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The Blond Knight of Germany: A biography of Erich Hartmann
Biography of fighter pilot Erich Hartmann, German pilot who was perhaps the greatest of all time. It's also the story of his years spent as a prisoner to the Soviets, and his ultimate return to his family.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
July 14, 2016
دوستانِ گرانقدر، باید خودتان این کتاب را بخوانید تا درک کنید که خلبانِ بی نظیر و یک قهرمان و میهن پرست، به معنایِ واقعی یعنی چه
فکر میکنم <اریش هارتمان>، این مردِ نخبه، بیشتر به افسانه شبیه بووده است تا واقعیت.. باور نکردنی و بسیار عالی
یادش به عنوانِ یک میهن پرستِ کامل، همیشه زنده و گرامی باد
فکر میکنم <اریش هارتمان>، این مردِ نخبه، بیشتر به افسانه شبیه بووده است تا واقعیت.. باور نکردنی و بسیار عالی
یادش به عنوانِ یک میهن پرستِ کامل، همیشه زنده و گرامی باد
May 5, 2022
Ерих Хартман е най-успешният пилот на изтребител в историята. През Втората световна война той успява да постигне безпрецедентните 352 потвърдени въздушни победи - почти всички на източния фронт. Неговият Месершмит 109 е бил оцветен с черно лале на носа и е всявал ужас в съветските пилоти. Обявена е огромна награда за главата му. Ерих Хартман оцелява в многобройни въздушни битки с многократно превъзхождащ го врах, понякога в съотношение 30:1. Той избира да не изпълни последната заповед да отлети на безопасно място и да се предаде на британците, за да защити колона от бежанци на територията на днешна Чехия. Американците го пленяват, но решават да го предадат на Червената армия и Хартман гние десет години в различни лагери на изток от Урал. След смъртта на Сталин и подобряване на отношенията между СССР и ФРГ, Хартман е освободен, като се завръща в родната земя и става ръководител на новосформираните западногермански ВВС.
За разлика от много други ключови лица в Третия райх (Манщайн, Рудел и др.) Хартман е абсолютно необременен откъм идеология. Той се бие, за да защити родината си и близките, а не със сляпа вяра в крайния успех. Ерих Хартман е историческа личност с изключителни качества на лидер и трябва да бъде познаван от по-широка публика.
За разлика от много други ключови лица в Третия райх (Манщайн, Рудел и др.) Хартман е абсолютно необременен откъм идеология. Той се бие, за да защити родината си и близките, а не със сляпа вяра в крайния успех. Ерих Хартман е историческа личност с изключителни качества на лидер и трябва да бъде познаван от по-широка публика.
October 15, 2018
Erich Hartmann, the highest-scoring fighter ace in history, will always remain one of my favorite historical figures, and not only due to his incredible achievements in aerial combat but due to his personality and principles, which remained unchanged throughout his whole life, and which I admire greatly.
Son of the parents who can definitely consider themselves citizens of the world, he was exposed to a contagious bug of freedom which hadn’t left him since. Learning the ropes of glider flying from his mother, he soon realized that flying was his passion and his second biggest love in life - after his faithful future wife Usch, of course, whom he met when both were still teenagers. He demonstrated skills in gunnery already in the flying school, but it was the Eastern front and one of his very first instructors, who taught him his future mantra of attack: observe-decide-attack-coffee break. The evolution of Erich Hartmann as a fighter pilot told from his own words, is wonderfully presented in this biography, followed by numerous successful accounts of his victories.
What I also particularly enjoyed was the camaraderie of the JG-52 and their chivalrous treatment of their Soviet captives, which only demonstrates that one can remain human even in the most hellish situations. Numerous anecdotes dotted throughout the narration, including Heinz “Bimmel” Mertens (Hartmann’s faithful crew chief) and their joined antics, Walt “Graf Punski” Krupinski and his stunts, and even the infamous encounter with the Führer’s hat, not only made this biography even more interesting to read, but put a human face on their uneasy service on the Eastern front.
