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Fighting Hitler's Jets: The Extraordinary Story of the American Airmen Who Beat the Luftwaffe and Defeated Nazi Germany Hardcover – November 15, 2013

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 46 ratings

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Fighting Hitler's Jets brings together in a single, character-driven narrative two groups of men at war: on one side, American fighter pilots and others who battled the secret “wonder weapons” with which Adolf Hitler hoped to turn the tide; on the other, the German scientists, engineers, and pilots who created and used these machines of war on the cutting edge of technology. Written by Robert F. Dorr, renowned author of Zenith Press titles Hell Hawks!, Mission to Berlin, and Mission to Tokyo, the story begins with a display of high-tech secret weapons arranged for Hitler at a time when Germany still had prospects of winning the war. It concludes with Berlin in rubble and the Allies seeking German technology in order to jumpstart their own jet-powered aviation programs. Along the way, Dorr expertly describes the battles in the sky over the Third Reich that made it possible for the Allies to mount the D-Day invasion and advance toward Berlin. Finally, the book addresses both facts and speculation about German weaponry and leaders, including conspiracy theorists’ view that Hitler escaped in a secret aircraft at the war’s end. Where history and controversy collide with riveting narrative, Fighting Hitler’s Jets furthers a repertoire that comprises some of the United States’ most exceptional military writing.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Fighting Hitler's Jet's is a text rich with historical insight, experiences of American as well as German pilots, and knowledge of aircraft and their designers not commonly found in other books. Dorr's Fighting Hitler's Jets is a perfecta which rewards the reader of history as well as of strategy." - Travel For Aircraft Blog (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)



"This timely and welcome book plugs a gap in historiography of the jet war over Europe. Fighting Hitler's Jets is written in a pleasingly conversational tone. After reading this book, I felt as though I had spent time in the hangar flyer with fighter pilots. This book is highly recommended for those seeking a fresh perspective on the air war in Europe." - Air Power History

From the Inside Flap

Adolf Hitler attended an event without precedent on Friday, November 26, 1943 a demonstration at Insterburg, Germany of wunderwaffen (wonder weapons) including the legendary Messerschmitt Me 262 "Schwalbe" and other jet and rocket-propelled warplanes, all designed by the best German engineers. These advanced weapons, Hitler believed, would turn the tide of the war in Europe. Robert F. Dorr uses this character-driven narrative to profile men on both sides: American fighter pilots and aircrew who battled the secret wonder weapons and German scientists, engineers and pilots who created them. As the Germans built and put into production innovative aircraft such as the Me 262, Messerschmitt 163 Komet, Messerschmitt P.1011, Heinkel He 162 Volksjaeger, and the Bachem Ba 349 Natter, the Americans were confronted with an urgent need to adapt to a new kind of warfare over Europe with their P-51 Mustangs, P-38 Lightnings and P-47 Thunderbolts. Never did men at war face higher stakes. How the Americans and their allies fared against the new weapons would decide whether the air campaign over Europe could continue, whether the Allies could invade Fortress Europe, and how World War II would end. Incredibly, the story ends with another world not very different from the one with which it began.
ROBERT F. DORR is an Air Force veteran (Korea, 1957 1960), a retired senior American diplomat (1964 1989), and the author of over seventy books and thousands of magazine articles and newspaper columns about the Air Force and air warfare. Bob has written for Air and Space Smithsonian, Flight Journal, Air Forces Monthly, Air Power History, and many other publications. He is a columnist for the Air Force Times newspaper and writes the Washington Watch feature for Aerospace America magazine. His book Air Force One, a history of presidential aircraft and air travel, has been praised by critics, and the Air Force Times said his book, Mission to Berlin, puts you in the freezing-cold cockpit for a white knuckle mission over heavily fortified enemy territory. Bob is also the coauthor of Hell Hawks! and Mission to Tokyo and lives in Oakton, Virginia, with his family and Labrador retriever.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Zenith Press; First Edition (November 15, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0760343985
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0760343982
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.36 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.13 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 46 ratings

About the author

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Robert F. Dorr
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Robert F. Dorr, 71, is an author (1955- ); an Air Force veteran (1957-60); and a retired senior Foreign Service officer (a diplomat; 1964-89). He has three books currently in print. The newest is "MISSION TO BERLIN,":about the Americans who fought in one of the largest aerial battles of World War II.

