This title is in some respects a classic case of one area of study illuminating another. James Wilson seems to be first and foremost a postcard collector; his diligent collecting and specialist knowledge of that area have unearthed a class of material likely to be of interest to the aviation historian and those interested in World War II in general, as well as anyone interested in the history of propaganda. To the outside world, Hitler’s and Goering’s Luftwaffe sprang into existence like the goddess Athena fully armed, in 1935. Not only was it fully armed but probably more modern in its outlook and application than any other air force in the world at that time. That impression was reinforced by a huge propaganda effort, of which these postcards are one example. In many cases they have been heavily edited before publication, which limits their usefulness for strictly aeronautical history purposes; but they include some classic poses and sometimes dramatic settings, as well as comprising a number of well‐known shots which were widely published in books and journals of the time thus showing the success of the propaganda efforts.
A total of 239 postcards are reproduced in black and white, of which ten are also reproduced in colour on the end papers of the book. The majority are of aircraft, arranged alphabetically by manufacturer and type. The non‐aircraft illustrations also show personalities and pilots arranged A‐Z (actually Lieutenant‐Colonel Werner Baumbach to Major Helmut Wick) and a few scenes of life and buildings in the Luftwaffe. All are well reproduced more‐or‐less to full size in generally good clear impressions. The A4 size of the book allows a maximum of three postcards to a page, but often just two or even one. The notes appended on aircraft types are in fairly general terms and aimed at the non‐expert: aeronautical historians should be able to make more of the interpretation of this material. Similarly, brief biographies are given of the personalities illustrated, and these are generally to a good standard: Goering’s service in World War I is mentioned fairly, and the reasons behind Udet’s suicide are sketched clearly enough, although his suicide itself is not mentioned.
For the postcard collector an appendix lists information derived from the reverse of each card, and a few reproductions. An interesting and useful collection of material has been assembled and well presented; it is well enough documented for most, if varying, purposes of collectors or historians. It is an interesting more than a useful addition to aeronautical history collections, and perhaps much the same is to be said for postcard collections. But it is not expensive and is a title well worth consideration.
