.

~E

 

Oh on already reading vol.1--vol 2 isnt out yet but vol.1 is EXCELLENT--and i'll be buying that book sometime this week. It also has many many great pics of these ww1 aces i've never seen before. The Aircraft profiles are very well done as well.

Just from vol 1, i've gleaned some nice info--some I had known and some I had not.

For example:

The top three German Aces in ww1 were:

Rittmeister Manfred von Richthoffen with 80-82 victories. He was in command of Jasta 1 until he was killed in action and Oberleutnant Hermann Goring became the next and final Co of Jasta 1. ((This I had known))

Leutnant der Reserve Ernst Udet with 62 victories while serving with Jasta 4. ((This I had not known as well as Udets victory Nr's.

Leutnant Fritz Friedrichs with 54 victories included in this total were 21 Balloons. He served with Jasta 10. ((I had not know this info on these two men.

All I can say is that I love Osprey Aviation titles.

 

Carl :

Ah I didn't know that the Baron flew a D VII since he was killed in a triplane.... hhhhhhmmmm ?
ok I'm stumped.

by chance do you also own "German Knights of the air, 1914-1918 by Treadwell and Wood ?

All I have on the Fokker 7 is the squadron/Signal piece.

 

Carl,

"Ostfront: Hitler's War On Russia 1941-45" by: Charles Winchester.It´s a very good book. Especially interesting stats on both sides make it worth while so the huge losses can just make you amazed...

 

Carl i've only just started reading it but seems very good so far. has a list of his kills in the back.

the latest book on my never ending reading list is:
- The Charge of the Bull: A History of the 11th British Armoured Division in Normandy 1944 by Jean Brisset and translated by Tom Bates.

 

I'm not actually reading a book at this moment. But I try to read my Time Magazine every week.

 

getting back to Carl's post briefly about the Osprey D.VII aces. For everyone's info on how effective this bi-plane was. Jasta 2 shot down 81 Allied a/c between September 12 and the 18th of 1918... ! whoa

~E

 

Hi Erich, Kai, Mahross:

Erich, I don't know what manfred flew before the tri-plane and I don't think vol.1 mentioned much more on him than that he was brother to Lothar and also they showed a pic of Lothar with their father (I forget his name) one thing I did learn is that they were from the Sileasia area of Germany.

I have something to do with German air aces oin ww1--but I think it is the book that lists a bit of info on only Richthoffens victories. I think it was called: "Under the guns of the Red Baron?" but not sure. I havent seen this book in at least 3 years--I might have loaned it out to somebody and completely forgot about it. If I did loan it out--I have no clue who I let borrow it. Now--I might get lucky and I might find it packed away somewhere.

I've heard of German knights of the Air--but I don't think I ever bought it. In fact--THAT book might have been the one I bought instead of the one on the Red Baron. I remember Barnes and Nobles had both on the shelves at the sametime and I only was able to buy one of the two books and I remember I wanted both of them.

I used to have a few Squadron/signal books but--I found out during the unpacking of a box of books just after moving--that the few books I had were partially eaten by mice so I chucked them. Fragging rodents tick me off to no end.

Kai, thanks for your input on Chas's book--I already like what little I read. I'll finish reading it after I finish Hitlers Gladiator.

Hi Mahross--which book is that that lists his kills? Is it the one Erich mentioned? pls let me know for sure. I'd hate to invest in the wrong book.

[ 06. May 2003, 05:34 PM: Message edited by: C.Evans ]

 

Time top replenish those old Squadron titles friend, Fokker Dr 1, the D-7 and Albatros eh ?

Manfred wanted the Fokker VII and tired to wait to have the Jasta's totally refitted but he was killed in a Dr 1 before it ever happened. His brother Lothar evidently the D.VII successfully as well as a rather skinny Hermann Göring in a beautiful all white a/c., and an impressive tally to his credit I might add along with the Pour le Merit !

~E

 

Know Im off topic Erich..but got to shout out for the old Sopwith Camel..tells you my taste in operational aircraft of the wars..especially when I choose the Fairey Battle for ww2.

 

I agree with you Erich--except on replenishing squadron titles. I never really cared for them except for a thick book they put out on German Panzer camo schemes on the Eastern Front--which I still have--luckily.

Urgh--I too like the Sopwith Camel--had a nice 1 3/5th scale model of one once--I blasted it to smithereeens with firecrackers.

 

Shall we set up the Sopwith Camel fan club? Fantastic aircraft, perhapse the most agile fighter of WW1 and probably better than the Snipe really. Actually I have always been a fan of the Dolphin as well, shame so many pilots disliked it as it looks like a good aircraft on paper. Little factoid, the Sopwith Pup's turning circle was far better on one side than another (the left I seem to remember) and so when designing the Camel Sopwith took this into account and compensated. As a result the Camel turned far better to the other side (the right funnily enough). Finally the main reason the Camel was so agile was because it had a degree of inherant instability and so could be thrown around all over the place, but only by a skilled pilot. Actually the Se.5 was technically a better aircraft, particularly for new pilots, but it was more stable than the Camel and hense less agile.

 

The Sopwith triplane was a good fighter also for the Royal Navy. The Germans copied it and called it the Fokker Dr.1

On the Camel, I can not understand why they used a rotory engine this late in the war. That is what made it turn on a dime but also kill many inexperienced pilots. Early in the war they used rotory engines because they were easier to keep cool with the whole engine spinning but later on they learned how to cowl the engines for better cooling performace.

 

Carl, you did that too...I used to take many hours making ww2 ship models, only to place em against shed in back garden, retire a good distance, get 22 air rifle and blow the things to smithereens... Maybe its a trait in us war forum guys...