The detailed account of the Luftwaffe side of the Battle of Britain in the Summer of 1940 and its consequences to the progress of the War, balances the often-cited belief of the Battle in overwhelming favour of the RAF. The detail of the difference between the operational pilots and the Luftwaffe higher Command, become all too evident in the book and accounts for the weakening German fighter force in both aircrew and aircraft. The Germans had been air fighting since the beginning of the Spanish Civil War as the Condor Legion, continuing through the Battle for France and into the Battle of Britain without respite. The RAF had a policy of resting their fighter pilots on a rotational basis and so had a comparatively fresher combat pilot pool than the Luftwaffe. That is not to say that the demands on RAF pilots were lessened as the combat pressures were enormous on both sides.
The book takes an holistic view of the effect of the Battle for the Germans as it was the essential element to secure air supremacy over the South of England to enable the launch of Operation Sealion – the invasion of England. The Summer of 1940 in the air over the Channel and the South of England was a close-run event.
A great read to complement the many accounts of the RAF participation in the Battle of Britain.

This Kindle edition was graciously provided by NetGalley. Victoria Taylor's book; "Eagle Days: Life and Death for the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain" offers an interesting look at the fabled Battle of Britain from the German perspective. This in not just another account of the air battle as seen from the pilots of the opposing forces flying in their bombers and fighters but a new and engaging story of the battle as experienced by members of the Luftwaffe.

'Luftschlacht um England' (Air battle for England) is told from the Luftwaffe air crews' personal letters and diaries, official combat reports, and contemporary German newspapers along with other various sources. The book offers a number of first-hand accounts from the German pilots, both fighter and bombers, but also from members of the ground staff, flak crews and other areas of the Wehrmacht.

The author also analyses what this battle and the aftermath meant to the German forces and covers a range of subjects including Luftwaffe war atrocities - Nazi human experimentation including medical experiments on prisoners to cover a range of areas of particular interest to German aircrews (altitude sickness, hyperthermia, etc).

Another interesting subject discussed by the author was the making of the 1969 blockbuster movie; The Battle of Britain, and how ex-Luftwaffe crews and RAF pilots assisted in the technical aspects. Also mentioned was how issues arose over the topic of alleged machinegunning of parachuting RAF pilots and RAF shooting down German Red Cross seaplanes over the Channel. In the end these divisive matters were left out of the movie.

The author covers the idea that grew out of this battle of the 'Knights of the air' and chivalry of the opposing combatants along with various other topics including the early RAF bomber offensive against Germany the subsequent German Blitz against London.

All in all this book is a very decent and engrossing account of the Luftwaffe's campaign against Britian during 1940-41, and it was interesting to read of this famed battle from the other side. I am sure anyone who enjoys military or aviation history will enjoy this book.

How did the Germans view the Battle of Britain? Their population had been “programmed by the propaganda department with nonsense for years. No surprise then that civilians believed “the debt that we have to settle with England has accumulated over the course of centuries” and “the Englishman will have to pay for his misdeeds.”
Lots of interesting tidbits: the brains from Luftwaffe personnel killed in action were transferred to the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Brain Research. Around two-thirds of the Bf 109’s fuel capacity was used up just getting to and from Britain: once they arrived, they had only around twenty or thirty minutes of flying time in the active combat zone. The German airmen often suffered Channel Sickness: a combination of chronic stress from flying over water and acute fatigue.

When my mother was nine years old, the Luftwaffe strafed the beach she was playing on, terrifying everyone. When I traced the history of the incident, I discovered the perpetrator was a flying ace who was killed at just 22 years old. The book, Eagle Days, is a detailed history of the experience of the Luftwaffe in World War Two. There are many books about the Allied forces, but very few on the German historical aspect of the Battle of Britain or Dunkirk. The research is thorough and tells the story of young fighter pilots, bomb crews, and the connections to the Nazi party. There are surprises too, such as the mutual respect for fighter pilots on both sides of the war. This book is a wonderful and detailed history of the German side of World War Two from their air and has been expertly researched.

A fascinating insight into the mindset and advancement of the Luftwaffe, during WW2.
The level of detail is quite oustanding and must have involved months of painstaking research from the archives of various countries.
It is interesting to understand the mindset of the crews and pilots at the time. The Battle of Britain is extensively covered.
Very interesting.

Good insight into the mentality of the german leaders and the air crews in the Luftwaffe who took part in the Battle of Britain.
Examines not only the combat but the events leading upto the areial attacks on Britain in the summer of 1940.
The book examines the motives behind the attacks and the aspirations of the Germans in regard to the early war against the British Isles, giving a new slant on an important period of British History from the agressor's point of view.