Book Review - O'Connor - vol 7
Formal Review
Neal O’Connor’s
Aviation Awards of Imperial Germany in World War I and the Men Who Earned Them
The Aviation Awards of Eight German States and Three Free Cities
Schiffer Publishing, 2002
514 pages organized into 28 chapters and 65 appendices including 43 biographies.
This book is, in my opinion, our departed brother’s finest. The breath and depth of information in this volume is breathtaking to the point of overpowering. This book will refuse to sit quietly on the bookshelf. You will doubtless find frequent and repeated reference to the history, data and Ehrenzeichen information it contains. This book appeals to World War I aviation enthusiasts however; it also provides significant insights into the arcane topic of the history of the sovereign states addressed in context with the German Empire. For me, the single greatest strength of this book is the clear understanding of the Orders and Decorations of these states imparted to the reader.
To those unfamiliar with volumes 1 to 6, my sympathy! To we few, we happy few, this volume follows Neal’s established organization. States are arranges alphabetically, orders and decorations by order of precedence. This tour d force begins with the Duchy of Brunswick and proceeds to outline significant political and military events in the history of this state as well as an overview of the orders and decorations bestowed by its sovereign. As Neal’s focus was awards to warriors, he provides a brief discourse on the higher orders or grades and delves into the awards won at the tip of the sword, in this case – flight personnel. He establishes prestige and context through the use of statistics obtained, often, through the author’s personal research in various state archives in Germany. The book continues with the Grand Duchy of Hesse, the Principalities of Hohenzollern, Lippe, Schaumburg-Lippe, the Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Strelitz (my one source of irritation is that in typical Schiffer fashion, they botched the title of the chapter on the Cross for Distinction in War as Mecklenburg-Schwerin), the Principality of Waldeck followed by the free and hanse cities of Bremen, Hamburg and Lubeck.
The book is punctuated with outstanding black and white photographs of sovereigns, nobility, high military officials and of course aviators. Photographs illustrate the various awards and methods of wear. Neal again includes a chapter of “Famous Chests” illustrating the medal bars of famous aviators highlighted in the volume.
In keeping with the author’s intellectual honesty, he includes a chapter of errata updating or correcting earlier volumes.
Neal concludes this volume with appendix upon appendix of bestowal data and an essential bibliography and glossary of terms.
As a specific note, I found most interesting the information provided about the two orders of the Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg. Neal points out the eccentricity of the late Dr. Klietmann who includes the Order of the Wendian Crown and excludes the Griffin Order from his book “Pour le Merite und Tapferkeitsmedaille”, when the Wendian Crown was not apparently used during the First World War as a reward for military accomplishment and the Griffin order was.
I heartily recommend this book as a valued addition to the library of all who find interest in Imperial Orders and Decorations.
Neal O’Connor’s
Aviation Awards of Imperial Germany in World War I and the Men Who Earned Them
The Aviation Awards of Eight German States and Three Free Cities
Schiffer Publishing, 2002
514 pages organized into 28 chapters and 65 appendices including 43 biographies.
This book is, in my opinion, our departed brother’s finest. The breath and depth of information in this volume is breathtaking to the point of overpowering. This book will refuse to sit quietly on the bookshelf. You will doubtless find frequent and repeated reference to the history, data and Ehrenzeichen information it contains. This book appeals to World War I aviation enthusiasts however; it also provides significant insights into the arcane topic of the history of the sovereign states addressed in context with the German Empire. For me, the single greatest strength of this book is the clear understanding of the Orders and Decorations of these states imparted to the reader.
To those unfamiliar with volumes 1 to 6, my sympathy! To we few, we happy few, this volume follows Neal’s established organization. States are arranges alphabetically, orders and decorations by order of precedence. This tour d force begins with the Duchy of Brunswick and proceeds to outline significant political and military events in the history of this state as well as an overview of the orders and decorations bestowed by its sovereign. As Neal’s focus was awards to warriors, he provides a brief discourse on the higher orders or grades and delves into the awards won at the tip of the sword, in this case – flight personnel. He establishes prestige and context through the use of statistics obtained, often, through the author’s personal research in various state archives in Germany. The book continues with the Grand Duchy of Hesse, the Principalities of Hohenzollern, Lippe, Schaumburg-Lippe, the Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Strelitz (my one source of irritation is that in typical Schiffer fashion, they botched the title of the chapter on the Cross for Distinction in War as Mecklenburg-Schwerin), the Principality of Waldeck followed by the free and hanse cities of Bremen, Hamburg and Lubeck.
The book is punctuated with outstanding black and white photographs of sovereigns, nobility, high military officials and of course aviators. Photographs illustrate the various awards and methods of wear. Neal again includes a chapter of “Famous Chests” illustrating the medal bars of famous aviators highlighted in the volume.
In keeping with the author’s intellectual honesty, he includes a chapter of errata updating or correcting earlier volumes.
Neal concludes this volume with appendix upon appendix of bestowal data and an essential bibliography and glossary of terms.
As a specific note, I found most interesting the information provided about the two orders of the Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg. Neal points out the eccentricity of the late Dr. Klietmann who includes the Order of the Wendian Crown and excludes the Griffin Order from his book “Pour le Merite und Tapferkeitsmedaille”, when the Wendian Crown was not apparently used during the First World War as a reward for military accomplishment and the Griffin order was.
I heartily recommend this book as a valued addition to the library of all who find interest in Imperial Orders and Decorations.
Comment