Customer Reviews

The Blond Knight of Germany: A biography of Erich Hartmann

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Erich 'Bubi' Hartmann - the Ace of all Aces: 352 Confirmed Kills. And here is his story. What a read! I couldn't put it down! I read it all in one go (headache be damned).

This is a book that deals with major aspects of Bubi Hartmann's life with several epitomizing examples. Eg. Air combat, we get his first sortie (lost his plane), shooting down a Il-2 for his first kill, even fighting and destroying 7 Mustangs at Ploesti as well as taking on 8 Mustangs by himself. There is the love of his life: Ursula, meeting hitler three times (drunk the first time for his Knight's cross), his truly honorable decision at the end of the war, the disgracful behavior of the Russians at the end, the endless decade in the prison camp as a 'war' criminal, refusing to work with or for the Soviets, the the post war years, in particular Bubi's opinion of the f-104 and the mistake the luftwaffe made in adopting it.

What this book is not: a blow-by-blow account of air tactics on the eastern front, though Bubi's style is contrasted with other aces in JG52. His approach is also considered with the 2nd ranked russian aces who adopted a similar style. Nor is it the gulag archipelego (Solzenitsyn) as in an exhuastive coverage of the soviet gulag system. Instead it is balanced work that seeks to pay fair time to the major events in Hartmann's life. Consequently it reads quickly and well.

Often you will find yourself shaking your head at this amazing (and amazingly modest) man and the amazing things he did and survived. His was a life most extraordinary with extremes being the norm. There are also some very touching moments. I personally felt regret when I was finishied reading that I would never get a chance to meet this man.

The tone of the story could be construed at simpering, but I chose to look at it this way: the authors treated Bubi Hartmann's story as one worthy of the utmost respect and this is reflected in their writing style: profoundly respectful of the greatest ace (by 51 Kills!) the world has ever seen, all when he was still 22.

So read it if you are interested in a tale of modern chivalry, bravery, humility and sheer brilliance. And as the author's said: those 352 kills were verified in a system far more stringent than anything the allies used. EVen the soviets knew how many planes the Black Devil as he was known had shot down.

I find the statement 'war hero' somewhat paradoxical. But if there ever was a man worthy of such a title than Bubi Hartmann was that man. Read his story and you'll understand what I mean.

This book: two thumbs up. Brilliant!

At the beginning of the book there is an excess of hero worship and accolades, even for an exceptional soldier, which made me wonder how much of the book I could believe. However, it then got better with the saga of Hartmann's air battles. His strategy was to spot the enemy first and surprise them, waiting to fire until very close, which typically resulted in catastrophic damage to the enemy plane. The second half of the book is about Hartmann's captivity, and is especially interesting. The description of the rape and murder of German civilians by the conquering Russian army was enlightening and serves as a warning to future generations. Hartmann was then a prisoner for 10 years, subject to psychotic mind games of the Russian NKVD. The authors give some interesting psychological analysis of the prison situation. It's a good read and thought provoking.

Erich Hartmann is one of the true heroes of WWII. As the highest scoring ace of WWII, and probably forever, he was one of the deadliest pilots the world has ever seen. His score of 352 kills, of which 345 were Soviet aircraft, is absolutely astronomical. Ironically, his war years are not as highly praised as the time he spent in Soviet prison camps. The Soviets were experts at making people crack through mental torture rather than physical torture. Eventually everyone cracked, except for Hartmann. He was thrown in a dark hole (called the "bunker") for days at a time, provided only with water. He once had a period of over six months in the bunker, yet he still refused to work for the Soviets. The sheer will power of Hartmann was enough to resist the torture thrown upon him. It just shows that if you try, you can conquer any barrier.

This biography of Erich Hartmann goes into a lot more that simply his military exploits. It charts his life from his boyhood, the strength and support provided by his family and his own growing strength of character. So by the time he had left Fighter Training School he was prepared for what lay ahead. In the vast expanses of Soviet airspace in the east this outgoing, extrovert pilot came into his own. Every great ace has his own distinct style. Hans-Joachim Marseille had his deflection shot at unbelievable angles, Erich Hartmann would have his 'close-range' shot. The strategy whereby you come so close to the enemy aircraft,' that your canopy glass fills with the enemy craft's mass,' and then you fire. Hartmann would become legendary for this tactic. Making him the highest scoring German Ace with 352 kills of all kinds of aircraft. The only other fighter pilot really worth mentioning with Hartmann would have to be Hans-Joachim Marseille, the 'Star of Africa'. The controversy comes into play because of those who consider 3 Russian fighter planes being equal to one western-flown fighterplane. That being so then one is tempted to name Marseille with his 158kills( all against British aircraft) as the premiere fighter pilot. Nevertheless, in the final analysis it must be said that Hartmann was really in a class of his own. He showed even more courage and resilience when he was under Soviet imprisonment, and his family's support at this time was also crucial. He held his head high and refused to give in under pressure. He came back a hero and readjusted to life in Germany again with his typical strength of character. The two authors have written an excellent biography on a man whose inner strength, truthfulness and courage are an example for all.

