Messerschmitt Me 262 Development & Politics by Dan Sharp

[newsdeskdan]

Messerschmitt Me 262 Development & Politics by Dan Sharp

There are many myths surrounding the development of the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. Its unparalleled performance is beyond doubt; easily able to outpace its opponents and possessing the firepower to shred them in seconds. Yet immediately after the Second World War, rumours abounded that official indifference, technical shortcomings and interference from the Führer himself had crippled the Me 262’s progress and delayed its appearance on the front line until it was far too late.

Begun as a series of design concepts during 1938, the fighter would not enter mass production until the spring of 1944. Even then it failed to make any notable impact until the closing weeks of the war, when Me 262s began destroying USAAF bombers at an alarming rate. Exactly what happened to cause this apparently late start and who was responsible has until now been largely a matter of conjecture.

Grounded in research involving thousands of wartime documents spread across archival collections in three countries, Messerschmitt Me 262 Development & Politics finally sweeps aside the myths and provides a clear understanding of the real history. Sharp examines the aircraft’s technical development in unparalleled detail as well as analysing the ongoing discussions surrounding the Me 262 at the highest levels within the Messerschmitt company, the German Air Ministry and Adolf Hitler’s inner circle.

328 pages
160,000w of text
300 images
A4 hardback
£30 / $45

Due to go to press next week with a 2-3 week turnaround time until copies are available.

Pre-orders are now open here:

MESSERSCHMITT ME 262: DEVELOPMENT AND POLITICS | Mortons Books

Book - Messerschmitt Me 262: Development and Politics

www.mortonsbooks.co.uk

 

[HoHun]

Hi Dan,

I hope this Sharp guy has done a good job there, or I'll be terribly disappointed! ;-) But based on what I've read on this forum, I'm confident it's going to be highly interesting.

Are you allowed to tell us where it can be ordered, or would that be against the forum rules?

Regards,

Henning

 

[newsdeskdan]

Hi Dan,

I hope this Sharp guy has done a good job there, or I'll be terribly disappointed! ;-) But based on what I've read on this forum, I'm confident it's going to be highly interesting.

Are you allowed to tell us where it can be ordered, or would that be against the forum rules?

Regards,

Henning

It can't be ordered from anywhere just yet - probably not till Monday. This is a rare case of there not being a lengthy pre-order period. We're going from book announcement to books delivered in 2-3 weeks.

 

[red admiral]

There are many myths surrounding the development of the Messerschmitt Me 262 – the only jet fighter to see combat during the Second World War.

Eh? Meteors definitely flew combat missions with first airborne kill in August 1944.

 

[newsdeskdan]

There are many myths surrounding the development of the Messerschmitt Me 262 – the only jet fighter to see combat during the Second World War.

Eh? Meteors definitely flew combat missions with first airborne kill in August 1944.

Wrong version of the synopsis. Amended version now installed!

 

[Dagger]

Messerschmitt Me 262 Development & Politics by Dan Sharp

...................

328 pages
160,000w of text
300 images
A4 hardback
£30 / $45

Due to go to press next week with a 2-3 week turnaround time until copies are available.

Will it be published by Mortons, as a reworked version with a new title of this: https://www.mortonsbooks.co.uk/prod...messerschmitt-me-262-development-and-politics
or is it an entirely different book?

It is a bit confusing now and I see a lot of webshops that are also confused as they offer the new title but with the old cover. For example Bookdepository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Mess...olitics-Dan-Sharp/9781911658276?ref=grid-view
Clearly not what this new book is, also in view of the indicated BD price of only £15

 

[newsdeskdan]

Messerschmitt Me 262 Development & Politics by Dan Sharp

...................

328 pages
160,000w of text
300 images
A4 hardback
£30 / $45

Due to go to press next week with a 2-3 week turnaround time until copies are available.

Will it be published by Mortons, as a reworked version with a new title of this: https://www.mortonsbooks.co.uk/prod...messerschmitt-me-262-development-and-politics
or is it an entirely different book?

