A book type that many of us find fascinating are memoirs. This is especially true if the author has had an interesting experience in life and is willing to share that with us. Such is the case with this book authored by Hermann Buchner.

It tells the story of his flying career with the Austrian Air Force and then the Luftwaffe after that country had been annexed in 1938. His experiences at the time are quite fascinating as we are led from his youth and apprenticeship as a baker to his acceptance into the Austrian Air Force and initial training on gliders then powered aircraft. When Germany takes over the country, things start picking up and we go with the author through basic and advanced flight school to his selection as a fighter pilot. Yet his skills stymie his wish to get into combat and he is assigned as a flight instructor for a period of time. Finally wangling an operational unit, he is assigned to ground attack flying Bf-109E-7s on the Eastern Front.

There follows a series of adventures from accidents to injuries to being shot down. A period as a 109 test pilot, then off to the Crimea and service on the Romanian Front. The actual period of time where he flew the Me-262 is actually quite short, making the title of the book somewhat misleading, however he was successful with this aircraft and was in on the use of the R4M rockets in the last month or so of the war.

It is a fascinating read and shows a side of the Luftwaffe (ground attack) that is rarely seen in other similar books. Throughout the book are photographs, many of them taken by the author and his friends, of the aircraft they flew and the friends he made over the course of the years. There are also 16 color pages of profiles of the aircraft the author flew and some of his opponents.

Stormbird is a book that I know you will find to be superb and most interesting. What's more, it is at a most reasonable price. I highly recommend this one to you.

October 2009

Review book courtesy of Specialty Press , where you can order your copy of this and many other superb aviation and modeling books. Visit their website at the link above or call them at 1-800-895-4585

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