I Flew for the Fuhrer, Heinz Knoke
I Flew for the Fuhrer, Heinz Knoke
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
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I Flew for the Führer
The Memoirs of a Luftwaffe Fighter Pilot

Author: Heinz Knoke, Richard Overy

Narrator: P.J. Ochlan

Unabridged: 8 hr 8 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 04/13/2021

Synopsis

Heinz Knoke was one of the outstanding German fighter pilots of the Second World War. This vivid firsthand record of his experiences has become a classic among aviation memoirs and is a fascinating counterbalance to the numerous accounts written by Allied pilots.

Knoke joined the Luftwaffe on the outbreak of war, and eventually became commanding officer of a fighter wing. An outstandingly brave and skillful fighter, he logged over two thousand flights and shot down fifty-two enemy aircraft. He had flown over four hundred operational missions before being wounded in an astonishing "last stand" towards the end of the war. He was awarded the Knight's Cross for his achievements. In a book that reveals his intense patriotism and discipline, he describes being brought up in the strict Prussian tradition, the rise of the Nazi regime, and his own wartime career set against a fascinating study of everyday life in the Luftwaffe. He also reveals the high morale of the force until its disintegration. His memoirs are both a valuable contribution to aviation literature and a moving human story.

About Heinz Knoke

Heinz Knoke (1921-1993) was a World War II Luftwaffe flying ace and the author of I Flew for the Fuhrer: The Memoirs of a Luftwaffe Fighter Pilot.

Reviews

Goodreads review by carl on November 14, 2017

By time you're finished reading this one, you'll swear you've put some seat time in a ME-109. The matter-of-fact, fast-paced perspective could be attributed to author-pilot Heinz Knoke's pre-war literary aspirations - it is a compelling tale. The title does have a bit of that tabloid headline ring t......more

Goodreads review by KOMET on May 15, 2013

This Bantam edition of Knoke's military memoirs I read when I was in high school. The reader immediately feels a part of Knoke’s life in the air. One of the most searing episodes in the book was when Knoke, in advanced flight training, was awaiting his turn, along with his fellow fledglings, to fly......more

Goodreads review by Jon on August 08, 2021

A fascinating look into the mind of "the Other" from the Second World War. My largest take away that as a "front lines" airman, Knoke saw the war as defending the Western world from "the evils of Bolshevism" rather than an expansion of German influence. Very interesting all through......more

Goodreads review by Stanislav on April 15, 2025

There are many accounts of the air war over Europe in the period 1939–1945. However, the vast majority are written by Allied pilots of both fighter and bomber aircraft. Having read a number of those accounts, I was interested in seeing the perspective from the losing side, and I found Heinz Knoke’s......more

Goodreads review by Pierce on January 31, 2025

Very interesting first hand account from a German fighter pilot and his time in the air from 1940-late 1944. A good reminder that War is hell for a all participants and all sides while the difficulties of losing comrades hurts everyone. His tales from the cockpit are fascinating depicting aerial bat......more

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