It is a bit confusing now and I see a lot of webshops that are also confused as they offer the new title but with the old cover. For example Bookdepository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Mess...olitics-Dan-Sharp/9781911658276?ref=grid-view
Clearly not what this new book is, also in view of the indicated BD price of only £15

I had originally intended that Secret Projects of the Luftwaffe Vol. 3: Messerschmitt Me 262 would be focused squarely on the 'secret projects' and sub-variants of the type - leaving aside all questions of production and politics.
But the further I went into the primary source material the more apparent it became that the truth about what happened to the Me 262 throughout its development diverged somewhat from all existing written accounts.
As a result, I expanded the book to encompass all aspects of the aircraft's development - the projects, the sub-variants, the prototypes and the full production variants - as well as the discussions that went on about them.
It went from 30,000w to 160,000w, from 248x185mm to 297x210mm, from 150 images to 300, and from 150 pages to 328. The original title and cover art no longer reflected the book's contents and as such I persuaded the publisher to change both. This has indeed created some confusion, for which I am sorry, but I believe that the book as it stands now is a great deal better than it would have been in its original form.

 

[GTX]

Interesting - will an ebook version be available or only hardcopy?

 

[newsdeskdan]

Interesting - will an ebook version be available or only hardcopy?

I would imagine it'll be hardcopy only for the time being at least.

 

[GTX]

Ok - ta

 

[Wurger]

Dan, any chance to show the index?

 

[newsdeskdan]

Dan, any chance to show the index?

I can show the Contents page...

 

[Calum Douglas]

There are many myths surrounding the development of the Messerschmitt Me 262 – the only jet fighter to see combat during the Second World War.

Eh? Meteors definitely flew combat missions with first airborne kill in August 1944.

not against a piloted aircraft it didnt.

 

[red admiral]

not against a piloted aircraft it didnt.

Seems like an odd way to define combat. Only air to air vs piloted aircraft matters?

 

[newsdeskdan]

not against a piloted aircraft it didnt.

Seems like an odd way to define combat. Only air to air vs piloted aircraft matters?

That line was from an earlier version of the synopsis, which has since been changed.
But regarding the notion of 'combat', since I'm a pedant, surely it requires at least two active participants. If you shoot down (or stick a wingtip under) a non-sentient piece of equipment that's completely unable to perceive you in any way, flying in a straight line and presenting no active threat to you - were you engaged in combat with it?

 

[red admiral]

Fair enough. I think it's just what point is trying to be made.

Meteor got into operational service and was used in operations as well as Me 262. It was simply policy that stopped them being used on the continent where they were more likely to have encountered German aircraft to fight in the air.

 

[SleeperService2]

I'm sold on this now, seems like several other 'references' may now be outdated.

 

[newsdeskdan]

I'm sold on this now, seems like several other 'references' may now be outdated.

There's very little in Messerschmitt Me 262 Development & Politics about combat operations. Those 160,000w are focused on what it says in the title - so older references about units operating the Me 262 etc. are still as valid as ever they were.
But all previous references concerning the type's developmental history - yes, I believe they are.

 

[newsdeskdan]

Fair enough. I think it's just what point is trying to be made.

Meteor got into operational service and was used in operations as well as Me 262. It was simply policy that stopped them being used on the continent where they were more likely to have encountered German aircraft to fight in the air.

Absolutely.

 

[SleeperService2]

But all previous references concerning the type's developmental history - yes, I believe they are.

That is music to my ears. The why is often more interesting than what happened.

 

[HoHun]

Hi,

Fair enough. I think it's just what point is trying to be made.

Meteor got into operational service and was used in operations as well as Me 262. It was simply policy that stopped them being used on the continent where they were more likely to have encountered German aircraft to fight in the air.

Well, it's my impression that this policy was based at least to a degree upon certain characteristics and properties of the very early Meteor, as outlined by Eric Brown and some evaluation reports on https://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org ... but the discussion of these certainly doesn't belong here.

I noticed that Dan's book also mentions the Me 262's snaking problem, which I'm looking forward to learning more about!

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

 

[newsdeskdan]

Hi,

Fair enough. I think it's just what point is trying to be made.

Meteor got into operational service and was used in operations as well as Me 262. It was simply policy that stopped them being used on the continent where they were more likely to have encountered German aircraft to fight in the air.

Well, it's my impression that this policy was based at least to a degree upon certain characteristics and properties of the very early Meteor, as outlined by Eric Brown and some evaluation reports on https://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org ... but the discussion of these certainly doesn't belong here.

I noticed that Dan's book also mentions the Me 262's snaking problem, which I'm looking forward to learning more about!

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

The snaking problem was extremely enigmatic and at the point when the war ended it was nowhere near to being solved. There are of course references to the various attempts to solve it in the main narrative, but the appendix includes interviews with several of the key people doing the solving and each had a different theory as to what was causing it and what the solution should be.

