Phoenix Triumphant

Book excerpt: The story of the Luftwaffe from creation to victorious justification in war is vividly told here for the first time in detail. It is a fascinating insight into a unique period of military aviation, as tactics and technology raced each other, set against the background of rearmament and resurgent German militarism before and during World War Two. Here are the secret years up to 1935, when even the German government was misled as to the existence of training programmes, while barely any effort was made to meet the Armistice demands. Hooton also demonstrates that although the Allies were well informed of Luftwaffe development, they failed to use that intelligence correctly.