The Soviet incarceration was probably the most difficult section of the book and I simply can’t imagine how a man could go through ten years of unlawful captivity and yet remain the same at heart - kind, incredibly honest, and a loving person who even later in his life didn’t condemn the whole Soviet nation but solely his NKVD captors for their stealing a decade of his life.
A love story between him and his wife Ursula deserves a separate novel written about them, but I’ll just say that it’s probably due to her that he managed to survive the Soviet Gulags hell.
Very well-written, thoroughly researched and approved by Hartmann himself, this official biography is certainly a must read for all WW2 buffs. Highly recommended!
Son of the parents who can definitely consider themselves citizens of the world, he was exposed to a contagious bug of freedom which hadn’t left him since. Learning the ropes of glider flying from his mother, he soon realized that flying was his passion and his second biggest love in life - after his faithful future wife Usch, of course, whom he met when both were still teenagers. He demonstrated skills in gunnery already in the flying school, but it was the Eastern front and one of his very first instructors, who taught him his future mantra of attack: observe-decide-attack-coffee break. The evolution of Erich Hartmann as a fighter pilot told from his own words, is wonderfully presented in this biography, followed by numerous successful accounts of his victories.
What I also particularly enjoyed was the camaraderie of the JG-52 and their chivalrous treatment of their Soviet captives, which only demonstrates that one can remain human even in the most hellish situations. Numerous anecdotes dotted throughout the narration, including Heinz “Bimmel” Mertens (Hartmann’s faithful crew chief) and their joined antics, Walt “Graf Punski” Krupinski and his stunts, and even the infamous encounter with the Führer’s hat, not only made this biography even more interesting to read, but put a human face on their uneasy service on the Eastern front.
The Soviet incarceration was probably the most difficult section of the book and I simply can’t imagine how a man could go through ten years of unlawful captivity and yet remain the same at heart - kind, incredibly honest, and a loving person who even later in his life didn’t condemn the whole Soviet nation but solely his NKVD captors for their stealing a decade of his life.
A love story between him and his wife Ursula deserves a separate novel written about them, but I’ll just say that it’s probably due to her that he managed to survive the Soviet Gulags hell.
Very well-written, thoroughly researched and approved by Hartmann himself, this official biography is certainly a must read for all WW2 buffs. Highly recommended!
April 24, 2021
Superb biography of the world's leading ace. Hartmann's career as the best of the best when it comes to fighter pilots will probably never be surpassed.
May 1, 2024
Another amazing war biography. Erich Hartmann is the highest scoring fighter ace of all time, shooting down an outrageous tally of 352 planes through his 4 years career during the war. The next on the list are far below (Barkhorn with 301 kills), and most of the names below are German pilots. Compare with the highest scoring Allied pilot of the war, Kozhedub with 62 kills and the American Richard Bong with 40 kills. What I find most fascinating about this trivia is the strategy Hartmann devised to amass his kill. Contrary to the strategy of most fighter pilots who are mostly bloodthirsty, always looking for a dogfight, Hartmann is more of a stalk and ambush type, preferring to surprise his opponents, withholding fire until very close, where he cannot possibly miss. He would avoid a dogfight when the situation is not to his liking, only to appear when his opponent least expect it. Combine this with amazing flying acumen and deadly marksmanship, you have the most successful fighter pilot of all time. You find the same strategy employed among the most successful snipers of all time.
Another aspect of his story I find exemplary is his devotion of to his wife and nation. He married a few months before the war ended and was thrown into Soviet labor camp for 10 years. Throughout his imprisonment, he endured the famous Soviet/NKVD interrogation designed to make him an informant/spy. He endured lengthy solitary confinement and hunger strikes and returned after chancellor Adenauer petitioned for his release with the improvement of the West German - Soviet relation. Hartmann said that what enables him to survive is his love to his wife. Imagine not seeing your wife for 10 years, letter correspondence was limited to 25 words per month.
