Ju-88, Volume One

[FalkeEins]

Originally Posted by Lennart Andersson

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When a book on an historical subject is published the author has a responsibility. It should be as close to the truth as possible. If there are thing you do not know, then that should be stated. If there are things that are doubtful, that should be stated. Historical books must be based on archive research and there is no way around that. That costs money, time and patience (and some language skills). Still, you always have to use some information from published sources, but you have to check thoroughly if the literature and/or webpages that you use are reliable or not (You will still end up with some “facts” that later prove to be wrong in your text).
Lennart A

you're implying that Medcalf hasn't done any of these things. Everybody else is telling me he has. By this stage I was getting slightly concerned, I haven't read the book as closely as you or Achs appears to have, but Medcalf's book sure looks and feels very nice. I have now read Achs "review", although he didn't have the courtesy (or the ability..) to publish it in English, but I needn't have worried. Peter Achs co-authored a very good book on the Fw 191 and B-bomber programme, but it hasn't been translated and I doubt that it ever will be. That however is no excuse for the terrible arrogance towards Anglo-american writers in this field- writers whose works of course are read, especially Creek - who, as I keep trying to point out to Achs and as Nick states - is more German than the average Anglo-american. Achs' claim that only Germans can write about German aircraft is utter rubbish (as I'm sure you yourself would agree..), as is his claim that 'English-American' research into the Luftwaffe is still stuck in the 60s and 70s. These remarks are so stupid I don't even feel the need to 'counter' them with illustration. Aside from a relatively small selection of mistakes that frankly could have eluded anyone , most of his 'criticism' of Medcalf's work focuses on a number of German language typos. There are about 15-20 of them over the course of a densely-printed 328-page A-4 work. Achs takes great pleasure in showing us all how a small typo completely alters the meaning in German...
eg
page 19: Reisenflugzeug statt Riesenflugzeug

.. unfortunate admittedly, but not a game-changer, especially as 99% of readers out there haven't a clue what the difference is or could even spot it .. almost inconsequential for the English-language readership for which this book was intended. Obviously not 100% accurate if you're German or know German but, still, minor typos all the same...and of course most Germans make these sorts of mistakes too, as at least one respondent points out to Achs on flugzeugforum.de

no, I don't think an aeronautical engineer who has spent the best part of a life-time researching a foreign aircraft type warrants the level of criticism he gets from Achs because he can't write German like a native....

and yes, the Ju 88 family was developed under the Nazi regime, if you want to get into that discussion Herr Achs...