A German Ace Tells Why: From Kaiserdom to Hitlerism
by Leonhard Guenther
Category: History

Why was Hitler able to obtain and hold the dictatorship in Germany? What are the real thoughts of this German people which has puzzled the world so frequently? In answer to these vital questions, Leonhard Guenther (pseud.), a native-born German doctor of philosophy and jurisprudence who emigrated to America for permanent residence, presents in A German Ace Tells Why. It contains the authentic diary entries (May 22, 1915 - September 3, 1939) of a high-ranking officer of the German Luftwaffe, who, at the time of first publication in 1942 was still in Germany. The original diary has been condensed and the author’s own experiences have been added. The picture thus obtained shows both the articulate and subconscious sentiments of the typical German of the better class. “This brief but eloquent chronicle of the development of political thinking in the mind of a typical educated German during the period between the First World War and the attack by Germany upon Poland seems to me of great value to every thoughtful American. [...] The author, an ardent lover of American democracy, gives us a picture of Germany that should become a significant element in American thinking about the new order which must follow the victory of the democracies.”—FREDERICK MAY ELIOT, Foreword