Another aspect of his story I find exemplary is his devotion of to his wife and nation. He married a few months before the war ended and was thrown into Soviet labor camp for 10 years. Throughout his imprisonment, he endured the famous Soviet/NKVD interrogation designed to make him an informant/spy. He endured lengthy solitary confinement and hunger strikes and returned after chancellor Adenauer petitioned for his release with the improvement of the West German - Soviet relation. Hartmann said that what enables him to survive is his love to his wife. Imagine not seeing your wife for 10 years, letter correspondence was limited to 25 words per month.
May 10, 2017
This is an excellent book about Erich Hartmann, the WWII German fighter Ace whose kills were all on the Eastern Front (from November 1942 thru end of the war). He had 352 confirmed aerial victories (the most of all time), and the appendix lists the date/time/location/enemy craft of each.
It's an amazing read, with details of events of his life and exiting battle descriptions. It states that his method was to close in to basically point blank range (and he learned to get out of the way when his first kill's shrapnel brought down his own plane!).
A very distressing section details the end of the war, when he refused to 'escape' in a plane to the west, and instead went with his men and civilians in a convoy, and got picked up by an American tank group that was too far East. The Americans turned them over to the Russians and the resulting horrific events were pretty stomach turning.
He then spent over 10 years in a Russian gulag, eventually being released. It's an amazing story, and the book has lots of photos as well as sketches of all the types of planes described in the book. I highly recommend it. (This was my second time reading it).
It's an amazing read, with details of events of his life and exiting battle descriptions. It states that his method was to close in to basically point blank range (and he learned to get out of the way when his first kill's shrapnel brought down his own plane!).
A very distressing section details the end of the war, when he refused to 'escape' in a plane to the west, and instead went with his men and civilians in a convoy, and got picked up by an American tank group that was too far East. The Americans turned them over to the Russians and the resulting horrific events were pretty stomach turning.
He then spent over 10 years in a Russian gulag, eventually being released. It's an amazing story, and the book has lots of photos as well as sketches of all the types of planes described in the book. I highly recommend it. (This was my second time reading it).
November 27, 2020
This is an excellent account of Erich Hartmann, the number one fighter pilot of all time, whose tally of kills totals an incredible 352 confirmed planes shot down. What I found the most interesting is the evolution of Harmann's tactics and doctrine on how to attack other airplanes in the sky. Hartmann's phenomenal score is the combined result of natural talents and skills, with his superior and intelligent method of attack (he eschewed dogfighting, preferring to watch and wait for the correct moment, approach from the best angle depending upon which type of plane he was attacking, and then wait to fire until he was very close).
But the story of Hartmann's World War II career only takes up about half the book. Much of the rest of Hartmann's remarkable story concerns his excruciating eleven years as a prisoner in the Soviet Union after the end of the war. This account is as difficult to read as anything written by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn or David Remnick. The Blond Knight was published in 1970, at the height of the Cold War, and the tone of the book reflects this, as the majority of Harmann's flying was against Soviet aircraft, and his illegal incarceration was of course in Soviet Russia.
The final (short) section of the book details Hartmann's challenges after he was finally released and then somewhat reluctantly returned to service in the West German Air Force. Hartmann's blunt and straightforward personality, in an organization that the authors portray as exceedingly political, caused Hartmann problems when he was unable and unwilling to compromise his judgement, especially in the decision by the West German government to equip their Air Force with the Lockheed F-104, which Hartmann warned against. (It turns out that Hartmann's caveats were all right on target, by the way).
All in all, The Blond Knight of Germany is an excellent and complete account of the extraordinary life of a man who was extraordinary not just for shooting down more aircraft than anyone else in history, but for being a thoughtful, courageous, and humane human being.
But the story of Hartmann's World War II career only takes up about half the book. Much of the rest of Hartmann's remarkable story concerns his excruciating eleven years as a prisoner in the Soviet Union after the end of the war. This account is as difficult to read as anything written by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn or David Remnick. The Blond Knight was published in 1970, at the height of the Cold War, and the tone of the book reflects this, as the majority of Harmann's flying was against Soviet aircraft, and his illegal incarceration was of course in Soviet Russia.
