I am so glad I read this book. It was an excellent biography, filled with insight into Richthofen's life and leadership style. The penultimate paragraph perhaps says it best: "Within the span of his relatively short life, Richthofen earned a reputation of unquestioned bravery, and ability to inspire total loyalty from his comrades and respect from his adversaries. Add to those qualities the colorful personal style and combat success of 'the red baron', and the product is a larger-than-life figure who inspires interest to the point of fascination."

I also liked reading about several other pilots of interest, such as Ernst Udet and Werner Voss. I didn't realize how hand-picked Richthofen's squadrons were, and that he expected the best from everyone. I liked the supplementary materials, as well, including a list of his 80 victories, and his personal rules to aerial combat.

All in all, a great read for me. ( )