He is the author of 70 books and thousands of magazine articles about the Air Force, aviation and military affairs. He writes a weekly opinion column for Air Force Times, monthly columns for Combat Aircraft, Air International and Aerospace America magazines, and a quarterly column for Air Power History, which he helped create. His first paid magazine article was in the November 1955 Air Force magazine when he was fifteen. He wrote 1,700 history columns for all four Military Times newspapers from 2000 to 2009.

Bob Dorr's other books in print are "HELL HAWKS,"" co-authored with Thomas D. Jones, a history of a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter group in World War II and "AIR FORCE ONE," a history of presidential aircraft.

He is a private pilot and parachutist and has flown aboard most current Air Force aircraft. Bob Dorr lives in Oakton, Virginia with his wife Young Soon, a career government worker, and their Labrador retriever, Autumn. They have two grown sons with families.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
46 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book an excellent, informative read that's written smoothly. They also appreciate the WWII trivia and interesting details about the Luftwaffe's jet and rocket fighters. Opinions are mixed on the subject matter, with some finding it interesting and informative, while others say it spends too much time on details and not enough on actual battles.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

7 customers mention "Reading experience"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book an excellent read with a well-stocked bibliography. They also find the history of the development of WW II jet combat very informative.

""Fighting Hitler's Jets" by Robert F. Dorr is a well-researched, well-written book which I think would appeal to serious researchers as well..." Read more

"...once again presents facts, events, and people in a readable and quite interesting account...." Read more

"...Overall, if you like military aviation history, this book is a real page turner and hard to put down." Read more

"...An excellant read! The book was shipped prompty in excellant condition - it was even signed by the author! I will do business with this vendor again." Read more

4 customers mention "Writing style"3 positive1 negative

Customers find the writing style of the book smooth and enjoyable. They also mention that the book is full of WWII trivia.

"...Hitler's Jets" by Robert F. Dorr is a well-researched, well-written book which I think would appeal to serious researchers as well as those..." Read more

"...I enjoyed the book, it's written smoothly and full of WWII trivia." Read more

"...himself within a few paragraphs, and writes some sentences that just don't make sense...." Read more

"Wtitten in an easy to read style, the author pieces together the events and personalities from both sides. An excellant read!..." Read more

8 customers mention "Subject matter"5 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the subject matter. Some find the book contains interesting details about the Luftwaffe's jet and rocket fighters, while others say it spends too much time on details and not enough on actual battles. They also say the book starts to get boring near the end.

"Robert F. Dorr's "Fighting Hitler's Jet'" is an interesting and informative book using a variety of sources...." Read more

"...I enjoyed the book, it's written smoothly and full of WWII trivia." Read more

"Started out really good, but started to get really boring near the end, If the writer would have kept the thunder going in the 2nd half of the..." Read more

"This book contains a lot of interesting details about the Luftwaffe's jet and rocket fighters, the pilots who flew them, and the Allied fighters..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2015
"Fighting Hitler's Jets" by Robert F. Dorr is a well-researched, well-written book which I think would appeal to serious researchers as well as those interested in reading about World War II and casual readers looking for the type of book (or Kindle) that once picked up cannot be easily put down. It really does fill a niche in the air war over Europe during World War II, that of U.S. fighter pilots flying their prop-driven aircraft triumphing over their German counterparts flying jets. The well-stocked bibliography could serve as a starting point for further reading about the subject. Mr. Dorr's book has earned five stars.
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2015
Robert F. Dorr's "Fighting Hitler's Jet'" is an interesting and informative book using a variety of sources. When I read a book of this nature, I first look at the bibliography to see what those sources are. When one claims that both sides of the conflict are presented, this is of special significance. The great disapointment is that John Forman's "The Messerschmitt Me 262 Combat Diary" was not listed since the latter is the best book on the subject which presents both Allied and German claims and losses and Foreman does an excellent job of tying in claims with the other side's losses. Dorr should have used this source and avoided the errors he makes and repeats.

One air battle I consider important is that which occurred on 24 March 1945 when the 15th Air Force raided Germany. The bombers were
escorted, among several fighter groups, the 332nd FG, the Tuskegee Airmen, and the 31st FG. The 332nd claimed 3 destroyed, 2 probables, and 3 damaged; the 31st claimed 5 destroyed, and 3 damaged; the bombers claimed 6 destroyed and 6 probables; all Me 262s. The 15th AF lost 5 Mustangs and 9 B-17s. The source is Forman. Dorr describes the combats of the 332nd pilots and assumes the claims are accurate and also mentions the five claims of the 31st. The descriptions cannot be accurate because the Germans lost only 4 Me 262s: 3 destroyed and 1 damaged with all pilots safe. Dorr claims that 8 Me 262s were destroyed and I don't know how he can corroborate this.

