Hans-Ulrich Rudel: The Life and Legacy of the Luftwaffe’s Deadliest Stuka Pilot
Written by Charles River Editors
Narrated by Jim Walsh
()
About this audiobook
Few people personified the advancements, abilities, and tactical adeptness of the Luftwaffe like Hans-Ulrich Rudel, the most successful dive bomber in the history of warfare. Like hundreds of millions of others born in the early 20th century, his life was shaped by the Second World War, which started when he was just 23. He was born into and shaped by one of the most brutal and infamous regimes in history, and once indoctrinated, he fought determinedly and with real commitment in support of that regime. He flew over 2,500 combat missions, reportedly destroying over 500 Soviet tanks, 170 artillery pieces, 800 other vehicles, and a battleship on the way to becoming the highest-decorated Nazi soldier of World War II, receiving the Knight’s Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds. He was shot down, or crash landed, multiple times, and even after having reportedly been told by Hitler to stop flying on several occasions, he insisted on returning to the front to fight with his comrades. He lost a leg to gunfire in early 1945 but carried on with his combat missions despite the pain and the practical difficulties of flying with one leg. There is no denying his bravery, however unpleasant the cause for which he fought.
Hans-Ulrich Rudel is therefore a challenging character to analyze. His autobiography, Stuka Pilot, was originally entitled Trotzdem (“In spite of everything”), pointing strongly to his continuing support, post-war, for the Nazi ideology. But his book remains a detailed, fascinating, largely credible (and mostly ideology-free) account of his wartime experiences, even as his final pages include references to his proud insistence on performing the Nazi salute in front of the American soldiers who had taken him prisoner and who were providing medical care to his amputated stump.
More audiobooks from Charles River Editors
The Rape of Nanking: The History and Legacy of the Notorious Massacre during the Second Sino-Japanese War Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ur: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Sumerian Capital Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gnosticism: The History and Legacy of the Mysterious Ancient Religion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The East India Company: The History of the British Empire's Most Famous Mercantile Company Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nineveh: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Assyrian Capital Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mysteries of the South: Ghosts, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena in Dixie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Legends of the West: Deadwood, South Dakota Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Mossad: The History and Legacy of Israel’s National Intelligence Agency Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Project MK-Ultra: The History of the CIA’s Controversial Human Experimentation Program Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Life and Trial of Lizzie Borden: The History of 19th Century America's Most Famous Murder Case Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Arnold Rothstein and Meyer Lansky: The Lives and Legacies of the Gangsters Who Reformed Organized Crime in America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Mysterious Midwest: Mysteries, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena in America's Heartland Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5J. Robert Oppenheimer: The Life and Legacy of the Father of the Atomic Bomb Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Battle of Hamburger Hill: The History and Legacy of One of the Vietnam War's Most Controversial Battles Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung: The Pioneering Lives and Works of History’s Most Influential Psychologists Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Denisovans: The History of the Extinct Archaic Humans Who Spread Across Asia during the Paleolithic Era Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Hans-Ulrich Rudel
Related audiobooks
The First Battle of the Marne: The History and Legacy of the First Major Allied Victory in World War I Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Black Thursday: The Story of the Schweinfurt Raid Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Otto Kretschmer: The Life of Germany's Highest Scoring U-Boat Commander Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stuka Attack: The Dive Bombing Assault on England During the Battle of Britain Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Men Who Killed the Luftwaffe: The U.S. Army Air Forces Against Germany in World War II Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5No End Save Victory: Perspectives on World War II Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Halbe, 1945: Eyewitness Accounts from Hell's Cauldron Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5SHOT DOWN: The true story of pilot Howard Snyder and the crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Battle of the Somme: The History and Legacy of World War I’s Biggest Battle Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/51915 Gallipoli Campaign: Short History of the World War I Dardanelles Campaign Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Red Line: The Gripping Story of the RAF’s Bloodiest Raid on Hitler’s Germany Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Through The Wheat Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5France in World War II: The History of Nazi Germany’s Conquest of France and Its Liberation By the Allies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGerman and Allied Air Forces in World War I: The History and Legacy of the Rivals in the Sky during the Great War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNapoleon’s Worst Defeats: The History and Legacy of the Battles that Stalled France’s Expansion and Forced the Emperor’s Abdication Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Biggest Battles of the Pacific Theater: The History of the Decisive Campaigns that Led to Victory Over Japan in World War II Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBattle of the Atlantic: Gauntlet to Victory Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Aleutian Islands Campaign: The History of Japan's Invasion of Alaska during World War II Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Peninsula Campaign: The History and Legacy of the Union’s Failed Attempt to Capture Richmond in 1862 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Duel of Eagles: The Classic Account of the Battle of Britain Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEscaping the Trap: The US Army X Corps in Northeast Korea, 1950 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Okinawa: A Decorated Marine's Account of the Last Battle of World War II Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFlying Start: A Fighter Pilot's War Years Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Red Battle Flyer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fledglings Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Wars & Military For You
American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Book of Five Rings Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Shortest History of Israel and Palestine: From Zionism to Intifadas and the Struggle for Peace Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Killing the SS: The Hunt for the Worst War Criminals in History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America's Colony Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5On Palestine Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese Spy, A Japanese American Spy Hunter, and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Dirty Tricks Department: Stanley Lovell, the OSS, and the Masterminds of World War II Secret Warfare Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Watchmaker's Daughter: The True Story of World War II Heroine Corrie ten Boom Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Left of Bang: How the Marine Corps' Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unbroken Bonds of Battle: A Modern Warriors Book of Heroism, Patriotism, and Friendship Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Korean War: A History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Kill Anything That Moves Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin - Book Summary: How U.S. Navy SEALS Lead And Win Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Diary of Anne Frank Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Kingdom Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Templars: The History and the Myth: From Solomon's Temple to the Freemasons Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5You're Stepping on My Cloak and Dagger Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5When I Come Home Again: 'A page-turning literary gem' THE TIMES, BEST BOOKS OF 2020 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/577 Days of February: Living and Dying in Ukraine, Told by the Nation’s Own Journalists Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related categories
Reviews for Hans-Ulrich Rudel
0 ratings0 reviews