Black Cross / Red Star News

[sevenless]

56 minutes ago, Trooper117 said:

I've got all his air battle series, plus all the Black Cross Red Star volumes less vol 5... (will probably get that next month as it will be my birthday present to me, lol!)

 

 

Since Stalingrad of the Air battles series is the only one I don´t have (the other 3 are great), what do you say is the difference between Black Cross Red Star Vol.3 and 4 combined and the Airbattles book? Do Vol. 3 and 4 make the air battle book about Stalingrad redundant and superfluous or does it have any content which is not already handled in Vol.3 and Vol.4?

[JG7_X-Man]

They are very interesting reads! I have 2 of the 4 but will eventually pick up the full collection. I really miss Paul Lowengrin's DCG, which was the reason I started buying WWII history books back in the early 90's - to make historic campaigns.

[sevenless]

40 minutes ago, JG7_X-Man said:

 I really miss Paul Lowengrin's DCG, which was the reason I started buying WWII history books back in the early 90's - to make historic campaigns.

 

Among others, his DCG is one of the reasons I still play IL2-1946.

 

Here: https://forum.jg1.org/topic/6757-dcg-350-open-beta/page/2/#comments

Edited October 1, 2020 by sevenless

[ZachariasX]

On 9/17/2020 at 12:01 PM, LukeFF said:

I would love to buy the revised edition of Volume 1,

I met Christer recently and I was of course talking with him about this series of books as well. It is indeed his plan to publish all eight books of the series in an updated fashion, consistent in quality with Vol 4 & 5. Especially Vol.2 was hampered by an editor that.. well.. could have been better at what he did. This is why I would definitely not invest in used Volumes 1 - 3, as especially early editions are not the print quality that they should have had.

 

In between, his book about the Battel off Stalingrad will be published. This as continuation of "Operation Barbarossa 1941".

 

Christer.. maker of grand photobooks...  When I met him, I was lucky to get an edition of "Graf & Grislawski", probably his most personal book. An updated version is only available in German, but it lets you follow the life (beyond just their exploits withe the Luftwaffe) in details an pictures. It is very much flicking through their personal photo collection. Amazing books.

Edited October 3, 2020 by ZachariasX

[ZachariasX]

You know... The old IL2 combat sim should have been titled "Black Cross Red Star". Oleg liked the idea. It was though that thise books were to be published alongside the developpment of the sim. It was due to an editor (mentioned above) that the sim series had to have an alternative title. "IL2" was the runner up.

Edited October 3, 2020 by ZachariasX

[busdriver]

Christer Bergström is about to publish an updated version of Black Cross / Red Star Vol 1.

 

 

To celebrate I'm giving away two three copies. @ShamrockOneFive gets one copy for all his good work promoting our hobby. The second copy is other two are up for grabs, if you're interested.

 

If you would like this copy, simply post a full size screenshot from either BoM or BoS (in this thread) that conveys your appreciation of this sim. The book will get posted next month so multiple entries are welcome. Up votes will be taken into account, but I'll decide the winner.

 

The winners will have a couple of days to PM his/her name and postal address to me.

 

 

 

Edited July 24, 2021 by busdriver

[sevenless]

Appreciate your gesture, but since I buy that one anyways I would like to mention that Christer even announced an update to Vol. 2 and Vol.3. However at the moment I´m mostly interested in what he will come up with in his Stalingrad Revised title.

 

Here is something to look forward to for flight simmers in 2021/2022.

 

BLACK CROSS RED STAR – AIR WAR OVER THE EASTERN FRONT: VOLUME 2 – TWO TURNING POINTS, DECEMBER 1941 - MAY 1942 - Vaktel Förlag (vaktelforlag.se)

 

[ShamrockOneFive]

Thank you @busdriver! Much appreciated!

[LLv34_Flanker]

S! 

 

Can't wait to get my copy, crowdfunded it Very nice gesture to have a giveaway on such a good book series. Volumes 1-3 have been hard to get and at outrageous prices. 

[parasxosg]

Duck attack!!! Thanks for the giveaway! il2 community is really a friendly bunch!!

[EAF19_Marsh]

Just ordered a copy myself ?

[Hartigan]

Me too?...preordered vol1 couple a months ago. I paid yesterday. Christer really deserves and need our support!

