Why not a book about Ernst Udet

pspiranha · 6 December 2005, 04:15 AM

I have been wondering why I haven't seen books about Udet. There are tons of books about MvR but all I have seen of Udet is the Gaston Graf translation of Ace of the Iron Cross.

He seems like a very good candidate for a serious treatsy of his life and times. What with having worked his way up from the lowly enlisted ranks, becoming Germany's highest surviving ace and later into WW2.

V/R

David Johnson

Russell Smith · 6 December 2005, 05:05 AM

I agree. At one point Barry Diggens, author of "September Evening" was talking of doing a book on Udet. I haven't spoken to Barry in a while so I hope he is still working on that project.

Russ

frontflieger · 6 December 2005, 05:07 AM

Hi,

there are a couple on Udet-books on the market. At least his auto-bio (the German title is "Mein Fliegerleben" - the English is "Cross against Cockade" or so!)

Thorsten

pspiranha · 6 December 2005, 07:04 AM

Hi Russell,

I enjoyed meeting and speaking with you at the 2005 DP. I purchased 2 of your prints ; Last Dance of the Hussar and Wrong place, Wrong time. Just wish I could have afforded more.

Keep up the nice work.

V/R

David Johnson

Barrett · 6 December 2005, 07:27 AM

There's certainly a need for an authoritative Udet bio, though whether there's an adequate market may be another matter. It'd have to be done by a German speaker (at least a German reader), and one competent in the old gothic script at that.

Rick · 6 December 2005, 07:36 AM

Besides "Ace With the Iron Cross" and "Mein Fliegerleben", there is also "Udet a Man's Life" by Hans Herlin. R.

Immo_Frese · 6 December 2005, 08:50 AM

A few more for those who can read german:

Armand van Ishoven: "Ernst Udet. Biographie eines großen Fliegers."

Heinz J. Nowarra: "Udet. Vom Fliegen besessen."

Hans Waldhausen: "Ernst Udet. Vom Zauber seiner Persönlichkeit."

Immo

TomVrille · 6 December 2005, 05:49 PM

There is an English translation of Van Ishoven's biography of Udet under the title The Fall of an Eagle, edited by Chaz Bowyer, and published in the UK by William Kimber & Co. Limited (1979).

Gregvan · 6 December 2005, 06:05 PM

Hi David,

As the previous posts indicate, there are actually quite a few books on Udet. His episodic autobiography "Mein Fliegerleben" was published in several editions in Germany in the late '30s, and copies turn up on ebay all the time - you should also be able to find it on used book sites. Even if you can't read German, it's worth getting for the photos.

This was first translated into English under the title "Ace of the Black Cross" by Newnes in London in 1938 - I'm not sure who did the translation, and I've never seen that edition. Then in 1970 Doubleday published a new translation by Richard K. Riehn under the title, "Ace of the Iron Cross" as part of their "Air Combat Classics" series (I grew up on that series, love every one of 'em). This was published in a fine hardcover edition with nearly all the photos from "Mein Fliegerleben", and was also available in a couple of paperback editions - one of which even has the photos. You can easily find these in used books sites like ABEBooks or on ebay. It's an extremely good book and indispensable if you're interested in Udet, and pretty easy to find.

The Hans Herlin book was translated into English as "Udet: A Man's Life". It's a nice book, but in my opinion the author invents too many conversations between Udet and other people - he CAN'T be quoting primary sources for all of these dialogues. Furthermore, he doesn't really grasp all the details of Udet's WWI career and does not spend sufficient space on it, in my opinion. By far, the BEST biography is Armand Van Ishoven's book, translated into English as "The Fall of an Eagle". This was published by William Kimber in London in 1979. I think it's a superb book by a technically-minded writer and pilot, who traces Udet's entire life and does not short-shrift his WWI experiences. Indispensable.

By the way, Udet wrote (or dictated) a little propagandistic book in 1918 entitled "Kreuz wider Kokarde". I've seen a real copy and have a photocopied text. It was only printed in German and is practically impossible to find now (and if you do you'll pay a small fortune for it). It's a nice little evocative book, but being a censored wartime book it's missing all the dates and places and other details we love.

Greg

pspiranha · 6 December 2005, 06:22 PM

Thanks to all of you for the information. I had no idea that there were several other books on Udet out there.

Being a typical American, that's to say linguistically challenged ( I have enough problems with my mother tongue) I will have to try to come up with an English version of Ishoven's book.

Thanks again,

V/R

David Johnson