"An outstanding work, not only for the excellent, nuanced picture it gives us of the life and work of Wolfram von Richthofen, but also as an account of the complexities of air power and air warfare in the twentieth century."-- The NYMAS Review "A long overdue biography of one of the most eminent airmen of the Luftwaffe."-- Journal of Military History "With his open access to the von Richthofen family records, papers, letters, and journals, Corum was able to combine these resources into a comprehensive, balanced account of the life of a leading air commander. The book is as much a history of the Luftwaffe as it is the history of von Richthofen."-- Military Review "Corum's superb analysis is welcome. It will aid both the specialist and the general reader in gaining a broader and deeper understanding of this influential Luftwaffe commander and of precisely what airpower contributed to the practice of Blitzkrieg."-- The Historian "The first full length biography of von Richthofen vividly portrays his role as a fighter pilot, engineer, aircraft developer, tactician, and senior air commander in seven major air campaigns from 12936 to 1944. An essential book for students of the air forces of World War II.

"-- The Past in Review "Von Richthofen was the Luftwaffe's ground-attack commander par excellence and the techniques and principles of air-land cooperation he established are still worthy of analysis today. von Richthofen was not just an important operational commander; his experiences encompassed the whole spectrum of the development of military aviation in the first half of the twentieth century, and the reader will learn as much about the evolution of air power--particularly its employment in joint operations--as he or she will about von Richthofen himself. A useful book . in broadening understanding of how and why the Luftwaffe developed in the way it did and why its operational conception of operations, delivered within the framework of a joint campaign, was initially successful but because of its strategic flaws, resulted in ultimate failure."-- Air Power Review "A work of high quality [that] sheds light on several unknown aspects of the Luftwaffe, including political infighting, while dispelling several popular myths about some of its leaders."-- Choice.