[Nick Beale]

I watched it over breakfast this morning and my reaction is somewhat more generous than John's, but not to the extent of immediately putting in an order for the book. Dr. Taylor evidently speaks German and has gone into some interesting sources in Germany. It sounded as if she'd used ADI(K) prisoner interrogations but I'll be interested to see if she's also exploited the SRA reports (covertly recorded conversations) which are the Germans "in their own words".

The discussion was, for me, too much about fighters. Stephen Bungay (who did get a mention) made the valuable point way back that the whole issue for the RAF was to bring down bombers. She spoke sense about the Ju 87 force (which, incidentally was the only Luftwaffe arm bigger at the end of the Battle than it had been at the start). There was acknowledgement that the Luftwaffe was fighting a integrated defensive system.

Galland of course featured in the discussion, but I wouldn't trust his perspective. I've come to view The First and the Last as an exercise in positioning for the post-war era, both for himself and the "old guard" of the Jagdwaffe. Yes, he was there but in that book he was, in modern terms, promoting a brand.

(P.S. John: re your point about the Jabos — I think she was quoting Galland rather than saying that was her view, but I could be wrong about that).

I'll be interested to see how far the book recognises what a dire state the Luftwaffe was in at the end of the French campaign and the work needed to re-establish its serviceability; to upgrade and get established on French bases; fit more armour, bullet-resistant glass and defensive guns to the bombers; and find enough lifejackets and dinghies for the coming overwater operations. They had a lot of work to do to get ready for a new campaign.