 

[sienar]

Funny thing I found recently. I'm guessing the book will disprove a few of these statements....

 

[Zizi6785]

What happens to the person who pre-ordered the previous bookazine version?

 

[newsdeskdan]

Funny thing I found recently. I'm guessing the book will disprove a few of these statements....
View attachment 683808

Absolutely. Having initially been interested in the Me 262, Willy Messerschmitt largely forgot about it during the Battle of Britain. He occasionally checked in on the project but was mostly busy being the chief executive of a large complex organisation. Following the Me 210 debacle, when he was forced to take more of an interest, he quickly realised that his company had developed a product it couldn't produce in quantity that made all of its other products obsolete. What to do next? Quite a dilemma.

 

[newsdeskdan]

What happens to the person who pre-ordered the previous bookazine version?

All pre-orders for the original version have been or will be cancelled and refunded, I believe. As I understand it, those people will also be sent a message from me which explains what happened to the book - much as I have outlined above.

 

[scorp]

Aside from Meteor, no one has yet mentioned that Heinkel He 162 saw combat in very last days of war.

 

[TomcatViP]

P-80s were also flying over Italy...

Onecl of the a/c that flew over Italy seen here after it returned to the US.

Project Extraversion: P-80 Shooting Stars in World War II | Defense Media Network

Article about Project Extraversion and the four P-80 Shooting Stars that served in Europe before the end of World War II.

www.defensemedianetwork.com

 

[Dagger]

Yes, two YP-80 flew in Italy during WW2 but they did not engage in combat with German planes.

 

[TomcatViP]

@Dagger : I was looking for that very one picture (mount Vesuvius) . Thanks!
[/off topic]

 

[newsdeskdan]

The book has nothing on the YP-80As since they don't figure in the Me 262 story but there is a little on other jet designs such as the Ar 234, He 162 and He 280. One thing I discovered while writing the book is that Heinkel actually asked for the He 280 to be cancelled so that the staff who had been working on it could switch to the He 177 instead. So it wasn't as though Heinkel was desperate to build a jet fighter either.

 

[Dagger]

[offtopic]

@Dagger : I was looking for that very one picture (mount Vesuvius) . Thanks!
[/off topic]

I have another version of that photo that also shows the top of the Vesuvius:



[/offtopic]

 

[Wurger]

Unfortunately this thread on a must-have book on the Me 262 has been "hijacked" by a pedestrian US jet. Dan, where can we buy your book?

 

[newsdeskdan]

Unfortunately this thread on a must-have book on the Me 262 has been "hijacked" by a pedestrian US jet. Dan, where can we buy your book?

Pre-orders are now open here (the link is also now in the first post of the thread):

MESSERSCHMITT ME 262: DEVELOPMENT AND POLITICS | Mortons Books

Book - Messerschmitt Me 262: Development and Politics

www.mortonsbooks.co.uk

 

[HoHun]

Hi Dan,

Looks like Mortons aren't GDPR-compliant ... maybe you'd like to drop them a hint they are running a (probably minor) risk of being fined there.

(Not only don't they allow the rejection of cookies, they also link to a non-existing privacy policy page.)

Deeply ingrained continuous improvement reflexes on my part, I apologize!

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

 

[newsdeskdan]

Hi Dan,

Looks like Mortons aren't GDPR-compliant ... maybe you'd like to drop them a hint they are running a (probably minor) risk of being fined there.

(Not only don't they allow the rejection of cookies, they also link to a non-existing privacy policy page.)

Deeply ingrained continuous improvement reflexes on my part, I apologize!

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

The Mortons website sells my books but that's about as far as my association with it goes. I have, however, passed this information on to those who operate it.

 

[Foo Fighter]

Well, I had a pre order accepted in July, a completely unannounced refund recently. No idea why.

 

[elmayerle]

Pre-order placed for this one. It sounds like a "must have".

 

[newsdeskdan]

Well, I had a pre order accepted in July, a completely unannounced refund recently. No idea why.

The full explanation for this is in reply #7 above. In short, the book I'd originally intended to write on the Me 262 - a shortish softback focusing just on the 'secret projects' - turned into something much larger and more wide-ranging as I was writing it. Consequently, all pre-orders for the little softback were cancelled and refunded. I'm sorry for the confusion this has caused.

 

[Foo Fighter]

No worries,, having been absent due to pc failure, I had no clue anything had changed. Stuff.