Aces Against Germany: The American Aces Speak

With "Aces Against Germany: The American Aces Speak", the experiences of American fighter aces over Europe during World War II comes alive. Eric Hammel is a most experienced writer, and reading the book one gets the feeling of sitting in the cockpit of a U.S. fighter during those dramatic days. With this book, Eric Hammel has made a terrific work to provide us of the post-war generation with a detailed view of "how the air war really was" from an American point of view. The most interesting detail in the book is the case (or rather: cases) when American aces found out the identity of the German pilots that they met in air combat, or--in one case--even met one of them after the war! Altogether a great and easy read book.Christer Bergström

This book reads very quickly. Mr. Hammel gives a concise historical summary of the air war against Germany in WW2 that is interspersed with firsthand descriptions of aerial combat from the aces involved.The book is organized chronologically, moving through the campaigns in North Africa, the Mediterranean, Italy, and Northern Europe/Germany. Mr. Hammel sets the stage for each chapter with a quick overview of the air war at that point in time. Then, the personal recollections of numerous aces are presented. The biography of each ace up to the time the incident takes place is given. Next, the ace tells his story. After the story, the biography of the ace from that point forward is given. Occasionally, between aces, Mr. Hammel throws in a little more history.The overall effect is great. You get a good insight into the overall conduct of the air war, and you get great "action" stories from the aces. Each ace is presenting one of his most memorable experiences. This is a real advantage. Rather than one person's story, which contains the inevitable slow parts, this book compiles a string of dramatic actions. It's also interesting to note the similarities in all the stories. The one that jumped out at me was the fact that once the action started, and aircraft were spinning all over the sky, you were lucky if you still had your wingman with you. Plenty of times, you wound up alone (very dangerous!), looking for someone to offer mutual protection as you fought your way out of the battle area and back home.I learned a great deal in reading this book, and enjoyed every minute of it. You will too. I highly recommend it. "Aces Against Japan" is next on my list!

This is the book that sparked my interest in WW2 in the air. Hammel, an expert writer on the subject, leaves out each and every thing not essential. Consequently, the action comes through like in no other book I've read, with the possible exception of "Top Guns" by Foss & Brennan.The stories are short, but once one of them ends, the next one must be read right away, and the whole book is devoured at one sitting. Also included are short descriptions of the large-scale events during which the missions told take place.Buy all 4 and make your spouse angry for a week.