The final (short) section of the book details Hartmann's challenges after he was finally released and then somewhat reluctantly returned to service in the West German Air Force. Hartmann's blunt and straightforward personality, in an organization that the authors portray as exceedingly political, caused Hartmann problems when he was unable and unwilling to compromise his judgement, especially in the decision by the West German government to equip their Air Force with the Lockheed F-104, which Hartmann warned against. (It turns out that Hartmann's caveats were all right on target, by the way).
All in all, The Blond Knight of Germany is an excellent and complete account of the extraordinary life of a man who was extraordinary not just for shooting down more aircraft than anyone else in history, but for being a thoughtful, courageous, and humane human being.
March 15, 2020
The Blond Knight of Germany : A Biography of Erich Hartmann (1970) by Raymond Toliver and Trevor James Constable is an interesting biography of the highest scoring ace of all time. Erich Hartmann shot down a staggering 352 aircraft in WWII.
Hartmann was the son of a doctor and had an adventurous mother who was a glider pilot. Hartmann lived some of his early years in China as the family. He returned to Germany with his family and learnt to glide at a young age.
When WWII broke out he joined the Luftwaffe and got full fighter training. He was apparently an excellent shot. Hartmann then went to the East and learnt to fly in combat. It took him some time to get his first confirmed kills but after starting slowly he rapidly became an astonishing pilot. His tactics were to look and decide and then come in very close and fire when he could and otherwise to leave. He didn't like turning and being caught in dogfights. He fought in the East and used the Me109 for essentially his entire career.
After the war Hartmann fell into American hands in the Czech republic but was handed over to the Soviets and then spent a decade as a POW and later as a war criminal in the Soviet Union. Following his release he returned to West Germany and then joined the Luftwaffe again, this time flying jets and commanding a squadron.
Hartmann was clearly an incredible flyer. The book manages to bring some insight into his life and what made him so successful as a WWII pilot. For anyone interested in air combat history the book is well worth a read.
Hartmann was the son of a doctor and had an adventurous mother who was a glider pilot. Hartmann lived some of his early years in China as the family. He returned to Germany with his family and learnt to glide at a young age.
When WWII broke out he joined the Luftwaffe and got full fighter training. He was apparently an excellent shot. Hartmann then went to the East and learnt to fly in combat. It took him some time to get his first confirmed kills but after starting slowly he rapidly became an astonishing pilot. His tactics were to look and decide and then come in very close and fire when he could and otherwise to leave. He didn't like turning and being caught in dogfights. He fought in the East and used the Me109 for essentially his entire career.
After the war Hartmann fell into American hands in the Czech republic but was handed over to the Soviets and then spent a decade as a POW and later as a war criminal in the Soviet Union. Following his release he returned to West Germany and then joined the Luftwaffe again, this time flying jets and commanding a squadron.
Hartmann was clearly an incredible flyer. The book manages to bring some insight into his life and what made him so successful as a WWII pilot. For anyone interested in air combat history the book is well worth a read.
November 12, 2007
The greatest fighter pilot in history by count, the cause he fought for was wrong but he was a patriot in the best sense. Incredible suffering after the war and then an ally against the USSR. What a journey.
Want to read
April 1, 2009waduh.. dapet rekomen dari jendral james neh
selaku komandan pasukan para polkadot wajib baca neh
tapi dimana nyarinya neh *garuk jenggot*
selaku komandan pasukan para polkadot wajib baca neh
tapi dimana nyarinya neh *garuk jenggot*
October 25, 2025
Eye opening and intriguing book following the life of one of the best fighter pilots to ever live. To read about his perspective and how much in common man across national boarders really have. To then read about his time in Soviet prison was wild. It reminded me a lot of Joe Moser’s life in his biography “Lightning Down”.
May 31, 2020
Думи нямам за живота и качествата на този невероятен човек!
