The Illustrated Red Baron: The Life and Times of Manfred von Richthofen

by Peter Kilduff

Trace the legend, from its beginning to the final patrol. Baron Manfred von Richthofen, the top-scoring fighter ace of the First World War, remains practically without peer. In his short, but very glittering, career, this handsome, athletic, chivalrous, and gallant man had what is now called "star power," becoming an inspiration to fellow pilots and countrymen alike. His history unfolds here in generously annotated photographic biography, filled with 220 rare images that illuminate Richthofen's public and private lives. "...a distinguished historian of World War I aviation...offers...distinguished, illustrated coverage of...the legendary Red Baron. Making use of material, including photographs, from Richthofen family archives that were long sequestered by the Communists, Kilduff comprehensively summarizes Richthofen's career, mentors, comrades, aircraft, and opponents....a superior collection of graphic material concerning World War I aviation generally."-- Booklist .

Genres: Biography, History, War, Nonfiction, Aviation, World War I

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[ოთო გიგოლაშვილი · Rating 5 out of 5]

პდფ-ს ჩაგიგდებთ ვისაც გინდათ😆

[Donna Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The infamous Red Baron's life and career were both terribly short, but in that stretch of time, he gained a great deal of credit for shooting down an unheard-of number of planes. After a certain point, air force bombers were retired, at least until things really hit the fan at the end of the war. Young Von Richtofen was dead by then. He refused to retire.

I have marked this as a primary source, which is not really correct, since the man did not live to write his memoirs. It does contain a number of valuable primary sources, such as photographs and photographs of letters, and when my daughter and I did a home school assignment involving the First World War, this was a must-have, since she was interested in the air war.

If you search for sources on the Red Baron, you will be amazed how thin they are on the ground, given his fame. Part of the cost of losing a war is having a lot of your history gone, at least in many cases. This is a treasure.

[Jeri Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has hasn't heard of the Red Baron? Even Snoopy himself considers this man worth imitating. He is the stuff legends are made of. A hero in War. A fierce competitor. A dare devil, with such amazing skill that he painted his fleets planes RED so that others would actually see them coming, and know fear. Where most war pilots at this time had a life span of only weeks, Manfred managed to defy death for years... and make the most kills until a stray bullet took him down at the tender age of 25. This book gives detailed accounts of his history, accompanied by amazing photographs. Its worth having in your library.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was, essentially, a pictorial history of Richthofen's war achievements. It was a little dry and a little too detail-heavy (too many specifics, not enough of the bigger-picture), but it was an enjoyable, easy read.