Pen & Sword Books are not new to the plastic modeling industry. The UK-based publishing company has been around since 1990 while churning out titles covering subjects from the military, aviation, maritime, and other areas of history.

Author: Ian Baxter

The author, Ian Baxter, has written other books in the series including, His previous books in this Series include Hitler’s Boy Soldiers, Nazi Concentration Camp Commandants and German Army on the Eastern Front – The Advance, German Army on the Eastern Front – The Retreat and Nazi Concentration Camp Commandants, The Crushing of Army Group (North) and the SS Waffen Division series including SS Leibstandarte Division and SS Totenkopf Division At War. He lives near Chelmsford, Essex.

The Book

With over 228 “Images of War Series” books, “Herman Göring, The Rise and Fall is their latest addition published in March 2024. This book spans 128 pages, measuring 7.5 by 9.5 inches, and features 250 black and white images. The book is comprised of an Introduction, five chapters, and an epilogue.

Introduction

Interestingly, reading the final brief paragraph makes it clear that the author's intention with this book is to depict Herman Göring’s career through text and images.

Chapter One: Early Years 1914 - 38

In this chapter, the author discusses Göring’s early childhood and continues through his teen years when his interest in the military became apparent. At 16, he joined the army, and his family moved to Munich. When the war began in 1914, he was stationed in Mulhausen near the French border. His flying career started here when he joined the Lufstritkräfte (the air arm of the Imperial German Army) in 1916. Göring’s pivotal career moment came when he joined the Nazi Party in 1922. Despite the brevity of this chapter, the author offers substantial information on Hermann Göring’s early years.

At the end of this chapter, the author includes several remarkable photos: Göring as a pilot on page 13, Göring in his brown-shirted uniform on page 15, walking alongside Hitler on page 19, and an intriguing image on page 29 where Göring awards Charles Lindbergh the Service Cross of the German Eagle.

Chapter Two: The Year of Triumph, 1939-1940

In 1939 the author details Göring’s role in Germany’s Jewish immigration plans which led to the Holocaust. He also describes the invasion of Poland, emphasizing the involvement of Göring’s Luftwaffe. Later in this brief chapter, the author outlines Göring’s role in Hitler’s plans for the invasion of Western Europe, culminating in the intended invasion of Britain. Once again, at the end of this chapter, the author provides excellent, clear images: on page 41 we see Göring is seen sitting alongside Hitler on a train to the front; on page 42 Göring appears on the front cover of a Nazi propaganda magazine; and there is an attention-grabbing image on page 56 of Göring speaking with pilots during the Battle of Britain.

Chapter Three: Eastern Front 1941-42

After Göring’s unsuccessful attempt to destroy the RAF, Hitler redirected the Luftwaffe’s efforts to the Eastern Front against the Soviet Air Force during Operation Barbarossa. In this chapter, the author elaborates on Göring’s role on the Eastern Front from 1941 to 1942. Despite being only three and a half pages long, this chapter contains a wealth of information regarding Göring’s role, as provided by the author.

Similar to earlier chapters, the author includes several images at the end. For example, on page 64, there is an image showing Hitler with Göring presenting an award to Hanna Reitsch for her testing of Germany’s new aircraft. Additionally, on page 70 there is a photo of Göring with Hitler during a meeting with General Bodenschatz. Considering the time frame in which they were taken, the images are remarkably clear and detailed.

Chapter Four: Decline 1943-45

In Chapter Four, the author presents an intriguing dissertation on Göring’s relationship with Hitler following the loss at Stalingrad. This rift is described in detail, particularly in 1944 when Göring’s difficulties became apparent. The author describes Göring’s decline, culminating in house arrest and eventual surrender to the US Army at Radstadt. This for this reviewer, this chapter was an interesting read.

Once again, at the end of the chapter, the author includes several black and white images, all of which are clear, and crisp given the time frame they were taken. For example, on page 91, there is an image of Göring speaking to Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz. This chapter contains many fascinating images, such as the aftermath of the assassination attempt on Hitler on page 94, with Göring present.

Chapter Five: Retribution

An interesting addition to the book is a brief two-page chapter where the author details Göring’s time in Nuremberg prison during the international military tribunals. Following the end of the chapter are 19 black and white images depicting Göring during his final days at the Nuremberg trials. As with previous images, they are clear and crisp. On page 108, there is an image of Göring standing in front of a US Army vehicle, looking defeated.

Conclusion

The Image of War Series by Pen & Sword Books is familiar to this reviewer. With several books from this series on hand, this new addition will be a valuable reference. The black and white images in the book are clear, and it includes some rare images I had never seen before. The author provides a detailed caption for each image, thoroughly describing what the reader sees.

The author successfully achieves the goal of presenting a detailed summary of “Herman Göring: The Rise and Fall” through imagery.

This book will make an excellent addition to any modeler or military historian’s library. Highly recommended.

Thanks go out to IPMS/USA, Casemate Publishers, and Pen & Sword Books for this review copy.