Eagles Over North Africa and the Mediterranean 1940-1943

Luftwaffe at War #4

by Jeffrey L. Ethell

This exciting on-going series covers every aspect of the Luftwaffe in World War II and charts the rise and fall of this mighty force. 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. Eagles Over Africa and the Mediterranean examines the situation of the Luftwaffe in North Africa between 1940 and 1943. Although the Luftwaffe achieved a great deal of success here, it was hampered by the constant demand for men and machines elsewhere, logistical problems, such as a crippling lack of fuel, and the harsh desert conditions.

72 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 1998

About the author

Ethell, whose nickname in the air was "Fighter Writer," was the author of fifty-nine books and more than one thousand magazine articles, many dealing with World War II aviation. Born the son of a fighter pilot on March Air Force Base in Riverside, California, Ethell was prevented from joining the Air Force because he lacked 20/20 vision. He went on, however, to log more than 5000 hours of flight time in more than 215 types of military aircraft and became an honorary member of the American Fighter Aces Association, whose pilots have scored five or more combat victories. Ethell was also leader in the international "warbirds" movement, an effort to preserve aging military aircraft.

Reviews

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1997, 'Eagles over North Africa and the Mediterranean 1940-1943' is No 4 in the Luftwaffe at War series by Greenhill Books. The book comprises a short potted history of the war in that theatre of operations for context purposes, whilst the content of the book is over 100 excellent photos including a small number in colour. The captions of the pics vary in quality - some purport to tell you about the photo whilst others give a heap of generic details of the aircraft type illustrated whilst telling little or nothing about the pic itself, alongside the occasional error.