April 13, 2023
Despite his incredible achievements, Erich somehow remained humble. In fact, though, it seems that his humility was what enabled him to achieve what he did: “I never had the idea that I was or could be better than any other pilot in the air at this moment,” he stated, speaking of the time spent waiting to engage the enemy.
Despite being the highest scoring ace of all time, it seems to me that his greatest victories were in fact had in prison. He never allowed himself to be forced to work, never signed admissions to false charges, never informed on his fellow Germans — in a word, he followed to a letter the advice of Solzhenitsyn: “Live not by lies.” And for this he suffered immensely, spending incredible amounts of time in solitary confinement and even suffered through force-feeding.
One of the secrets that enabled him to persevere was a deep love for Ursula, his wife. Without that he would have given up and succumbed to death, as so many others did. Referring to her he commented that “without Usch I am nothing.”
Despite being the highest scoring ace of all time, it seems to me that his greatest victories were in fact had in prison. He never allowed himself to be forced to work, never signed admissions to false charges, never informed on his fellow Germans — in a word, he followed to a letter the advice of Solzhenitsyn: “Live not by lies.” And for this he suffered immensely, spending incredible amounts of time in solitary confinement and even suffered through force-feeding.
One of the secrets that enabled him to persevere was a deep love for Ursula, his wife. Without that he would have given up and succumbed to death, as so many others did. Referring to her he commented that “without Usch I am nothing.”
October 10, 2024
Bu tarz biyografilerde sıklıkla kahramanın kendisi ile kitabın kendisi karıştırılır. Yani kitap ne kalitede yazılmış olursa olsun "en çok uçak düşüren pilot" sıfatlı Erich Hartmann'ın başarıları sanki kitabın başarısıymış gibi yorumlanır. Bence öyle değil. Bence karakter ayrı, kitap ayrı puanlanmalı.
Tabi ki istisnasız her Hollywood filmi, kitapların pek çoğu, diziler, filmler hep bize hikayeyi kazanan taraftan anlattığı ve (haklı olarak) Hitler'i ve askerlerini canavar olarak gösterdiği için Erich Hartmann'a da önyargılı yaklaştığımı söylemek zorundayım. Ancak bu kitap bağımsız olarak Nazi Almanyası'nda da başarılı olduğu kadar onurlu olan subayların bulunduğunu anlatıyor. Zaten neden olmasın.
Yine de benzer bir janrada Laura Hillenbrand'ın Louis Zamperini'nin hikayesini anlattığı Boyun Eğmez kitabını tavsiye ederim.
Herkese keyifli okumalar!
Tabi ki istisnasız her Hollywood filmi, kitapların pek çoğu, diziler, filmler hep bize hikayeyi kazanan taraftan anlattığı ve (haklı olarak) Hitler'i ve askerlerini canavar olarak gösterdiği için Erich Hartmann'a da önyargılı yaklaştığımı söylemek zorundayım. Ancak bu kitap bağımsız olarak Nazi Almanyası'nda da başarılı olduğu kadar onurlu olan subayların bulunduğunu anlatıyor. Zaten neden olmasın.
Yine de benzer bir janrada Laura Hillenbrand'ın Louis Zamperini'nin hikayesini anlattığı Boyun Eğmez kitabını tavsiye ederim.
Herkese keyifli okumalar!
September 24, 2022
A man with more aerial victories than anyone else on the planet, would definitely be a very interesting man, specially if he'd been merely 22 yrs of age at the achievement of said feat. However that is not all, he was imprisoned by Soviets and stayed as a POW for 10 and a half years as well.
Upon reading, one finds Erich Bubbi Hartman a man who showed qualities of true chivalry, honesty, steadfastness and of remaining true to a cause in face of crippling adversity, and the effects of romance and hope on a person.
Personally, I was looking forward for more of his fighting philosophy and style. An in-depth & complete analysis of these aspects is not available. Though much has changed since WW II, some of his philosophy still holds good for times to come.
A thoroughly engaging read and a complete biography. Do not expect Blow by Blow descriptions of the great pilot's aerial adventures, as there were many, and only a few are shared in this fashion.
