Christer Bergström

This is the best book yet in Bergstrom's series studying operational air warfare on the Eastern Front in World War II. In this part Bergstrom seems to have had more access to command-level documentation, which really gives you the feel of the cut and thrust of how the air staffs responded to each other in a battle that was as much a turning point in the air as it was on the ground. I really can't say enough good things about it.

A detailed tactical accounting of the air war over the Soviet Union in 1941 that is also a very nice package as an artifact. What is a little bit disappointing is that I would have liked to have seen more about the input rendered by the higher Luftwaffe commanders at the Luftflotte level, or at least some explanation of why they apparently displayed relatively little operational direction. This is even when considering that the author does a good job of documenting the process by which show more German air power began to dwindle into being merely a tactical force. show less

I liked this second book in Bergstrom's history of operational air warfare on the Eastern Front much better than "Barbarossa," if only because the author gives a better sense of how the German and Soviet air commanders tried to impose their will on the situation. Again, you have Classic's fine production values, which comes with Classic's fairly high price (this was an interlibrary loan for me), which makes "Stopped at Stalingrad" a good alternate buying option.

A superb study for both the historian and modeler, this book contains 124 color profiles showing Luftwaffe single-engine fighter aircraft - Bf 109, Fw 190, Ta 152, Me 262, Me 163, and He 162 - once piloted by some of the most famous German aces of World War II. Also shown are war-era photographs of select aircraft and pilots. The book begins with a summary of Luftwaffe fighter camouflage and color schemes on the various war fronts, then explains unit markings, tactical codes, personal show more markings and other markings. Luftwaffe Fighter Aircraft in Profile serves as the perfect introduction to the history of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. At the same time, it is an indispensable volume to the aircraft modeler. show less