Daniel Uziel

While the writing is a bit pedestrian at times this is a very informative work on just how matters came unwound in the German aviation industry so that what was a world-beating industry in 1940 had essentially fallen apart by late 1944. Much of this has to do with the general unreality of Germany's war aims but there was a general failure to bring in a new generation of warplanes in 1941-42, particularly new bombers and heavy fighters, and how this is a commentary on how that while the Germans were great at creating new technology they had a hard time getting it off the production line. There is also much consideration of what as actually behind the great production "miracle" of 1944, and what the author mostly finds is a conjunction of the maximal use of slave & forced labor with previous trends in terms of streamlining production; not that there were the pilots to fly these machines or the fuel to make maximum use of this production bounty.… (lisätietoja)

This book is a dream come true for loggies who love European air power in WWII. For the casual reader, however, the book's narrow focus makes it a slow read.

Uziel clearly knows his topic. He has selected useful data to support the account, as well as good photographs to relieve the dense economics. It presupposes some knowledge of the war's course, inevitably, as the whole book concentrates on a single aspect of the events. That said, Uziel discusses a lot of topics impinging on aircraft production, including the use of slave labor, materials, concealed workshops, and more.

I wouldn't recommend this to a general reader, but to military history buffs who want a new perspective on WWII, its short length definitely rewards the reader.… (lisätietoja)

Daniel Uziel's book is a terra firma view of Luftwaffe aircraft production during WWII. No dogfights or Battle of Britain in these pages.

The most interesting areas revolved around shortages of materials, skilled labor and the inevitable decline in quality control and production numbers as the war moved along.
Compared with the trajectory of events shaping the future of Germany, you can see where this will end. This author's research is specialized. An excellent sidebar to WWII history.… (lisätietoja)

This book is a fascinating look at the production and logistics of the Luftwaffe leading up to and during WWII. There are countless books on the battles and personalities of the air war but by taking a detached, academic approach to the subject matter, Uziel is able to explain and outline what made the Luftwaffe the force it was and how Germany was able to not only keep up production during the Allied bomber campaign but to innovate so many features of modern aviation technology taken for granted today.

Uziel spends a large amount of time describing the process of production of German aircraft. From the early years of proper factories to the darker days near the end where slave labor in underground shelters churned out planes, the overview and inspection of the German industrial machine is well-thought out, well-organized, and insightful. Uziel makes great use of primary sources and first hand accounts. The author does a good break-down of the economics and the impact of wartime on production.

This is an interesting book but might not be an easy read for all. It is much drier than the typical WWII history book and deals with seemingly more mundane things such as logistics, economics, design, and production. The color and flair added by historical participants in the war is not present, making this a very academic look at the less "glamorous" side of the war. It is, however, well-written, informative, and original in its approach to a different side to WWII.… (lisätietoja)