The Red Knight Of Germany

"The Red Knight of Germany" by Floyd Gibbons. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

[16 Illustrations, portraits of the author, author’s unit and plane.] In the small city of Wiesbaden in southwest Germany, a small headstone proclaims that the incumbent of its grave is Rittmeister Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen. Small fanfare and panoply for the far-famed and feared Red Baron; a hunter even during his childhood, he took to the skies above France and Flanders in 1915 following service as a cavalry officer. In the air he hunted his prey, almost exclusively British pilots, and by the time of his death in 1918 was credited with some 80 air combat victories. He was only 25 at the time of his death. American author Floyd Gibbon’s biography seeks to give a fuller and more realistic portrait of Manfred von Richthofen than is widely known; to his German countryman he seemed to be a superhuman hero of the skies; to the Allies who opposed him, he seemed a ruthless bogeyman. The truth is far more complex than this as the author explains in great detail, using von Richthofen’s own autobiography and other contemporary sources in order to produce a portrait of the greatest World War One Ace.

The Red Knight is the product of 25 years of meticulous research. It is, arguably, the most comprehensive account ever written about the Canadian Air Force’s legendary solo jet-aerobatics performer. An important part of Canadian aviation history, the Red Knight is second only to the Snowbirds in longevity and total number of performances. The Red Knight chronicles the history of the program, from its conception in 1957 to its cancellation in 1970. Everyone who has enjoyed watching the precision, grace and beauty of aerobatic flight will enjoy this insight into the “behind the scenes” aspect of aerial displays. A fine addition to any aviation reference library, The Red Knight will be of particular interest to anyone who remembers the program or saw a performance of this uniquely Canadian display. The Red Knight is illustrated with rare photographs never published before. The book is further enhanced by specially commissioned works of art from noted Canadian Aviation Artist, Don Connolly. Details of the various Red Knight paint schemes are provided through aircraft profiles, also specifically created for this publication. Together, this unique pictorial collection vividly portrays the legacy of the Red Knight.

Officially credited with 80 air combat victories, Manfred von Richthofen was considered the Ace of Aces of WWI. Richthofen spent the early days of the war as a cavalry reconnaissance officer, seeing service on the Eastern and Western Fronts, but trench warfare soon had them dismounted. Set to other tasks, he swiftly became bored and frustrated; in 1915, Richthofen transferred into the Imperial German Flying Corps. In November 1916 he claimed his greatest victory, that of the British Ace Lanoe Hawker; afterwards, Hawker's machine-gun rested above Richthofen's bedroom door. While a distinguished fighter pilot, Richthofen was also interested in aeroplane development, making suggestions to overcome design flaws and championing the Fokker D.VII. Though Richthofen did not survive the war, his legend and all-red aircraft still capture people's imagination over a hundred years later. First published in 1930, Gibbons combines combat reports and press articles with personal letters and survivors' recollections in a powerful, narrative driven account of the life of 'The Red Knight of Germany.' Floyd Gibbons (1887-1939) was the war correspondent for the Chicago Tribune during WWI. At the Battle of Belleau Wood he lost an eye to German gunfire while rescuing a wounded soldier; for this he was awarded the Croix de Guerre. Afterwards he became chief of the paper's foreign service, but went on to become a novelist and radio commentator after being fired. Albion Press is an imprint of Endeavour Press, the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.

Forget George and the Dragon. Forget Sir Lancelot and tales of Knightly exploits. This is dirty, bloody work. This is violent, visceral action. This is a mercenary knight as you've never seen one before. Twenty eight florins a month is a huge price to pay, for a man to stand between you and the Wild. Twenty eight florins a month is nowhere near enough when a wyvern's jaws snap shut on your helmet in the hot stink of battle, and the beast starts to rip the head from your shoulders. But if standing and fighting is hard, leading a company of men - or worse, a company of mercenaries - against the smart, deadly creatures of the Wild is even harder. It takes all the advantages of birth, training, and the luck of the devil to do it. The Red Knight has all three, he has youth on his side, and he's determined to turn a profit. So when he hires his company out to protect an Abbess and her nunnery it's just another job. The abbey is rich, the nuns are pretty and the monster preying on them is nothing he can't deal with. Only it's not just a job. It's going to be a war ...