This superb illustrated series charts the rise and fall of the German Air Force from 1939 to 1945. Each volume makes use of over a hundred rare and valuable photographs, many of them taken by Luftwaffe personnel, to bring history to life and record both the men and the aircraft they flew. Initial success in Russia during the summer of 1941 gave way to desperate days after Stalingrad and the failure of Germany's last major offensive in 1943. Subsequently the Luftwaffe was stripped of its newest fighters for the defense of the Reich and lost air superiority to the Red Air Force. This new addition to the outstanding Luftwaffe at War series examines the crucial air campaign over the Eastern Front through 120 specially selected and informatively captioned photographs. Unusual scenes include bombed-out Russian aircraft abandoned during the initial German advance and the use of horses and oxen to haul supplies and even aircraft, as fuel became scarce toward the end of the war. Several pictures of aircraft operated by the Germans' Romanian allies add further insights into the Luftwaffe in the East. AUTHOR: Manfred Griehl was a respected historian with a unique photographic archive, specializing in Luftwaffe operations of World War II. His many publications include' X- Planes: German Luftwaffe Prototypes 1930?1945' and' Luftwaffe over America: The Secret Plans to Bomb the United States in World War II'.
