The Rise & Fall of The Luftwaffe

The Rise and Fall of the Luftwaffe: The Life of Field Marshal Erhard Milch

By David Irving | First published 1973 | Hardcover edition

Historical Significance

Erhard Milch served as State Secretary for Aviation and Deputy Commander of the Luftwaffe, overseeing German air force expansion from a secret organisation of 4,000 men to a force of millions. This biography, first published in 1973, draws upon Milch's extensive personal papers—over 60,000 documents preserved despite Allied confiscation attempts.

Scope and Content

The work traces the German air force from its clandestine origins through its zenith over Western Europe to its destruction in the final year of war. Through Milch's documentation, the study examines aircraft production decisions, strategic bombing debates, and the internal politics of Reich military leadership.

Archival Foundation

Milch preserved carbons of virtually all correspondence passing through his office. Irving gained access to this archive along with Luftwaffe operational records and documentation from Milch's post-war trial. The result is an institutional history of German air power documented from within.

For Researchers and Collectors

Essential for aviation historians, Luftwaffe researchers, and scholars of wartime industrial production. The primary source documentation makes this the standard reference for German air force institutional history.

Edition Details

Hardcover binding with photographic plates. Archival-quality paper stock. Built for institutional reference and private collection durability.

About This Edition

Limited modern collector printing from Focal Point Publications. Complete documentary apparatus preserved.

Related Works from Irving Books

• Göring — The Luftwaffe Commander biography
• Hitler's War — Strategic context
• The Mare's Nest — V-weapons programme