Forgotten Heroes, Helion

FORGOTTEN HEROES - Aces of the Royal Hungarian Air Force in the Second World War

Prior to the beginning of the Second World War, the Royal Hungarian Armed Forces - including the Air Force - prepared to engage the Little Entente forces; however, after a short skirmish prior to the war with the Slovaks, during the war, their opponents became the Soviet and American aviators. The Hungarian aces fought gallantly against such heavy odds and, after the war’s end, the new Hungarian communist regime turned against them as well; this book is the unique story of the 38 Hungarian air aces of the Second World War. The overwhelming majority of the related materials have been lost or destroyed, so the author has demonstrated truly Herculean efforts during his 23-year-long extensive research to write this monumental work. The book is based mostly on previously unpublished primary sources from Hungarian, German, Russian and American Archives, and also on the preserved documents of the aces and their families. The text is not limited to the highly detailed biographies of the 38 Hungarian aces; it also covers some important and related aspects such as air victory confirmation systems, air combat tactics and obtained awards. Besides this, the book contains more than 350 rare images - many of them are previously unpublished - and a selection of superb colour profiles, which show camouflage and markings for the aircraft of the aces.

Reviews:

“Filling over 400 pages of marvellous detailed research and including over 350 wartime images, most of which have not been see before in an English language book, this must surely be the prime reference for the Hungarian Air Force and its' pilots of WW2.”

(Military Model Scene)

"....a worthwhile addition to military history scholarship.....These forgotten heroes, for forty-four years outcast as enemies of the state in Hungary, are no longer forgotten, due in no small part to Csaba B. Stenge’s meticulous work."

(Hungarian Cultural Studies)

"...This richly illustrated volume presents well-documented biographies with multiple unpublished photos; it is the most comprehensive study of the surviving and accessible sources, literature and memoirs to this day.....The author [has] created an impressive work due to his great expertise and diligence.....it is not only the length and content of the book which is commendable, but also the author’s effort to reveal the unknown aspects of the past, to commemorate his heroes to professionals and the general public alike, demonstrating his greatness as a premier historian."

(Hungarian Defence Review)

"...anyone interested in this subject will never find a more complete source..."

(Air Power History)