Upon reading, one finds Erich Bubbi Hartman a man who showed qualities of true chivalry, honesty, steadfastness and of remaining true to a cause in face of crippling adversity, and the effects of romance and hope on a person.
Personally, I was looking forward for more of his fighting philosophy and style. An in-depth & complete analysis of these aspects is not available. Though much has changed since WW II, some of his philosophy still holds good for times to come.
A thoroughly engaging read and a complete biography. Do not expect Blow by Blow descriptions of the great pilot's aerial adventures, as there were many, and only a few are shared in this fashion.
July 3, 2019
Gute umfassende Biografie eines deutschen Jagdpiloten im zweiten Weltkrieg.
Enthält jedoch viel zeitgenössische aber oberflächliche Kritik am Sowjet-System durch die Autoren. Durch die persönliche Freundschaft der Autoren zu Erich Hartmann fällt die Beschreibung auch etwas zu heroisch aus.
Im Gegensatz zu Die Ersten und die Letzten werden viele Luftkämpfe detailreich beschrieben. Deswegen habe ich das Buch mit Interesse und Gewinn gelesen. Die Kritikpunkte gehen dabei unter.
Enthält jedoch viel zeitgenössische aber oberflächliche Kritik am Sowjet-System durch die Autoren. Durch die persönliche Freundschaft der Autoren zu Erich Hartmann fällt die Beschreibung auch etwas zu heroisch aus.
Im Gegensatz zu Die Ersten und die Letzten werden viele Luftkämpfe detailreich beschrieben. Deswegen habe ich das Buch mit Interesse und Gewinn gelesen. Die Kritikpunkte gehen dabei unter.
April 29, 2025
WW2'da en çok uçak düşüren pilotun biyografisi. Ben daha çok otobiyografileri seviyorum çünkü biyografiler otobiyografiden daha yanlı oluyor gibi hissediyorum.
Erich Hartmann'ın hayatının en ilginç tarafı olan savaş bitiminde Rusların elinde 10 sene mahkum kalması kısmı yeterince derinlikli işlenmemiş. Halbuki kitap kendisi hayattayken yazılmış bir kitap. Duygularına ve psikolojisine daha detaylı eğilinebilirdi.
Erich Hartmann'ın hayatının en ilginç tarafı olan savaş bitiminde Rusların elinde 10 sene mahkum kalması kısmı yeterince derinlikli işlenmemiş. Halbuki kitap kendisi hayattayken yazılmış bir kitap. Duygularına ve psikolojisine daha detaylı eğilinebilirdi.
May 22, 2024
Excellent story of the best german pilot of ww2 and arguably the best fighter pilot of all time. The book also discusses the horrors of war. Including the rapes, murders and rough treatment of POW’s made by Russian soldiers.
July 22, 2017
Maybe 2.5 stars. Biography of Erich Hartmann, the highest-scoring fighter pilot ever (352 kills). Interesting but not well written. Good photos.
July 2, 2018
Great book and shed light on a part of WWII I never really think about, the German prisoners of the Soviet Union.
March 7, 2019
An interesting biography of the highest scoring ace of WW2. The info was fine, the writing could be better.
April 27, 2022
I'm surprised they haven't made a movie about him, oh wait he met Hitler nevermind.
June 7, 2022
War is hell.
July 21, 2022
Interesting book. Really cool descriptions of dog fights. It is hard to say if all of the interpretations are accurate but it is a powerful image of life as a POW.
May 27, 2024
The best book I ever read!!!❤️
September 17, 2024
Keyifli bir okuma.
April 4, 2025
good book
October 9, 2014
To anyone born and raised in America, the movies that we see show all members of the WWII German military solely as agents of evil. In particular the movies largely focus on stereotypical characters from the Gestapo and S.S. As a result, we tend to label all Germans or German military of the period as Nazis, with all that that implies as shown to us by Hollywood. Naturally, as I started to read this biography of a very decent German officer, I occasionally felt conflicted. In empathizing with the subject, I sometimes wondered if some Americans who haven't read the book might accuse me of being unpatriotic.
