The Mother of Eagles: The War Diary of Baroness Von Richthofen (Schiffer Military History)

Rating:
Summary: Down-to-earth View of a Legendary Pilot
Review: I highly recommend this book, which was written by Baroness Kunigunde von Richthofen, the mother of Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron. What other legendary/mythical figure has a mother who has written a book about him? The Baroness also includes Manfred's siblings-Lothar, his younger and very competitive brother (who was also a flying ace--that's why the book is called "Mother of Eagles"), his older sister Ilse, who tended the wounded as a Red Cross nurse, and his kid brother Bolko, who was at a military school during the war, itching at the chance to be like his big brother. The Baroness brings Manfred down to earth, and more than once she mentions things that she probably thinks are endearing but that would probably make Manfred blush. That's just the way mothers are.

The translator, Sue Fischer, has done a tremendous amount of in-depth research and has added new facts, photographs, and information. She has studied the Richthofen family for many years and, unlike many writers of WWI aviation literature, is familiar with the social and cultural context of the war.

I think it would be very interesting to read this book in conjunction with Baron von Richthofen's autobiography; in his book you get a masculine view of the war; in the Baroness' book you get a very rare feminine view of the war. If you're looking for exciting accounts of aerial combat, this book is not for you, but if you would like a look into the personal side of the Ace of Aces, you will thoroughly enjoy the war diary of the "Mother of Eagles."