In Chapter 8 Dorr claims that Walter Nowotny was no leader or organizer. Yet in fact Nowotny had been a Group Commander on the Eastern
Front where he scored 255 kills and awarded the Diamonds, one of the requirements being leadership. Dorr also claims that the
Erprobungskommando 262 (EKdo) claimed 19 kills in August 1944 and Dorr claims there is no USAF or RAF corroboration for any of the claims. Nothing could be further from the truth. Forman lists these 19 claims as follows: 1 in July; 5 in August; 10 in September; and 2 in October when the unit became Kommando Nowotny. 26 July: 1 Mosquito claimed (544 Squadron, damaged). 8 August: 1 Mosquito claimed (540 Sq., destroyed). 15 August: 1 B-17 claimed (303 BG, destroyed). 16 August: 1 Lightning claimed but not confirmed (F-5C Lighting of 5th Photo Recon Group, destroyed). I could go on into October but I have made the point. Foreman confirms many of the claims and believes 781 claims were made by Me 262 pilots of which 491 can be traced.

He covers the combat of Chuck Yeager who it turns out only damaged the Me 262 he attacked and which was repaired and flew again. Also
covered is Adolf Galland's combat but resulted only in a damaged but repairable Me 262.

Robert Dorr's claim to be a top military historian has received a set-back in this book, in my opinion.
5 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2014
Robert F. Dorr once again presents facts, events, and people in a readable and quite interesting account. Those readers who think they know the subject will discover new materials. Those coming to it for the first time will become absorbed and entranced.
His dedication to accuracy and his clarity of writing are the foundations upon which Robert F. Dorr builds the fascinating history. He enriches the structure via productive interviews with persons involved in the events. In addition to covering Hitler's jets, he weaves in the development of U.S. fighter jets. Get this book and enjoy and learn!
5 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2014
This is a narrative/biographical book. Lacks technical details. Was hoping it offered a detailed analysis of the strengths/weaknesses of the jet and prop fighters, but it doesn't. I enjoyed the book, it's written smoothly and full of WWII trivia.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2014
You can be absolutely sure that anything Dorr writes about has been thoroughly researched. Added to that is his "knowledgeable style" of writing, in that Dorr is a US Air Force veteran, having served from 1957 to 1960. Check him out on Google! You'll see just how extensive his resume is! I can't tell you how many times I've fallen asleep trying to stay awake reading anything written by Bob Dorr. His books, as well as his aviation magazine articles (which Dorr has written since 1955), are just too difficult to put down. If your reading preference is the air war during WW2 (especially the ETO), do yourself a favor & don't pass this one up! Simply put, this book belongs on the shelf of every WW2 aviation enthusiast's library!
4 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2014
Mostly this is the story of the individuals, both American and German, who fought each other. There is some discussion of the development of the German jets and the American fighters that met them in combat. Overall, if you like military aviation history, this book is a real page turner and hard to put down.
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2014
This book contains a lot of interesting details about the Luftwaffe's jet and rocket fighters, the pilots who flew them, and the Allied fighters they faced in the air. But it is just plain badly written. The author wanders off the subject, repeats himself within a few paragraphs, and writes some sentences that just don't make sense. The text would have benefited greatly from some decent editing, and proofreading seems to have been left out altogether.
5 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2014
Started out really good, but started to get really boring near the end, If the writer would have kept the thunder going in the 2nd half of the book like the 1st, this would have been an out of the park book

Top reviews from other countries

F.Carrel
5.0 out of 5 stars Most informative
Reviewed in Germany on November 20, 2014
I have read most if not all books about war in the air during WW II, in french, in english and in german (some one hundred). I consider Robert F. Dorr's "Fighting Hitler's Jets" as one of the best. It's surely not a candidate for the Nobel prize of litterature but it is very lively written and pleasant to read despite some repetitions. But what makes it almost unique is the quality of the idetails it gives about the most exotic Luftwaffe and Allied airplanes like ie Me 262, Me 163, Bachem Natter, He 162, He 260, P-39 M Airacobra or P-80A Shooting Star. Some of them has never been read elsewhere. Issued in 2013, this book contains the most recent and advanced
information. It is a "must read" for all interested in air combat during WW II.