Erich 'Bubi' Hartmann - the Ace of all Aces: 352 Confirmed Kills. And here is his story. What a read! I couldn't put it down! I read it all in one go (headache be damned). This is a book that deals with major aspects of Bubi Hartmann's life with several epitomizing examples. E.g. Air combat, we get his first sortie (lost his plane), shooting down a Il-2 for his first kill, even fighting and destroying 7 Mustangs at Ploesti as well as taking on 8 Mustangs by himself. There is the love of his life: Ursula, meeting Hitler three times (drunk the first time for his Knight's cross), his truly honorable decision at the end of the war, the disgraceful behavior of the Russians at the end, the endless decade in the prison camp as a 'war' criminal, refusing to work with or for the Soviets, the post war years, in particular Bubi's opinion of the f-104 and the mistake the Luftwaffe made in adopting it. What this book is not: a blow-by-blow account of air tactics on the eastern front, though Bubi's style is contrasted with other aces in JG52. His approach is also considered with the 2nd ranked Russian aces who adopted a similar style. Nor is it the gulag archipelago (Solzhenitsyn) as in an exhaustive coverage of the soviet gulag system. Instead it is balanced work that seeks to pay fair time to the major events in Hartmann's life. Consequently it reads quickly and well. Often you will find yourself shaking your head at this amazing (and amazingly modest) man and the amazing things he did and survived. His was a life most extraordinary with extremes being the norm. There are also some very touching moments. I personally felt regret when I was finished reading that I would never get a chance to meet this man. The tone of the story could be construed at simpering, but I chose to look at it this way: the authors treated Bubi Hartmann's story as one worthy of the utmost respect and this is reflected in their writing style: profoundly respectful of the greatest ace (by 51 Kills!) the world has ever seen, all when he was still 22. So read it if you are interested in a tale of modern chivalry, bravery, humility and sheer brilliance. And as the author's said: those 352 kills were verified in a system far more stringent than anything the allies used. Even the soviets knew how many planes the Black Devil as he was known had shot down. I find the statement 'war hero' somewhat paradoxical. But if there ever was a man worthy of such a title than Bubi Hartmann was that man. Read his story and you'll understand what I mean. This book: two thumbs up. Brilliant!
