Peter Kilduff has already written three books about Manfred von Richthofen, is an acknowledged expert, having researched the subject for thirty years, and has tried a new and very interesting format for his latest offering. It is written as if by a newspaper correspondent interviewing the Red Baron during quiet moments in his service career, and recording the answers given to very searching questions. Only documented facts from personal diaries, squadron records and official documents are used together with some splendid archive photographs. There are nice, tabloid newspaper touches – ‘his blue eyes flashed’ – and it is very readable stuff. Quite understandably, von Richthofen is presented in a very favourable light, as if he was a really charming and affable man, which I doubt, but as the writer is meant to be an accredited war correspondent, this is understandable. It has got to be a matter of personal choice whether this method of writing biography works, and I don’t think much new is presented here. Wouldn’t it have been great if the reporter could have spoken to the great man after his death, and reported on who it was that actually shot him down!