BigGreenBear.com
The Star of Africa: The Complete Story of Hans-Joachim Marseille
The Star of Africa: The Complete Story of Hans-Joachim Marseille
Couldn't load pickup availability
The Star of Africa plunges you into the blistering cockpit of Hans-Joachim Marseille, the Luftwaffe's most dazzling maverick. Against the backdrop of North Africa's sun-scorched skies, Marseille carved his legend: 158 confirmed victories; a string of near-impossible dogfights won by instinct and raw courage; and the coveted Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds.
But Marseille's genius did not come at the cost of his conscience. Refusing to swallow the Nazi doctrine around him, he spun forbidden jazz through his radio, befriended a South African POW, and lived by an honor code that led him to guide crippled Allied fighters safely to the desert floor, sometimes risking anti-aircraft fire to slip them notices of their downed comrades. Through interviews with fellow pilots and German officers who watched him grow from undisciplined renegade to the "Star of Africa," Colin D. Heaton paints a vivid portrait of a man whose soaring heroism and tragic end-caused not by enemy fire but by mechanical fate-reshaped the morale of an entire fighter wing and left an indelible mark on aviation history.
Review
"In Star of Africa, Heaton has produced the definitive biography of Hans-Joachim Marseille, the unconventional Luftwaffe super-ace who dominated the North African air war....The text is superbly augmented with rare photos and numerous appendices that will keep readers and researchers busy for decades to come."
-Barrett Tillman, Forgotten Fifteenth: The Daring Airmen Who Crippled Hitler's War Machine; Former Secretary, American Fighter Aces Assoc.
"Great story of a German war hero who opposed his brutal government and displayed chivalry and compassion towards his enemies, maintaining his honor, and becoming a legend."
-Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, Co-author of Noble Warrior: The Story of Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, USMC (Ret.), Medal of Honor
"What Colin Heaton has written is the Magnum Opus of the Marseille phenomenon....a 125-pound killing dynamo that broke and then rewrote the rules of fighter-to-fighter combat, allowing him to dominate the North African skies for almost 18 months. There is simply no better book on this topic."
-Lt. Col. Robert Tate, USAFR (ret.), AWACS Pilot and WWII Historian
"Heaton has created a very well-written, meticulously researched triumph of a biography with interviews from men who knew the amazing Marseille-a German, anti-Nazi Swing Kid and highly decorated fighter pilot-who threw away the rulebook but proved that he indeed ruled the skies in WWII."
-H. P. Shreve, Author of The Secret Diaries of a POW: COL Arthur L. Shreve, Jr., (adapted to film Once a Colonel)
"Having read other biographies of Marseille...I was surprised to find that this gracefully written new work adds fascinating details and accounts from extensive interviews with Luftwaffe Experten that make it worth reading no matter how deeply immersed in Marseille lore you might already be."
-Aviation History magazine
"His loss was a bitter blow to his compatriots in JG-27 but a blessing to those of us on the other side."
-Ron Cundy, Royal Air Force, North Africa
"Watching Marseille in the air was like watching a deadly aerial ballet. He looked like he was twelve years old, and often acted like it."
-Major Werner Schroer, Knight's Cross, Oak Leaves and Swords, JG-27
"Marseille was perhaps the best that the Luftwaffe had. His record was only surpassed by his immature unprofessionalism."
-Col. Hajo Herrmann, Knight's Cross, Oak Leaves and Swords
"Men like Marseille captured the public imagination, and rightly so. They played a dangerous game, and Marseille was perhaps the best to ever fly a fighter."
-Lt. Gen. Gunther Rall, Knight's Cross, Oak Leaves and
Swords with 275 victories
"Marseille may not have been the perfect officer, but he was the perfect fighter pilot."
-Gen. Adolf Galland, Famed German Ace
"The Star of Africa shares Marseille's journey from marginal young pilot to 'virtuoso of the fighter pilots' (the title given to him by Adolf Galland)...with close attention to detail throughout. An excellent book."
-Trevor J. Constable, Coauthor of The Blond Knight of Germany: A Biography of Erich Hartmann and Fighter General: The Life of Adolf Galland
"Heaton expertly portrays Marseille as one of history's great fighter pilots, as well as a man who lived life to the full and who fought with honor."
-Dennis Showalter, Pritzker Prize for lifetime achievement
in military history writing
"...there is no better book to acquaint a reader with this extraordinary fighter pilot and man."
-Chuck Oldham, Defense Media Network
About the Author
- Publisher : Warriors Publishing Group
- Publication date : September 30, 2025
- Edition : Revised Expanded ed.
- Language : English
- Print length : 440 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1944353879
- ISBN-13 : 978-1944353872
- Item Weight : 1.63 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 1 x 9 inches
Multiple items can be sent combine in one order.
Save on shipping costs when you order multiple items at once from Add to Cart!
-
Book grading is based on a score out of 10:
0-1.5 = poor to good minus
2.0-3.5 = fair to very good minus
4.0-5.5 = very good to fine minus
6.0-7.5 = fine to very fine minus
8.0 = very fine
8.5 = very fine plus
9.0 = very fine/near mint
9.2 = near mint minus
9.4 = near mint
9.6 = near mint plus
9.8 = near mint to mint
9.9 = mint
10.0 = gem mint
Fast secure shipping ·
Shipping from United States
FAST SHIPPING for all domestic orders with no extra charge for shipping regardless if you buy 1 or 100+ items. We commit to process 99.99% of orders within three business day upon receipt of confirmed payment. Delivery time may vary based on several factors, but in general you should get your item within 2-8 days in the US, and International items vary greatly on your countries postal system and customs processing times.
Return Policy
All Books that are sold on BigGreenBear.com can be returned. Returns are only accepted if the item is not as described or damaged. If you are making a return, please initiate the return process through BigGreenBear.com
Prior to listing, our expert team carefully assessed this item to represent it accurately.
Please review the description and high-definition images prior to purchasing to ensure this item meets your satisfaction. We welcome you to contact us if you have further questions about this item.
