Category Air Warfare

French Air Power 1918/1919 – this Wednesday

Christopher A. Lawrence
March 16, 2026

The first of a series of eight presentations on French Air Power 1918-1940 by Dr. James Slaughter. This one covers 1918/1919. It is on Wednesday, 18 March, 7:00 PM (EST) via zoom.

The Zoom link is here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86263186380?pwd=8hFYnQhOP7Ne3aWTE5pmW4u0kvugId.1

The whole series is here: French Air Power 1918-1940 – The Dupuy Institute

The call for presentations for the Fifth HAAC is here: Call for Presentations for the Fifth HAAC, 20 – 22 October 2026 – The Dupuy Institute

Air Warfare Historical Analysis Annual Conference

9 Books

Finally here is a picture of all nine of my published books. It includes two copies of The Battle for Kyiv, as one is the hardback and one is the paperback version. The paperback version does have some revisions and an expanded photo section.

We are looking to add two more books to that collection in the next six months. An additional book on the Russo-Ukrainian War should be out in the next 2 to 3 months, and The Battle of Tolstoye Woods should be out hopefully this spring. The editing process on all my books is slow, primarily because the large amount of charts, tables and tabular data in them that are a pain to edit and proof.

Four books on Kursk

I have three books published on the Battle of Kursk and one coming out next year (The Batte of Tolstoye Woods).

The Battle of Kusk was the largest battle of World War II. You would not get that sense from the military history section of most bookstores. Anyhow, there were four parts to the battle. The German offensive in the south from 4 to 24 July 1943, the German offensive in the north for 5 – 12 July 1943, the Soviet counteroffensive around Orel from 12 July to 23 August and the Soviet counteroffensive around Kharkov from 3 August to 23 August. My books are mostly about the German offensive in the south. I have consider doing one or two about the Battle(s) of Kharkov, but I have been distracted by the war that started in that same area in 2022.

I do have a fourth book coming out next year called The Battle of Tolstoye Woods. This one actually covers the Soviet counterattack that actually worked and stopped a German panzer corps. Everyone tends to focus on the Battle of Prokhorovka, but there were three German armored corps attacking in the south, and they all had to be stopped. This book is about the Red Army halting the 48th Panzer Corps, which was as large as the SS Panzer Corps.

Anyhow, not sure if I will get around to a fifth Kursk book. Might.

P.S. I do think my original book is the largest history book ever written: Did I Just Write the Largest History Book Ever? — History News Network

I have not submitted it to the Guinness World Records.

P.P.S. Here is the link to the “Other Battle of Kursk” which has been posted to Amazon.com (UK). It will be The Battle of Tolstoye Woods: The Other Battle of Kursk: Lawrence, Christopher A.: 9780811773737: Amazon.com: Books and The Other Battle of Kursk: Amazon.co.uk: Lawrence, Christopher A.: 9780811773737: Books

Four Books

Christopher A. Lawrence
December 29, 2025

Just got my author copies for a few of my books. Decided to post them all up.

1. Hunting Falcon – available U.S. April 3, 2025

2. Aces at Kursk – available U.S. September 30, 2024

3. Battle for Kyiv (paperback) – Hardback available U.S. January 18, 2024 – paperback available UK 4 December 2025. Will be available U.S. February 28, 2026.

4. Siege of Mariupol – Available UK 27 November 2025. Available U.S. January 30, 2026.

Can order directly from the publisher: Pen and Sword Books: The Siege of Mariupol – Hardback

Can order from UK Amazon.com: The Siege of Mariupol: The Azovstal Steel Plant and Ukraine’s Battle for Survival : Christopher A Lawrence, Stefan Korshak: Amazon.co.uk: Books

The piano in the background is an August Foerster. Made in Loebau, Germany since 1859. This one is from East Germany (1949-1990). Country dissolved, but the piano is just fine.

Air Warfare Eastern Europe Eastern Front Kursk Land Warfare Russia World War I World War II WWI Air

The Hunting Falcon is now on sale in the U.S.

Christopher A. Lawrence
April 15, 2025

According to Amazon.com (U.S.), The Hunting Falcon: The story of WWI German Ace Hans-Joachim Buddecke has been available since 3 April. It was first offered for sale in the UK on 6 March 2025.

The list price is $39.95 and it is available from Amazon.com right now for $37.26. See: Amazon.com: The Hunting Falcon: The Story of WW1 German Ace Hans-Joachim Buddecke: 9781399085014: Lawrence, Christopher A, Karamales, Jay: Books

It is available in the UK via Amazon.com (UK) for £25.00 at: The Hunting Falcon: The Story of WW1 German Ace Hans-Joachim Buddecke: Amazon.co.uk: Lawrence, Christopher A, Karamales, Jay: 9781399085014: Books and directly from the publisher discounted to £25.00 at Pen and Sword Books: The Hunting Falcon – Hardback.

