The book consists of 128 pages and is printed in big hardback format and was released in July 2006 by the Classic Publications that is own by Ian Allan publishing company. It has about 200 black and white photos, diagrams and colour artworks.

This is a history book that starts with a quote from 1908 from the famous science fiction writer H.G Wells about the destruction of New York from above by enormous German airships. This gives an impression if what Göring and Hitler might have hoped for in Mars 1941 when they gave Willy Messerschmitt company funds for designing and producing a four engine bomber that should be able to fly from Europe to USA with a load of bombs and then return. They probable know that the airplanes should not be able to do that much destruction to USA’s mainland but hopefully should reorganize their production capacity for defense instead of producing offensive war material that should have a direct impact at Germany. They also hoped for a miraculous propaganda victory that might turn the war to their advantages. In February 1945 Hitler still talked about sketches from Messerschmitt of four engine plane that should be able to reach USA and come back. Almost up the end of the war it was work going on the airplane.

The book takes up the development of the Me264 in very detail and shows it with pictures, sketches and drawings of both the constructions of the body and the engines. Many of the photos are incredible nice. It also takes up the test program of the plane with a lot of quotes of the engineers and test pilots.

One other thing that is studied is the political game behind the scene of the development of this extreme construction. Many persons in both the military and civil hierarchy had opinions and their own goals in the power struggle behind Hitler.

I can really recommend this book about a ridiculous project that almost only could be started in a country under the command of Hitler. The project had many of the typical components of the so called wonder weapons that a mad leader could put his hope in. It’s a book for the reader with a special interest in aviation history of the WWII and wants a very detailed and informative book

(Reviewed by Thorbjörn Wikström)
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.