{"product_id":"six-months-to-oblivion-the-eclipse-of-the-luftwaffe-fighter-force","title":"Six Months to Oblivion: The Eclipse of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSix Months to Oblivion: The Eclipse of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force, Werner Girbig — Book Club Edition\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication\u003c\/strong\u003e: London, Purnell Book Services, Limited, 1975\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormatting\u003c\/strong\u003e: 8vo, pp. 140.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition Report\u003c\/strong\u003e: Very Good. The volume is tightly bound in its original black boards, with the gilt spine lettering remaining notably bright and unoxidised. Internally, the text block is clean, crisp, and free from foxing or significant reading wear, indicating a well-preserved copy. The hinges are sound, and the binding is square and firm. The accompanying dust jacket is equally well-preserved, retaining its vibrant colours and showing only minor, superficial shelf-wear and light rubbing to the extremities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCatalogue Note\u003c\/strong\u003e: This copy is a Book Club Edition, issued by Purnell Book Services by arrangement with Ian Allan Limited, who published the true first English edition in the same year. Translated from the original German by Richard Simpkin, the volume is well-illustrated throughout with a suite of black-and-white photographs and sketch-maps by the author.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn interesting bibliographical quirk of this printing is the misprint of the author's surname on the dust jacket, which is printed as \"Gerbig\", while the book's spine and the title page correctly state \"Girbig\". While book club editions are generally common on the open market, they remain popular, accessible reading copies for military history enthusiasts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA detailed and sobering chronicle of the final, desperate months of the Luftwaffe's fighter force during the closing stages of World War II. Spanning from November 1944 to April 1945, Werner Girbig's meticulously researched account captures the devastating reality of a once-formidable air force fighting an unwinnable war against overwhelming Allied air superiority. The narrative culminates in a gripping examination of Operation 'Bodenplatte' on New Year's Day 1945, a catastrophic offensive that cost the Luftwaffe over 230 aircrew in a matter of hours, effectively sealing its ultimate eclipse.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54968027939155,"sku":"5497","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260911_201332.jpg?v=1789637533","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/six-months-to-oblivion-the-eclipse-of-the-luftwaffe-fighter-force","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}