Hitler's Heroine

Hanna Reitsch longed to fly. Breaking records and earning the respect of the Nazi regime, she became the first female Luftwaffe test pilot, earning significant awards and becoming a personal heroine of Hitler's. Reitsch was an ardent Nazi and was prepared to die for the cause, first as a test pilot for the dangerous V1 rockets and later by volunteering for a suggested Nazi 'kamikaze' squadron. After her capture she complained bitterly of not being able to die with her leader, but went on to live a celebrated flying career post-war, breaking more records for gliding. When she died a new mystery was created - did Hanna kill herself? Why did she die when she did? This book reveals new facts about the mysterious Hanna and cuts through the many myths that have surrounded her life and death, bringing the fascinating Reitsch back to life for the twenty-first century.

Auteur

Sophie Jackson has worked as a freelance writer specialising in historical subjects. She is widely published in magazines across the UK and US, including the Daily Mirror, Antiques Info Magazine, Your Family Tree, Your Family History and Family History Monthly. She is the author of Churchill's Unexpected Guests, Churchill's White Rabbit and SOE's Balls of Steel, among many others.

Résumé
Hanna Reitsch longed to fly. Having broken records and earned the respect of the Nazi regime, she was the first female Luftwaffe test pilot, and eventually became Adolf Hitler's personal heroine. An ardent Nazi, Hanna was prepared to die for the cause, first as a test pilot for the dangerous V1 flying bombs and later by volunteering for a suggested Nazi 'kamikaze' squadron. After her capture she complained bitterly of not being able to die with her leader, but she went on to have a celebrated post-war flying career. She died at the age of 67, creating a new mystery did Hanna kill herself using the cyanide pill Hitler had given her over thirty years earlier? Hitler's Heroine reveals new facts about the mysterious pilot and cuts through the many myths that have surrounded her life and death, bringing this fascinating woman back to life for the twenty-first century.