WGFB: Malaula! The Battle Cry of Jasta 17 (GS)

[Baldrick62]

Submit a Book ReviewBook Title:
Malaula! The Battle Cry of Jasta 17 Author:
Julius Buckler (Translated by Adam M Wait, Edited by Norman Franks) ISBN:
1-904943-80-2 Category:
Autobiography Format:
Hardback Summary:
This is a 2007 English translation of Julius Buckler's 1939 book 'Malaula! Der Kampfruf meiner Staffel', so relatively unusual as a first-hand account of WWI in the air from the German side and available in English. With 190pp, including the explanatory notes from the translator and 2 introductions, along with 16 pages of relatively uncommon photographs and 4 aircraft colour profiles by the late Dan-San Abbott, it has appeal for both military enthusiasts and modellers. It is very much Buckler's personal recollections rather than a truly historically accurate description of events, and some of the phrasing can be a little stilted, but overall it is an easily readable and enjoyable 'ripping yarn' of a less well-known but still significant ace (35 kills) from a non-JG Jagdstaffel.
36958

[Flying Officer Kyte]

What I enjoyed most about this book were the memory lapses or the mis ordering of events. Made the chap seem far more human somehow.
A jolly good read in spite of some rather strange lingustics.
Rob.

[petitbilbo]

Well, the memory lapses and so on tend to show Buckler in a rather more heroic and/or "nazi-favourable" light.
The whole book reeks of nazi propaganda!
I read this version of the book, even though I originally wanted to read the original German version. I'm happy I did so, as the explanatory notes are generally even more interesting than Buckler's text.
These notes have a certain redeeming quality that makes the whole a very good experience!

:salute:

[Burt]

Just finished reading the book and found it quite readable, interesting to hear a the story from the German point of view.
As Baldrick says a bit stilted but I think worth a read.
Don