I Flew for the Führer

The Memoirs of a Luftwaffe Fighter Pilot

By: Heinz Knoke, Richard Overy - introduction

Narrated by: P.J. Ochlan

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 2,000 flights and shot down 52 enemy aircraft. He had flown over 400 operational missions before being wounded in an astonishing "last stand" toward 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.

©1952 Heinz Knoke; Afterword copyright 1991 by Heinz Knoke; Introduction copyright 2012 by Richard Overy (P)2021 Tantor

Very interesting wish it had a bit more detail

The book was well written and I enjoyed it, I wish it went into a bit more detail about day to day life in the luftwaffe and had more fine strokes. Very good none the less

I loved This Book. definitely recommend it.

Absolutly loved this book, I love how it was written in an unbiased perspective and from a German Fighter pilot.

a magnificent work!

what a rare glimpse in to a world that there are so few windows in to. I feel as though I would have loved to call this man friend.

Well written and narrated.

Great story and viewpoint from the German side. It made my trip in the car seem a whole lot shorter.

Very detailed FPV.

Thoroughly enjoyable audiobook. Although it starts a bit slow, the middle is full of chest thumping Axis fighter pilot talk. Heartbreaking (from an American’s viewpoint) stories of the demolishing of Fortresses and Liberators by the author. Astonishing tales of his surprise when the Allies show up and begin punishing the author, his buddies, and his country.