Alfred Price (1936–2017)

A historian analyzes Nazi Germany’s air force during its final year before Allied forces brought an end to World War II in Europe.

The Last Year of the Luftwaffe is the story of a once all-conquering force struggling to stave off an inevitable and total defeat. This book gives a complete account of Luftwaffe operations during the last twelve months of the fighting in Europe—including the dramatic Bodenplatte (or “Baseplate”) offensive over the Ardennes in December, 1944.

In this comprehensive examination of Hitler’s air force, Dr. Alfred Price examines its state from May, 1944, to May, 1945, analyzing not only the forces available to it, but also the likely potential, and impact, of new aircraft and weapons systems. He also assesses the Luftwaffe’s High Command’s perf...… (mehr)

As I continue with the great work of reading through my collection of Osprey booklets, the question is always when will one of the older numbers seem obsolete. This booklet, dealing with the last of the Spitfires powered by the Merlin engine, and those with the Griffon engine, seems to be in that class. Price does have interesting things to tell the reader, but it winds up being such a grab bag of topics that it's hard to recommend unless you're a completist; though, if you are, cheap copies are available.… (mehr)