Rating: 
Summary: Great Book
Review: If you want to know more about Galland and have a little knowledge of aircraft battles, this is a great book. I read Mike Spick's book on the Luftwaffe as well. Together they made a good combo. It is interesting to see the ideas behind the military movements of the Third Reich. Some people criticize this book because Galland blames so much on Hitler. So be it! Hitler was an idiot and this book shows it very well. The more you know about WWII aircraft and equipment the more interesting this book is. The Germans did have some of the best pilots, but their methods were so wasteful and Hitler was so incompetent they were doomed. I think the book fills in a lot of pieces.
Rating: 
Summary: THERE ARE BETTER OPTIONS
Review: Instead of buying this book by US$ 33, stick to " WING LEADER ", by Johnnie Johnson, by US$ 10. It's much better. Galland's book is confusing and he clearly intends to take off his shoulders any blame for the Luftwaffe failure in WW II.
Rating: 
Summary: The German "Samurai!" - A must read.
Review: When this book was first published, it, like Saburo Sakai's "Samurai!", created quite a stir. As one of the earliest books to be told from the "enemy" perspective during World War II, it was, to say the least, revealing. Galland started the war with the Condor Legion in Spain and rose to become Germany's General of Fighters. His book is a firsthand account of the Luftwaffe's (and Germany as a whole, for that matter) relentless rise to supremacy and gradual decline to the pit of defeat. Galland's narrative is vivid, at times brilliant, but what is most striking is the incredible--and astoundingly REPETITIVE--ignorance and ineptitude of the German leadership. Hitler's continued insistence on wasting much-needed aircraft in futile offensives is, even to readers from the Allied nations, frustrating. The same story seems to be repeated over and over again: Galland, through sheer force of will, manages to build up a large force of reserves. His plan is to send them up en masse to wipe out so many Allied bombers that the bombing raids over Germany would have to be postponed until replacement planes can be built and delivered from the U.S.. On the eve of Galland's plan going into action Hitler orders an offensive and the reserves are depleted, forcing Galland to start again from scratch. The story is repeated over and over again, and eventually, Galland resigns his post in disgust and goes on to lead a jet squadron composed of hand picked EXPERTEN, the last of Germany's great fighter aces. Fighting a war they know is lost, they write a poignant final chapter to one of histories bloodiest periods. Unlike the pilots of the Allied nations, the pilots of the Luftwaffe were forced to do battle until they were maimed or killed. Galland's book gives us a glimpse of the human element of the German side during World War II. The increasing tempo of Allied bombing raids, the dwindling stockpiles of planes, parts, pilots, and fuel, and the exasperation that comes with fighting a losing battle with one hand tied behind your back are told in a no-nonsense manner the reader will appreciate. Well worth picking up.
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