Hans-Joachim Buddecke’s story start before the war in Indianapolis, working for his American uncle (later the grandfather of author Kurt Vonnegut Jr.). He became the third German ace to be awarded the Blue Max (after Immelmann and Boelcke) after clearing the skies over Gallipoli. See: Award Dates for the Blue Max (1916) – The Dupuy Institute. He was the pilot who shot down Lawrence of Arabia’s younger brother (no relationship to me).

Air Warfare World War I WWI Air

The Hunting Falcon is available in the UK

Christopher A. Lawrence
March 8, 2025

Hunting Falcon, as of today, is now available on Amazon.com UK. The site has the release date of 6 March 2025. It has a list price of £25 and they are selling it right now at a 25% discount for £18.71: The Hunting Falcon: The Story of WW1 German Ace Hans-Joachim Buddecke: Amazon.co.uk: Lawrence, Christopher A, Karamales, Jay: 9781399085014: Books

It is available for £17.50 directly from Pen & Sword: Pen and Sword Books: The Hunting Falcon – Hardback

Amazon.com U.S. is listing its available date of April 3, 2025. It is available for pre-order at $42.95: Amazon.com: The Hunting Falcon: The Story of WW1 German Ace Hans-Joachim Buddecke: 9781399085014: Lawrence, Christopher A, Karamales, Jay: Books

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Proposed book cover for The Hunting Falcon

A commentator on our last post on The Hunting Falcon stated that “Chris, you have very good book cover designers.” See: The Hunting Falcon to be released in the UK on Friday, 14 February – The Dupuy Institute

Now, our original cover recommendation to Pen & Sword was this:

This was kind of my recommendation, as I wanted to emphasis Hans Buddecke’s tie-in with Gallipoli. I figured that had marketing value. Jay Karamales actually did all the work.

Pen & Sword came back with this:

Now, I suspect part of the reason for this cover is that it matched up with the covers of their other World War I air books, for which they have quite a collection. See: Pen and Sword Books: WWI. Our book is on page 4, still listed as pre-order.

My understanding is that Pen & Sword does have the book in stock. Right now Amazon.com (UK) is saying it is “currently unavailable” while the Amazon.com (U.S.) is giving their U.S. release date as 31 March 2025. I gather it takes a few days for the books to be shipped through the system.

Presentation on Aces at Kursk on Wednesday, 19 February, 800 PM

Christopher A. Lawrence
February 17, 2025

I will be making a presentation about my book Aces at Kursk on Wednesday, 19 February, 800 PM on Greg McNiff’s World War II Discussion Forum: World War II Discussion Forum | Home. There is a zoom link on that page for that presentation.

Also it is here: Launch Meeting – Zoom

Mr. McNiff’s program is quite good with authors presenting their books each week in a virtual setting. Definitely worth looking at.

The World War II Discussion Forum is supported by entirely by donations, so do what you can to help.

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The Hunting Falcon to be released in the UK on Friday, 14 February

The Hunting Falcon is being released in the UK the Friday, 14 February.

According to Amazon.com it will be released in the U.S. March 31, 2025.

The Hunting Falcon covers the story of the third German ace to be awarded the Blue Max, after Immelmann and Boelcke. Hans-Joachim Buddecke was the fighter pilot and squadron leader who established German air dominance over Gallipoli in late 1915 – early 1916. A book of his story was published in German in 1918 but was never translated until recently. We (meaning Jay Karamales) translated it, and then we researched the background behind some of his stories. So the book alternates between several translated chapters from his book then a chapter explaining in more depth the people and events behind his story. For example, it includes a detailed description of the air operations around Gallipoli.

Hans-Joachim Buddecke story starts in Indianapolis before the Great War. He talks about his American cousin and uncle who had recently encouraged him to move from Germany to the United States. We have been able to research and identify that uncle as Albert Lieber, a very successful brewer and businessman in Indianapolis, who he went into the airplane business with. His cousin was Edith Lieber Vonnegut, the tall and attractive socialite mother of the famous atmospheric scientist Dr. Bernand Vonnegut (1914-1997) and the even more famous writer Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (1922-2007).

Leaving his airplane at the infield of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Hans Buddecke snuck past the British blockade into Germany and became third ace in the German air force. This book details for the first time his complete story, including the unsavory aspects of it.