Eagle Editions | Wolfgang Falck - The Happy Falcon

Reviewed by Dave Wadman

Eagle Editions
Wolfgang Falck - The Happy Falcon
The autobiography of the man who came to be known as The Father of the Night fighters.
Hard cover
8.5" x 11"
197 pages
ISBN 0972106014 Standard Edition
ISBN 0972106022 Limited Edition

This newly published book from Eagle Editions follows closely on the heels of the earlier informative and well-researched hard back publication by Jerry Crandall, Major Hans "Assi" Hahn - The Man and His Machines which was reviewed here recently by Mark Proulx.

One of the few people alive today whose life has experienced almost every major aspect of life in Western Europe during the 20th century, Wolfgang Falck found himself in a unique position in mid - 1940 when the Luftwaffe High Command ordered the formation of a night fighting force. Because of his tactical knowledge and his capabilities as both a leader and a fighter pilot, Falck was selected to create this force and would become known amongst his men as the Father of the Night Fighters.

The content of this well-presented and informative book traces the life and career of Wolfgang Falck as told in his own words through extensive interviews with Jerry and Judy Crandall. While including coverage of his life from early childhood through to his retirement from the Bonn office of the McDonnell-Douglas Corporation in 1987, the main focus of this publication is an in-depth look at his wartime Luftwaffe career from its beginnings with the II./JG 132 "Richthofen" up to his appointment as Staff General of Flyer Training in 1944 and through to the end of the war in Europe in May 1945.

Containing no less than 180 clearly reproduced photographs, many of which are previously unpublished, the documentation and chronology for his various awards and his complete victory list, a complete chronological listing of his various Luftwaffe appointments is also included. Four large color profiles along with scrap color views of both the Englandblitz and Ladybird emblems by noted aviation artist Tom Tullis are also featured and clearly illustrate Bf 110s flown by Falck during his career.

As with the earlier publication on "Assi" Hahn, I would recommend this book as a valuable and worthwhile addition to the libraries of anyone with an interest in the histories of Luftwaffe fighter pilots and their aircraft.

My thanks to Eagle Editions for providing the review sample.

© Dave Wadman 2003

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This review was published on Saturday, July 02 2011; Last modified on Wednesday, May 18 2016