I Flew for the Führer

by Heinz Knoke

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"Reading like a novel, this primary source is a valuable look at the 'other side' of World War II aviation."--Gazette665   Heinz Knoke was one of the outstanding German fighter pilots of World War II and this vivid first-hand record of his experiences has become a classic among aviation memoirs, a bestselling counterbalance to the numerous accounts written by Allied pilots.   Knoke joined the Luftwaffe on the outbreak of war, and eventually became commanding officer of a fighter wing. An show more outstandingly brave and skillful fighter, he logged over two thousand flights, and shot down fifty-two enemy aircraft. He had flown over four hundred operational missions before being crippled by wounds in an astonishing 'last stand' towards the end of the war. He was awarded the Knight's Cross for his achievements. In a text that reveals his intense patriotism and discipline, he describes being brought up in the strict Prussian tradition, the impact of the coming of the Nazi regime, and his own wartime career set against a fascinating study of everyday life in the Luftwaffe, and of the high morale of the force until its disintegration.   In a postscript provided for this edition, Heinz Knoke writes of the struggle to survive after the war in Germany, and his building of a new life. Now that the Berlin Wall has been torn down, his memoirs are set in a new perspective, both a valuable contribution to aviation literature and a moving human story. show less

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4 reviews
I really enjoyed this. So interesting to get a perspective from "the enemy's side". The decline in his mental state and health as the war went on, with more of his friends and colleagues being killed is clearly marked, and quite affecting. His belief in what they were doing was clearly shaken and he came to believe they had been lied to by their leaders, just as we so often feel here. Different country, different war - but we're more similar than you would think.

Very entertaining and easy to read.
I agree with the other review that the book is very interesting and I suspect that most of the descriptions of battle and airfield life would be supported by allied airmen.
Just bare in mind that these are the words of a stupid little Prussian who thought that the West should join with the Nazis in attacking Bolshevism. And that that was the 3rd Reich's real crime.
"Heinz Knoke was one of the outstanding German fighter pilots of the Second World War and this vivid record of his experiences has become a classic among aviation memoirs. He joined the Luftwaffe on the outbreak of war, eventually becoming commanding officer of a fighter wing. An outstandingly brave and skilful fighter, he logged over two thousand flights, four hundred operational missions and was officially credited with thirty-three combat wins. He was awarded the Knight's Cross for his achievements." "I Flew for the Fuhrer reveals his intense patriotism and discipline. He describes his upbringing in the strict Prussian tradition, the impact of the coming of the Nazi regime, his wartime career and everyday life in the Luftwaffe, and show more the utter desolation he experienced when the end came and the war was lost."--BOOK JACKET. show less

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Common Knowledge

Canonical title
I Flew for the Führer
Original title
Die große Jagd

Classifications

Genres
History, Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir, General Nonfiction
DDC/MDS
940.54History & geographyHistory of EuropeHistory of Europe1918-Military history of World War II
LCC
D787 .K613History of Europe, Asia, Africa and OceaniaHistory (General)World War II (1939-1945)
BISAC

Statistics

Members
241
Popularity
133,919
Reviews
3
Rating
(3.86)
Languages
7 — English, Finnish, French, German, Icelandic, Spanish, Swedish
Media
Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
ISBNs
22
ASINs
20