I Flew for the Führer cover art

I Flew for the Führer

The Memoirs of a Luftwaffe Fighter Pilot

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

I Flew for the Führer

By: Heinz Knoke, Richard Overy - introduction
Narrated by: P.J. Ochlan
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £15.99

Buy Now for £15.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

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 Air Forces Armed Forces Military Military & War World War II War Thought-Provoking Transportation Aviation German Military

Listeners also enjoyed...

 The Big Show cover art
Life's Too Short to Cry cover art
Aircrew cover art
Wings on My Sleeve cover art
The German Aces Speak cover art
Mosquito Men cover art
Blood, Dust and Snow cover art
The German Aces Speak II cover art
Combat Crew cover art
Winkle cover art
No Parachute cover art
Tank Action cover art
Flames in the Sky cover art
Hogs in the Sand cover art
Open Cockpit cover art
Da Nang Diary cover art
All stars
Most relevant  
Almost unbelievable account of a life of such bravery & tenacity to keep on going in the face of adversity at such a young age. Jumping out of a plane after being shot to pieces 5 times & surviving each time ..seriously!!
An insight I had not expected & offered up in a very down to earth matter of fact manner which I really enjoyed.

Remarkable story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
a brilliant personal story and, for once, nice to hear from the German point of view and how they viewed WW2.

it's a book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
having read numerous WWII RAF Autobigraphies, I wanted the alternative view. Whilst some bits were uncomfortable it is a brilliantly written and narrated book. if you've read WWII RAF books - read this next

a brilliant alternative view of the WW2 air fight

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
If you like learning about WW2 from all sides then read this book immediately. Too few books from a German perspective are available and this one is as good as any I’ve read

Makes you realise we are all human

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Very interesting to hear about the experiences of a German pilot during WW2.
I’ve read accounts from allied pilots and crew so knew a bit about some of the German tactics and bravery of the German pilots (and all pilots and crew of all ‘sides’) and this adds to what I’ve read and knew.

Very good

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Very interesting thoughts at the end of this book from it's, author.

How any indavidual could survive and continue to fight through so much adversity is quite incredible!

Well worth listening too and gives a different look through the eyes of the foe. Or vanquished, depending on the side your on.

One things for sure. We never learn.

Another Brilliant WW2 book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This IS a great story but.....
there was no need for a comedy German accent! Shades of Allo Allo!
Also it's a book of it's "time" and you must remember he's a fairly unrepentant Nazi. That said it's a great story of a Luftwaffe's pilot's life.

Great story, hilarious narration.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
To hear a genuine fighter ace of the Luftwaffe tell his story is fascinating. One wonders how he survived!

Superb

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Refreshing to hear from a German pilot for a change. The honor and respect between airman is mentioned on numerous occasions.

Brave young men whichever side they flew for.

A view from the other side.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Be patient with it. The early years chapters, the first two or so are not as good as the rest. In all - a brilliant listen.

Gripping

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews