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Ballantine's Illustrated History of World War II / the Violent Century: Weapons Book #4
Messerschmitt 109
s/ Willy Messerschmitt's Peerless Frighter
Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
About the author
Martin Caidin
200 books82 followersMartin Caidin was a prolific and controversial writer. Most of his work centered around the adventures of pilots and astronauts. A number of his books were notable for their reasonable, realistic predictions of then-futuristic technology.
Caidin's body of work was prolific and varied, ranging from additional speculative/SF novels such as Marooned, which was made into an acclaimed film and considered a harbinger of the Apollo 13 accident, to a novel based upon the character Indiana Jones. He also wrote many non-fiction books about science, aviation and warfare.
Caidin began writing fiction in 1957. In his career he authored more than 50 fiction and nonfiction books as well as more than 1,000 magazine articles. His best-known novel is Cyborg, which was the basis for "The Six Million Dollar Man" franchise. He also wrote numerous works of military history, especially concerning aviation.
In addition to his writing Caidin was a pilot and active in the restoration and flying of older planes.
Caidin's body of work was prolific and varied, ranging from additional speculative/SF novels such as Marooned, which was made into an acclaimed film and considered a harbinger of the Apollo 13 accident, to a novel based upon the character Indiana Jones. He also wrote many non-fiction books about science, aviation and warfare.
Caidin began writing fiction in 1957. In his career he authored more than 50 fiction and nonfiction books as well as more than 1,000 magazine articles. His best-known novel is Cyborg, which was the basis for "The Six Million Dollar Man" franchise. He also wrote numerous works of military history, especially concerning aviation.
In addition to his writing Caidin was a pilot and active in the restoration and flying of older planes.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 13, 2022
It took me a little bit to get into this book, as Martin Caidin has chosen to trace the development and history of this Iconic Nazi Fighter Aircraft by giving every single variant of the plane and its technical specifications. At first, I thought this mindless and pedantic- but there is a method to his madness. This is the most produced Fight Aircraft EVER. In continuous production from 1937 to 1958, when the last Spanish Me-109s- called C-4Js were built, this might have been the best way to make such an epic story fit into the Ballantine's tight 160 page format. A VERY informative and fun to read little book.
Taking all the best ideas from his Me 108 Trainer/transport, Willy Messerschmitt, the great Aircraft designer built a Prototype that was pretty ahead of its time. All metal construction, retractable wheels and low slung single wings were just coming into fashion- and Willy hit on a very good design- although some technical problems would continue with the plane for all it life (weak landing gear struts, etc). Then- from the Spanish Civil war to the depths of WWII, this plane would be changed and modified in literally dozens of ways to adjust to the changing needs of the battle air. Engines would come and go- and armament would develop from two Machine Guns to the multiple cannon of the late war birds. By giving you every possible change and explaining WHY it was done- we get the story of the plane- the war- and a little bit on the men that flew it and their inflated kill scores.
This Ballantine's format is great for this topic for younger readers- as intended. for the Gamer/Modeller/Military Enthusiast this is more of a great introduction- that will ready you for further reading on this aircraft and the Luftwaffe that used it. Brilliant background that will help indirectly with Scenario/Diorama development if not directly- and will certainly serve as an appetizer for more study. A straight rec- very informative for its size.
Taking all the best ideas from his Me 108 Trainer/transport, Willy Messerschmitt, the great Aircraft designer built a Prototype that was pretty ahead of its time. All metal construction, retractable wheels and low slung single wings were just coming into fashion- and Willy hit on a very good design- although some technical problems would continue with the plane for all it life (weak landing gear struts, etc). Then- from the Spanish Civil war to the depths of WWII, this plane would be changed and modified in literally dozens of ways to adjust to the changing needs of the battle air. Engines would come and go- and armament would develop from two Machine Guns to the multiple cannon of the late war birds. By giving you every possible change and explaining WHY it was done- we get the story of the plane- the war- and a little bit on the men that flew it and their inflated kill scores.
This Ballantine's format is great for this topic for younger readers- as intended. for the Gamer/Modeller/Military Enthusiast this is more of a great introduction- that will ready you for further reading on this aircraft and the Luftwaffe that used it. Brilliant background that will help indirectly with Scenario/Diorama development if not directly- and will certainly serve as an appetizer for more study. A straight rec- very informative for its size.
May 14, 2024
This book was written in 1968 by Martin Caidin. It is part of Purnell’s History of the Second World War. (Weapons book, No. 4). The Me-109 was Germany’s best and most prolific fighter during the Second World War not including the jets that became operational late in the war. This book is like other books covering single-model-aircraft that fought during the war. Like most of these books, it covers many models and variants.
Like most British and German fighters in the European war, the Me-109 was designed in the mid 1930s, operational in the late 1930s and improved regularly until they became obsolescent late in the war. Regular improvements were developed to power, speed, ceiling, armaments, agility and range. By 1943, the Me-109 had increased its weight almost 50%. The structure and landing gear were beginning to be overwhelmed and more modern designs were required. New aircraft, such as the Grumman F6F, designed by the USA for the Pacific war, provided a range of two or three times the Me-109. By 1944, these new aircraft were arriving in numbers that would allow them to cover bombers to most targets and dog fights were more of a challenge. The British Spitfire was always a challenge for the Me-109 and a chapter is dedicated to that topic. It too would improve with time. Alternate successes between the two often depended on the skill of the pilot.
