The STRAITS of MESSINA

Military Gallery Bookplate signed in pencil by

Johannes Steinhoff

Andre Deutsch First Edition 1971.  267 pages

Very Fine condition hardback book in red boards with a similar condition bright, unclipped dustjacket. The book is clean, tight and unread. Practically new – where has this book been for the last 50 years?

Johannes Steinhoff was the commander of JG77 during the Sicilian campaign and this book provides a vivid account of the defence of Sicily before the Allied landings on the island.  Steinhoff, an ace with over 100 victories, recounts the psychological strain and physical perils that the pilots faced – a similar experience to those faced a few months earlier by the RAF fighter pilots on Malta.

He tells of the humiliation felt by his men when the inept, amateurish Goering called them cowards for failing to stem the tide, yet the pilots flew their Messerschmitts into hopeless situations as a matter of personal vindication.  The author conveys the intensity of a fighter pilot’s experience in war and reveals the thoughts of men trying to retrieve an impossible strategic situation with their skill and bravery.

‘Macky’ Steinhoff was one of very few Luftwaffe pilots who survived to fly operationally during most of WWII, crashing on take off in an Me262 in April 1945 and suffering horrific burns which kept him in hospital for 2 years. He was an ace with 176 victories and post-war played a significant role in rebuilding the German Air Force and then serving as Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee from 1971-74.

This is a very collectable book and signature and is a fascinating read too.