Having known Ray Toliver (one of the authors) as well as Erich Hartmann personally over the years, it is easy to understand why the book was not as forthcoming in certain areas. Erich's status as a Soviet POW for 10 and a half years had much to do with it. Erich's postwar life was also difficult upon repatriation. His outspokenness in the upper ranks of the Bundesluftwaffe and NATO limited his career, which is not covered in the early edition. However, given this, the biography is a good insight into a young man who performed at the highest level, fighting for his nation, and never abandoning his comrades. This was the reason for his being handed over to the Soviets by his American captors. Hartmann was not only a great pilot, but a great man, who always voiced his dissent, never compromising.

This is one of the greatest war books I have read. Hartmann was a master pilot; I was really impressed. You really like the guy after you finish the book, even though he was on the other side. Anyone who loves WWII, aviation, or just a good read should buy this book. (I am a girl and I never thought this would appeal to me, but even if I had not been a history major I would have LOVED IT! )

This book details the life of the greatest fighter ace of all time (and probably forever!) Seemingly forgotten, the story of Erich Hartmann is told with good detail and accuracy. It tells of his young life growing up in China with his physician father and mother, moving back to their homeland in Germany, and his entry into the Luftwaffe. Hartmann fought with JG52 in Russia and shot down an astounding 352 aircraft... in less than three years and before he'd seen his 22nd birthday! The book tells of his capture by the Soviets and the horrible 10 1/2 years of confinement he spent in the gulag. The only thing that kept him going was his undying love for his wife and her love for him. The Soviets could not break him. He was finally released and helped form the first all-jet fighter wing of the West German air force, flying for NATO. He even came to the US several times and instructed new fighter pilots in the art of aerial warfare (could there be a better teacher than the Ace of Aces?) This was one of the best books that I've ever read and that's saying a lot!

This Book was a great inspiration to me, although I am a big WWII aviation buff I think this book would appeal to almost anyone out there. The book doesnt just tell of him shooting down 352 aircraft but also of the kind person he was. For example he shot down a Russian saw he was alive went back to base jumped in a Fiesler "storch" and went back and picked the guy up. He even let him roam around the base for a couple days! So you really dont need to be a big WWII buff to read this and I recomend this book highly

I enjoyed this book about the life of Germany's (& the worlds) highest scoring ace of all time. I found the most interesting parts about the day to day life of life on the eastern front in world war 2. Perhap's the most gripping part is a norrow escape by Hartmann after he crashes behind enemy lines early in his career. If he never made it back things would have been much different.

He met Hitler several times & it was interesting how he noticed Hitler changing (deteriorating) every time he met him.

After the war Erich was turned over to the Russians after he had surrendered to the US side. Perhaps 1/3 of the book deals with this.

I think what I got most out of the book was what incredible pilots the Germans were ,that is when they had the proper training & weren't just thrown into battle. There were several German pilots with over 200 kills. Incredibly Erich flew over 1400 combat missions & never lost a wingman.

After reading this book & hearing several references to a legendary German pilot Hans-Joachim Marseille I think I may look for a book on him next. Erich Hartmann was an excellent shot & went in very close to the target before making his kill. Hans-Joachim Marseille had a reputation as a pilot that could do things no one else could do in the air & all of his kills were against Western Allies. Even Erich Hartmann says the German pilots regarded a kill against a Western pilot equivalent to three against the Russians. In Erich's own words Hans-Joachim Marseille had 158 kills against Western pilots (X 3 = 450 + kills) which is far more than Erich's 352 kills. Erich was also a humble pilot, most other pilots wouldn't admit they thought others were better.

Toliver's stury of Erich Hartmann is the definatave study on this outstanding German WWII ace to date. It is well wrtten, readable & very interesting including many details of Hartmann's life & military service. Good photos & drawings of his ME-109s. Anyone studying German WWII aces should read this book. You will not be disappointed.