The Rise and Fall of the Luftwaffe: The Life of Field Marshal Erhard Milch
By David Irving | First published 1973 | Hardcover edition
Historical Significance
Erhard Milch served as State Secretary for Aviation and Deputy Commander of the Luftwaffe, overseeing German air force expansion from a secret organisation of 4,000 men to a force of millions. This biography, first published in 1973, draws upon Milch’s extensive personal papers—over 60,000 documents preserved despite Allied confiscation attempts.
Scope and Content
The work traces the German air force from its clandestine origins through its zenith over Western Europe to its destruction in the final year of war. Through Milch’s documentation, the study examines aircraft production decisions, strategic bombing debates, and the internal politics of Reich military leadership.
Archival Foundation
Milch preserved carbons of virtually all correspondence passing through his office. Irving gained access to this archive along with Luftwaffe operational records and documentation from Milch’s post-war trial. The result is an institutional history of German air power documented from within.
For Researchers and Collectors
Essential for aviation historians, Luftwaffe researchers, and scholars of wartime industrial production. The primary source documentation makes this the standard reference for German air force institutional history.
Edition Details
Hardcover binding with photographic plates. Archival-quality paper stock. Built for institutional reference and private collection durability.
About This Edition
Limited modern collector printing from Focal Point Publications. Complete documentary apparatus preserved.
Related Works from Irving Books
- Göring — The Luftwaffe Commander biography
- Hitler’s War — Strategic context
- The Mare’s Nest — V-weapons programme
mike kearsley (verified owner) –
Not a quick read but packed with great stories and interesting information. How does David manage to put all his books together with such clarity and detail? He uses personal diaries and memos as well as offricial documents to weave a very personal account so that you really come to understand the characters involved. Full marks.
Having just seen the film I am looking forward to reading David’s full and correct version of the Nuremberg trials.