While the Me-109 and Spitfire were viable contenders, I found this book not quite up to standard in the areas of presentation and content. There were perhaps nine or so generational versions of the aircraft, many with a dozen or more variants for designated uses. Most of the variants were described in text. This might be good for readers who want the details and specifications, but it is not too useful for the reader who is more interested in the applications, usage, operations, and manufacturing. The data on engine size, horsepower, ceiling, climb time, armament, etc. would be better in a chart covering the same data for each variant. This would make it easier to compare variants without cluttering the usage and applications. Presentation layer of this book was poorly executed. I was using an unread (new) paperback. I carefully opened the book from the outside in, trying to flex the back gently so the pages would open enough to allow reading. Not possible; no matter how gentle, the pages would not open without cracking the back and destroying the book. Also, there were lots of black and white photos that were very grey, fuzzy and difficult to see clearly.
Other books of this nature manage to put personality into the people flying. They try to describe the ‘office’ and what pilots and crew have to do to accomplish their role. They can then describe impact on the pilot of all these variants. In this book, all the reader gets is that one or two updates make the craft stiffer and the pilots get tired. There is one sentence that says the aiming mechanism has changed. Pilots sometimes resisted an upgrade so there must be more stories in this area.
A well written book interesting for those who want to understand the technology evolution. There is very little focus on how the pilots thought and how they acted as the technology and their role evolved. Three stars.
Like most British and German fighters in the European war, the Me-109 was designed in the mid 1930s, operational in the late 1930s and improved regularly until they became obsolescent late in the war. Regular improvements were developed to power, speed, ceiling, armaments, agility and range. By 1943, the Me-109 had increased its weight almost 50%. The structure and landing gear were beginning to be overwhelmed and more modern designs were required. New aircraft, such as the Grumman F6F, designed by the USA for the Pacific war, provided a range of two or three times the Me-109. By 1944, these new aircraft were arriving in numbers that would allow them to cover bombers to most targets and dog fights were more of a challenge. The British Spitfire was always a challenge for the Me-109 and a chapter is dedicated to that topic. It too would improve with time. Alternate successes between the two often depended on the skill of the pilot.
While the Me-109 and Spitfire were viable contenders, I found this book not quite up to standard in the areas of presentation and content. There were perhaps nine or so generational versions of the aircraft, many with a dozen or more variants for designated uses. Most of the variants were described in text. This might be good for readers who want the details and specifications, but it is not too useful for the reader who is more interested in the applications, usage, operations, and manufacturing. The data on engine size, horsepower, ceiling, climb time, armament, etc. would be better in a chart covering the same data for each variant. This would make it easier to compare variants without cluttering the usage and applications. Presentation layer of this book was poorly executed. I was using an unread (new) paperback. I carefully opened the book from the outside in, trying to flex the back gently so the pages would open enough to allow reading. Not possible; no matter how gentle, the pages would not open without cracking the back and destroying the book. Also, there were lots of black and white photos that were very grey, fuzzy and difficult to see clearly.
Other books of this nature manage to put personality into the people flying. They try to describe the ‘office’ and what pilots and crew have to do to accomplish their role. They can then describe impact on the pilot of all these variants. In this book, all the reader gets is that one or two updates make the craft stiffer and the pilots get tired. There is one sentence that says the aiming mechanism has changed. Pilots sometimes resisted an upgrade so there must be more stories in this area.
A well written book interesting for those who want to understand the technology evolution. There is very little focus on how the pilots thought and how they acted as the technology and their role evolved. Three stars.
March 3, 2025
First published in 1968, 'ME-109: Willy Messerschmitt's Peerless Fighter' is one of the many in the Pan/Ballantine Illustrated History of World War II series of military books by a variety of authors. This volume looks at the Luftwaffe's main day fighter during WW2, dealing mainly with it's development history along with some vague references to operational use. The Me 109 has an enduring appeal for aviation historians, even more so nowadays. This is an early attempt, and draws on information from other early books on the subject. Not surprisingly, there are a lot of errors both in technical detail and in historical detail since glaring errors in previous works have been perpetuated. Other errors are unique to this book, such as several quotes from famous test pilot Roland Beamont which mostly spell his name incorrectly. The many photo illustrations vary in quality - some are so poorly reproduced as to be a waste of space. Those that are any good are often supported by terrible captions that tell you nothing. Disappointing.
June 3, 2025
I think I would have appreciated more history and a little less focus on the technical changes for each version of the Me-109 that it went through. I think more stories from the pilots and the air battles would have been more interesting than a tech journal. Ironically the author claims that the Me-109 was the best fighter plane in the Second World War but then shows how it isn't throughout the book and only highlights a few instances where it was successful but not against other fighters. It just seemed odd. I find that at the end of the book I know that each alteration to the air frame eventually had very similar changes and upgrades to the armaments or downgrades in some cases and how much they tried to stick to this airframe but very little of how they were utilized and performed in battles.
September 7, 2019
A nice overview of the development of the ME-109 by Martin Caidin. A little thin, and some random tangents (and recycled material from other Caidin books), but solid.
July 5, 2022
Great for what it is. Wish it was longer.
June 9, 2010
Martin Caidin is a prolific author of history, particularly WW2.
Ballantine books was the main source for WW2 books in the 60 & 70s and
this was part of an innovative illustrated series, a godsend to young history
fans. They cost $1.
160pgs w/b&w photos and ample text telling the story.
July 10, 2011
The late Martin Caidin was a prolific and skilled writer. Unfortunately his contributions to non-fiction were marred by an unwillingness to let the facts get in the way of a good story. His history of the Bf 109 cannot be recommended, for the simple reason that it contains gross errors, and too easily accepts wartime propaganda. That said, it is a well-written book.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews