I Flew for the Fuhrer: The Story of a German Fighter Pilot

by Heinz Knocke, Heinz Knoke, Knoke Heinz.

Book Overview

Heinz Knoke was one of the outstanding German fighter pilots of World War II and this vivid first-hand record of his experiences has become a classic among aviation memoirs, a best-selling... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0809479664
• ISBN13: 9780809479665
• Release Date: January 1990
• Publisher: Time Life Medical
• Length: 213 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Straight account of daily life.

If Heinz had been an RAF pilot he would have been out of the cockpit more than in it. An absorbing account of the never ending and punishing grind of the German combat pilot. His accounts of aerial bombing of US B17's and B24's is made all the more remarkable in the way the tactic came about. His regard for his enemy and his comrade admirable. Not to be missed.

I FLEW FOR THE FUHRER

just a beautiful true not hyped up story of a fighter pilots everyday life with clean well writen storys.How wounderful and full of energy knoke was in the early 40,s to the total destruction of his fighter wing in 45.

Views from the sky

Heinz Knoke was not only a heroic German aviator, but a father and a husband, completely dedicated to his country. A part of Nazism was a huge sense of nationalism, which Knoke often referred to. He fought, not neccesarily for the Nazi cause, but becasue he was a German, and he wanted to protect his country. I obtained this book from my father, who had gotten it from his father. His father bought it in the '50's, as aviation has been a passion in my family for years. My grandfather trained British pilots during the war. I am glad that he thought enough of Knoke and his story to pass his story down. It is the most startlingly blunt story I have ever read, and it was wonderfully written.

Fascinating insight

This is a fascinating and forthright book about a young German growing up during the Nazi era,who just wants to fly.I read this book (my Dad bought it back in the 50's) when I was about 12, and am purchasing it again. As a kid growing up in Ireland, I remember being struck by the honesty of the book. On reading it again in later years, this book still stands out as an honest piece of literature. He makes no excuses for his political views, indeed the book (unintentionally) does a good job at showing how such views developed.Parts of the book are quite disturbing with the portrayal of unjustified and outright hatred (dropping my bombs at the feet of the dirty Bolsheviks). This is tempered with humanity shown through the joy shown at the shooting down his first Spitfire, watching the pilot parachute to safety, and then having a drink with him later that day after his capture.This book shows how one was lead to adore and revere Hitler, while keeping one's eyes shut to the political repression, and the maltreatment and murder of Jews, political dissidents, Russian POWs, homosexuals, gypsies, etc.. Having lived for 3 years in Germany, this is a insightful unwitting commentary on the average German citizen of that time.He expesses shock at finding out about the Holocaust after the war, but I really don't believe him.The aerial dogfight descriptions are enthralling (especially if you are an aviation fanatic like me), and I recommend this book. This autobiography was not intended to be a political or social comment upon the thinking in those times, but I believe with the passage of 55 years, it does just that.This book is one you WILL read again and again.

The story of an fighter pilot on the other side

The book describes the life of a man growing up in the wake of the Third Reich. He describes his way thru the ranks and months in the war. The book is very easy to reaad and being a bit ego in the begining is just something that puts the reader into his thoughts about the war later in the book. The book (at least the swedish version) contains several pictures of fellow fighterpilots and it gives you a good inside feeling how one must have felt when they one by one fell away... In short: A very good book, and being so easy to read, a good one even for those who perhaps isn't that "well read" on the war.