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

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 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.

My Favorite German War Memoir

I'll start off my review by saying PJ Ochlan is incredible, and should narrate ALL German war memoirs. His voice brings the content to life far better than the usual British narrator, and imbues it with a charm that is not found elsewhere.

Heinz Knoke's story is presented as journal entries. Many other war memoirs are more like a man simply sitting down and telling his story, often alluding to future events and otherwise jumping around. Knoke's journal entries are sequential and make it easy to follow his adventure as he grows by necessity from an inexperienced new pilot to one of Germany's aces. The time devoted to training, aircraft types, and other information is enjoyable, but is soon overshadowed by the desperate state of the war. Perhaps more than any other book, Knoke's story highlights the impossible odds German men faced to defend their homeland, and the terrible destruction they sought to avert.

I Flew For The Fuhrer is fast paced, full of information, full of action, and wonderfully narrated. If you want to start reading German war memoirs, this book is the perfect place to start.

An impressive perspective from the other side

This perspective shows the humanity & courage that could be found on both sides during the war.

great description of the average day to day of a German pilot

his story was compelling and really described well what he went through. definitely give this a listen if you are into history.

Great account by an old and bold pilot

Utmost respect for Knocke's hair raising account of his air war experiences, narrowly escaping death on numerous occasions, with seemingly almost calm resigned realization of heading towards an inevitable demise against terrible odds...a testament to an uncommon standard of character and courage under fire, that led to so many ultimate sacrifices made by his comrades, by marching to the tune of the fuehrer, not unlike the hipnotic tune of the flute of the legend of the pied piper of Hamelin, their memory and sacrifce documented in this book, now dwindling into oblivion, serve as a reminder of the tremendous losses brought by frightful war.

Eye opening account for what the war was like for German pilots!

As someone who has distant relatives that fought for the Nazi’s, it reminds me that they were largely caught up in world events and had little choice in what they could do. Despite losing the war, many German soldiers fought just as bravely as anyone and with honor.

tensely intriguing

It's nice to hear an account from an Axis veteran of WW2 and though I've listened to a few before, this is the first one where the veteran was predominantly fighting Americans and it was tense. You get the sense of getting to know him, and yet I hated every moment when he says he set a bomber in flames ... he's not a hero of mine, but I respect him for fighting for his country, even if he bought in to the Nazi propaganda (which I'm sure would be difficult for most people in his situation).

great book in German accented english

the German accent, though correct I guess, was a little offputting. loved the book though.