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Adolf Galland: The Authorised Biography
This biography is the life story of Germany's most famous World War II air force officer, Adolf Galland. As a fighter ace, he became the youngest general in the Wehrmacht, whose combat career spanned the years from biplanes over Spain to the first operational jet fighters. His command position put him in perilously close contact with the leaders of the Third Reich. Over several years, General Galland has told his story - including much which for political reasons could not be said in his 1950s memoir, "The First and the Last" - to aerospace historian and writer, David Baker. The General has also opened his private photograph collection.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
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About the author
David Baker
499 books54 followersDavid Baker came to Australia in 2010 to study his PhD in History of Science and Cliodynamics. He was previously a lecturer at Macquarie University and the University of Amsterdam, and is visiting Lecturer at the Sorbonne University in Paris. He is now a history, science, and true crime writer for the Simon Whistler network.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 10, 2021
Charming
August 1, 2013
Its hard to write a favorable review for the authorized biography of "Nazi" "General" - especially one name Adolf - that your friends can read, but this is an important piece of history! AND he was no Nazi, hardly a 'General', and no great friend of Hitler, their party, or the inner circle he orbited (with ridicule) long before Nuremberg trials he endured with a clean record.
Can a guy the Nazis conspired to kill be so bad? Probably not, especially if you consider that he was neither a Nazi, nor truly a General. He was a war hero fighter pilot promoted to be the inspector general for fighter planes, despite the fact he was anti-Nazi. Publicity's and Success' sake made Hitler's inner circle appoint him to a high office on the orbits of their inner circle at Berlin. But Galland bore so much disgust for the incompetence and insanity of everyone from the top down that it poured out him, and had to be closely guarded to the gestapo. In the end, almost literally on the run from the gestapo, he is appointed to a suicidal mission - to lead the first jet fighter squadron, and one to defend Berlin during the deadly last days of the war! His superiors hoped this would kill and silence him but it did not. Instead, he drew like-minded heroes from the German forces and created "The squadron of experts", who surrendered themselves and expertise to the British/American allies western front to avoid the Russians, after waiting for a suit for peace from their incompetent crumbling regime.
His account covers the improbable story of a middle class youth glider cadet who becomes a dive bomber pilot - who is nearly blinded - who then becomes a short-sighted world class fighter ace in close 2nd to his soon-dead predecessor Moelders...only to be promoted to publicity office near Hitler's right hand to keep yet another war hero from dying for publicity's sake.
But Galland's "movie star" appearance and personality prevent him from being less than the best at anything. He becomes a champion for reason amongst an insane regime, whom his superiors cannot publicly execute without perfect cause.
Galland's tale is truly extraordinary, especially when you consider that it contains so many firsthand quotes and experiences with Hitler himself; from the mouth of an avowed "traitor to be shot" in the opinion of the Nazi party, one who is under house arrest and then sent on suicide mission in the least weeks of the war. Perhaps there is little higher credit to his credit to his character than something as that!
If you'd like to have a seat at Hitler's table from the view of an outsider - whose views you'd agree with - it's hard to imagine a better book and a better Anti-Nazi book - from the mouth of a man on a first-name (same name) basis with Hitler himself!
Can a guy the Nazis conspired to kill be so bad? Probably not, especially if you consider that he was neither a Nazi, nor truly a General. He was a war hero fighter pilot promoted to be the inspector general for fighter planes, despite the fact he was anti-Nazi. Publicity's and Success' sake made Hitler's inner circle appoint him to a high office on the orbits of their inner circle at Berlin. But Galland bore so much disgust for the incompetence and insanity of everyone from the top down that it poured out him, and had to be closely guarded to the gestapo. In the end, almost literally on the run from the gestapo, he is appointed to a suicidal mission - to lead the first jet fighter squadron, and one to defend Berlin during the deadly last days of the war! His superiors hoped this would kill and silence him but it did not. Instead, he drew like-minded heroes from the German forces and created "The squadron of experts", who surrendered themselves and expertise to the British/American allies western front to avoid the Russians, after waiting for a suit for peace from their incompetent crumbling regime.
His account covers the improbable story of a middle class youth glider cadet who becomes a dive bomber pilot - who is nearly blinded - who then becomes a short-sighted world class fighter ace in close 2nd to his soon-dead predecessor Moelders...only to be promoted to publicity office near Hitler's right hand to keep yet another war hero from dying for publicity's sake.
But Galland's "movie star" appearance and personality prevent him from being less than the best at anything. He becomes a champion for reason amongst an insane regime, whom his superiors cannot publicly execute without perfect cause.
Galland's tale is truly extraordinary, especially when you consider that it contains so many firsthand quotes and experiences with Hitler himself; from the mouth of an avowed "traitor to be shot" in the opinion of the Nazi party, one who is under house arrest and then sent on suicide mission in the least weeks of the war. Perhaps there is little higher credit to his credit to his character than something as that!
If you'd like to have a seat at Hitler's table from the view of an outsider - whose views you'd agree with - it's hard to imagine a better book and a better Anti-Nazi book - from the mouth of a man on a first-name (same name) basis with Hitler himself!
July 13, 2015
I've read many books about the RAF's war from the English pilots point of view. This shows it from a German pilots perspective. It brings home how close they were to victory. Our boys were absolutely superb, but I feel the Germans had the edge. Only the incompetence of their leaders held them back.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews