by Hans Seidl
368 pp, large format, hard cover.
470 B/W photos, 16 color profiles.
Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 1998.
US $59.95
While Hans Seidl's groundbreaking new book is pricey, I have to acknowledge the thoroughness of the work. Every major Soviet ace is listed, along with a summary of his or her service record (number of sorties, combats, kills, etc.) and, if the available information allows, a short description of his or her career. These accounts ranging from a quarter page to several pages. Special sections are devoted to Shturmovik aces and the Korean war.
The book is illustrated with a large number of well-reproduced black and white photos and a few color plates depicting the men and women to whom the book is dedicated. These illustrations include studio portraits and the usual, heroic pose with the pilot's airplane). There are also a few interesting shots of Soviet aircraft and some downed German planes. Some of the latter are mistakenly identified.
Unfortunately, the book recounts the stories of the aces uncritically, as given by Soviet sources. The author makes no attempt to compare the official version with known facts. For example, Seidl all too frequently tells us how "Kapitan X" bagged two aircraft here, nailed three others there a short period later, and another pair later on, all without any major difficulty. This just seems a bit unrealistic. Not surprisingly, I could not verify such claims against the available Luftwaffe loss lists.
In summary, Stalin's Eagles is a book well worth the purchase price if you are interested in the Soviet air force and air warfare on the Eastern Front and if you can read war stories with a critical eye.
Recommended.