Luftwaffe Victorious: An Alternate History

by Mike Spick

At the outbreak of World War II the Luftwaffe was considered by many to be the world's most powerful air force. Driven by the new strategy of Blitzkrieg, or lightening war, in a very short time it stormed across Europe. Opposing air forces were swept aside as the Luftwaffe blasted a path for the Panzers and protected their flanks as they raced for the sea. Flushed with victory, its formidable reputation apparently justified, the Luftwaffe regrouped in occupied Western Europe for a final showdown with its one remaining enemy v Britain. Supremely confident, the odds seemed to be on their side. But in the summer of 1940 they suffered a dramatic defeat during the Battle of Britain, and by May 1945 the Germans had surrendered to the Allies and the Third Reich collapsed. What went wrong? How could things have been different? What if Goering, the brilliant yet flawed Luftwaffe commander, had died prematurely in September 1940? What radical alterations in the pattern of command would have transpired? What if Luftwaffe strategic bomber force had become a reality? In this engagingly written and thought-provoking addition to the fascinating Greenhill alternate history series, aviation historian Mike Spick asks these very questions, envisaging a dramatic alternate reality in which the Luftwaffe succeed in defeating Allied forces.

Genres: Alternate History, Fiction, World War II

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Alan Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spick knows his aviation and his history. By changing, really, one fact - the death of the Luftwaffe's Chief of Staff General Walther Wever in 1936, he changes the course if not the outcome of World War 2 in Europe. Wever was the pre-eminent advocate of long-range, four-engine heavy bombers, a capability never attained by Germany in real life.

[Tomáš Bazinek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pokud se člověk nemá vědomosti o činnosti Luftwaffe během války, tak se nevyzná ve změnách, které autor provedl. Také opomíjí to, že Spojenci by nějak reagovali (např. na dřívější a masivnější nástup proudových letadel).

[Pam V · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this book up from a little library. It is all about the German Air Force during World War 2. This is not a particular interest of mine, but in the title it described the book as offering ‘what if’ alternate events to the war, which I thought would be interesting. Most of the book was an extremely detailed description of Germany’s airplanes and what they could/couldn’t do and their part in the war. Parts of the book were interesting about things that took place in the war, and how it may have turned out differently if different decisions had been made/intelligence was known, but most of the book was just too detailed for me. If someone is truly interested in major details of the planes of World War 2, they would love this book. It just wasn’t for me.

[Robert Drumheller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book to read of what may have happened if the Luftwaffe leaders would have made the necessary changes.

[Friedrich Haas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting as a novel, telling of the death of Goering as observer on a bombing run with Do19's, the book then goes into an analysis of the problems and incompetence of the Luftwaffe, and continues seamlessly into the typical recounting and analysis of a historical conflict. It is not so much written as an alternate history, but as an actual history of an alternate timeline. Instead of enjoying "What If", you are drawn in by the realistic recounting of success and failure as though this was what really happened.
There is a sub-genre in alternate history, that no matter what alterations the author allows, they always come around to history was inevitable, I'm just proving it by changing how I got there. They tick me off no end. The author here is so realistic in his evaluations of gains and losses, advances and set-backs, that I easily grant him his conclusion. It was an interesting book that quite held my attention and study.
My preferred ending however would have been a stalemate in Europe, reverting to a Cold War. The practical problem of Stalin developing the bomb and pushing for world communism forcing the western allies and the Nazi regime into strained alliances / agreements against their mutual enemy, and Hitler using an A-bomb on the Kremlin.
Another lynch pin no one pulls is Churchill. After reading "Churchill, Hitler, and the Un-necessary War", what if Churchill was just too much for England's politics to promote? What if his cigars gave him lung cancer, and he quickly wasted away under his drive and drinking? Hmmm?