The Red Baron

Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen might not be a name you know well…but The Red Baron probably is.  This German pilot was as well known for arial victories as he was for his plane’s signature paint scheme.  In an era where most soldiers were only trained on close combat, The Red Baron and pilots like him defined the technological advances of the time and were the starting point for how future war strategies would be crafted.

I give The Red Baron from Charles River Editors 4 out of 5 stars.  I have studied World War II quite a bit, including the use of planes, but did not understand their impact in prior conflicts.  I was impressed by the way the authors wove facts into the retelling of von Richthofen’s life.  This kept the retelling more in the lines of someone sharing their history with you without turning into a lecture on planes.  However, I did find some sections hard to follow and very technical.  There are several characters involved with similar names and it was difficult to keep them separate in my mind.

Given the topic of World War I, this book is perfect for any history lovers.  I would also suggest this for anyone looking to learn more about planes and technological advances in Europe during this time period.  While there is some discussion of death and violence, I think this book would be appropriate for audiences as young as 10.  I would also recommend the audiobook version for readers looking for a quick, one-sitting listen – it took about 1.5 hours from start to finish.

I chose The Red Baron for the Booklist Queen prompt “World War I book”, but this will also serve as the historical biography read for May.  With an extensive knowledge of World War II, I don’t pay a lot of attention to this war or it’s historical figures.  It was nice to learn more about someone so infamous in history.  I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do!

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What I’m Reading

• Current print book: The House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune
• Current audio book: The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane
• Book I’m most looking forward to: Maame, Jessica George