Much of the book is hagiography. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the narrative immensely--found it very difficult to put down. I appreciated the overall perspective, as well as the picture of the relations among and the characterizations of the men in the Luftwaffe while deployed in combat zones.
After all the thousands of movies about World War II, it is a relief to read something that shows members of the German military as three-dimensional, ordinary human beings. Also, of the ten years of Hartmann's imprisonment in Soviet labor camps, I appreciate that the author and Erich Hartmann made a point of showing the humanity of the ordinary Russian people who lived near the forced labor camps, as compared to the political operatives and psychopaths who ran the camps.
The co-author of the book was an American military test pilot himself. The book was written for those interested in the military, in WWII, in aerial warfare, and especially fighter planes and pilots. The author make every scrupulous effort to show Erich Hartmann as a thoroughly professional military man. They avoid politics and social issues as much as possible.
I accept it at face value that morale in the Luftwaffe throughout World War II was very good, in contrast to the morale of those who served on the ground on the Eastern front (It was likewise in the U.S. military during the Vietnam war, with abysmal morale in the infantry yet exceptionally high morale in the air force). The members of the Luftwaffe were entirely occupied with their own operations and not that aware of war conditions elsewhere.
Erich Hartmann joined the Luftwaffe at 18 and completed training as a fighter pilot at 20. At such a young age, it would be unfair to expect him to have well-formed political beliefs. However, I wish the author had included information about the young Erich Hartmann's exposure and experiences regarding the politics and social conditions in Nazi Germany. The book refers to examples of many Germans, including in the military who did not believe in Nazism.
Erich Hartmann's father had enormous influence on his son. From the beginning, Hartmann's father saw through the Nazi propaganda. He told his son in 1939 that Germany was going to lose the war, and he repeated it again to him in 1944. The authors present Erich Hartmann as being of the highest moral character, with the courage and strength to not compromise his beliefs even under the prolonged interrogations and inhuman conditions in the Soviet labor camp system. The author mentions in passing and without judgment that Erich Hartmann had been a member of Hitler Youth. But that was required of all German youth. Erich Hartmann does not appear to have been political in anyway. This is underscored by the fact that, after the war and after his release from the Soviet slave labor camp, that he did not join any of the German political parties, even though it would have been advantageous for him to do so career-wise. But I want to know if he had had any Jewish friends. Was he antisemitic? Was his father? Erich Hartmann must have been aware at some level of what the Nazi government was doing to the Jews and the other groups that his government was persecuting. Hartmann served all of his combat time on the Eastern front. Was he aware of the exterminations of Jews in those areas? What were Erich Hartmann's attitudes towards all that? What did Hartmann think about it after the war?
As presented in the book, Hartmann had exemplary personal morals and character, better than my own, and without question better than most human beings. He committed no war crimes. As he stated many times to his Russian captors, he was simply a professional soldier fighting for his country. He never applied his conscience to make a judgment about whether the war was just. While reading this biography occasionally my feelings lash out in anger,that he gave material cooperation to intrinsic evil--to an unprovoked and unjust war by Germany that caused suffering and death to millions of innocent people. Perhaps his ten years in a Soviet forced labor camp should be considered just punishment--part of a communal justice imposed on the German people.
Much of the book is hagiography. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the narrative immensely--found it very difficult to put down. I appreciated the overall perspective, as well as the picture of the relations among and the characterizations of the men in the Luftwaffe while deployed in combat zones.
After all the thousands of movies about World War II, it is a relief to read something that shows members of the German military as three-dimensional, ordinary human beings. Also, of the ten years of Hartmann's imprisonment in Soviet labor camps, I appreciate that the author and Erich Hartmann made a point of showing the humanity of the ordinary Russian people who lived near the forced labor camps, as compared to the political operatives and psychopaths who ran the camps.
The co-author of the book was an American military test pilot himself. The book was written for those interested in the military, in WWII, in aerial warfare, and especially fighter planes and pilots. The author make every scrupulous effort to show Erich Hartmann as a thoroughly professional military man. They avoid politics and social issues as much as possible.
I accept it at face value that morale in the Luftwaffe throughout World War II was very good, in contrast to the morale of those who served on the ground on the Eastern front (It was likewise in the U.S. military during the Vietnam war, with abysmal morale in the infantry yet exceptionally high morale in the air force). The members of the Luftwaffe were entirely occupied with their own operations and not that aware of war conditions elsewhere.
Erich Hartmann joined the Luftwaffe at 18 and completed training as a fighter pilot at 20. At such a young age, it would be unfair to expect him to have well-formed political beliefs. However, I wish the author had included information about the young Erich Hartmann's exposure and experiences regarding the politics and social conditions in Nazi Germany. The book refers to examples of many Germans, including in the military who did not believe in Nazism.
Erich Hartmann's father had enormous influence on his son. From the beginning, Hartmann's father saw through the Nazi propaganda. He told his son in 1939 that Germany was going to lose the war, and he repeated it again to him in 1944. The authors present Erich Hartmann as being of the highest moral character, with the courage and strength to not compromise his beliefs even under the prolonged interrogations and inhuman conditions in the Soviet labor camp system. The author mentions in passing and without judgment that Erich Hartmann had been a member of Hitler Youth. But that was required of all German youth. Erich Hartmann does not appear to have been political in anyway. This is underscored by the fact that, after the war and after his release from the Soviet slave labor camp, that he did not join any of the German political parties, even though it would have been advantageous for him to do so career-wise. But I want to know if he had had any Jewish friends. Was he antisemitic? Was his father? Erich Hartmann must have been aware at some level of what the Nazi government was doing to the Jews and the other groups that his government was persecuting. Hartmann served all of his combat time on the Eastern front. Was he aware of the exterminations of Jews in those areas? What were Erich Hartmann's attitudes towards all that? What did Hartmann think about it after the war?
As presented in the book, Hartmann had exemplary personal morals and character, better than my own, and without question better than most human beings. He committed no war crimes. As he stated many times to his Russian captors, he was simply a professional soldier fighting for his country. He never applied his conscience to make a judgment about whether the war was just. While reading this biography occasionally my feelings lash out in anger,that he gave material cooperation to intrinsic evil--to an unprovoked and unjust war by Germany that caused suffering and death to millions of innocent people. Perhaps his ten years in a Soviet forced labor camp should be considered just punishment--part of a communal justice imposed on the German people.
February 16, 2026
This wasn’t a bad book but for some reason about halfway through I was ready to move on to another book. For the best scoring fighter pilot in history (352 victories) there really isn’t a lot in the book covering his missions. There are some parts that discuss his flying, tactics, etc, but not as much as I thought there would be.
August 30, 2016
Really enjoyed reading this. I personally haven't found that many books that really cover much about the Axis during WWII like this particular book. Very interesting to read about the top scoring ace of all time- the strategies he employed, the personalities he encountered, and his various experiences during the war and afterward. I think this book really demonstrates something that people sometimes forget- most German soldier weren't die-hard Nazis (recall that it was pretty much to only political party with which people could affiliate, and many people were attracted to the party due to the perception that a Nazi government could improve conditions in Germany and restore them their national pride), many were patriots who were serving their country, and came to be valuable assets and allies against the USSR. The picture it paints of the air war on the Eastern Front is also interesting, as there were unique struggles that couldn't be encountered in any other theater. I think there is a perception that the USSR's main advantage was sheer numbers, which is partly true, but that viewpoint downplays the fact there still many, many skilled pilots in the Soviet air force, and even if that were not the case, the heavily armed and armored Soviet aircraft weren't necessarily sitting ducks that just any pilot could encounter mission after mission and live to become an ace. Highly recommend it- the detail of the war on the Eastern Front is fascinating and the life of Erich Hartmann is even more so in my opinion.
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