[Reaperr]

Me and my almost flying YAK is appreciating greatly all giveaway you do

[SYN_Ricky]

7 hours ago, LLv34_Flanker said:

S! 

 

Can't wait to get my copy, crowdfunded it Very nice gesture to have a giveaway on such a good book series. Volumes 1-3 have been hard to get and at outrageous prices. 

Was lucky to get the first volume at a decent price back then, but I happily crowfunded the new edition, as the production quality of the first one was indeed lacking compared to the later volumes. Missed the information that vols 2 and 3 will be updated, I will be ending up buying the collection twice ?. But I would do it gladly, I was quite dismayed after volume 3, I really thought for years that the series wouldn't continue....

[ATAG_SKUD]

Paid for my copy yesterday. I'll get volume 2 when it comes out also. The new 4 and 5 volumes are on the shelf after great reads!

Highly recommended.

skud

[Gambit21]

Very nice gesture indeed! Way to go Robey. 

 

Now of someone would just write "Rising Sun/White Star" 

 

 

[MarcoPegase44]

[SirFlappy]

Very generous offer..... When the homeland is in peril and the MGs used up what is left but sacrifice for mother Russia!!

Edited July 8, 2021 by SirFlappy

[Chief_Mouser]

No screenshot from me this time as I won volume 5. You're a generous man busdriver, thanks once again. 

Edited July 6, 2021 by 216th_Cat

[Trooper117]

Here's a couple of 'Black Crosses'...

 

Edited July 7, 2021 by Trooper117

[Feathered_IV]

Nice one Busdriver.  Can't resist an entry too.  Death to Stukas!

 

[[DBS]Tx_Tip]

Couple of FNBF oldies.

 

 

 

[SirFlappy]

Just took a  look here and realized I put "if left instead of is left" ( did a re-edit) on my caption,I must have been too keen not to miss   the football....doh!

  Some nice screens by others as well I notice. ....England in a major final after 55 years wow!!..about  time.

Edited July 8, 2021 by SirFlappy

[Beebop]

Ah-ah, ah!
Ah-ah, ah!

We come from the land of the ice and snow
From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow
The hammer of the gods
Will drive our ships to new lands
To fight the horde, sing and cry
Valhalla, I am coming...

 

I have Volumes 3, 4 and 5.  Volume 1 would be a dream as it is terribly expensive when you can even find a copy.

Thanks for making this offer to us.  Very, VERY generous of you.

Edited July 8, 2021 by Beebop

[ITAF_Rani]

hope to get a copy

 

 

[SR603-Flowbee]

Very generous of you and and very needy by me... 

 

 

 

Edited July 12, 2021 by SR603-Flowbee

[[CPT]milopugdog]

Another book? Another book! There can never be too many books.

[Burdokva]

Fantastic giveaway for a fantastic series! Volumes 4 and 5 were great and I plan to get all of them. In any case, thanks, and here's one from me.

[kendo]

I've just ordered Volume 4. It will be my first experience of one of these books, though I've heard so much about them. Many thanks for this. Here's a screen.

 

 

 

Thought I'd add - the screen is from a scripted campaign by Juri_JS, "Lions of Kalinin". Played through it a while back. Very enjoyable. Took a lot of screen shots along the way.

 

 

Edited July 15, 2021 by kendo

[Beebop]

39 minutes ago, kendo said:

I've just ordered Volume 4. It will be my first experience of one of these books

You have made, IMO, the best choice possible.  They are an excellent source of information about the air war between Russia and Germany ever written.  The best part I think is that it covers each side equally well, a rarity in publishing these days.  And, they include some not often seen photos from both sides.  Not only are they authoritative guides to the war in the east but a wealth of detail for mission builders and skinners alike.

You're gonna love it!  Good luck in the drawing.

(and good luck to everyone)

 

 

 

(including myself lol)

[Gambit21]

On 7/9/2021 at 11:21 AM, SR603-Flowbee said:

Very generous of you and and very needy by me... 

 

 

 

 

I'm not big on the Eastern Front...but I do love this little airplane.

[Heliopause]

[von_Tom]

 

 

The revised volume 1 is twice the size of the original.  You'll be able to get revised volumes 1 to 3 for the price of the original volume 1, and it so much better in terms of content and quality.

 

von Tom

[Trooper117]

My original copy of BCRS vol 1 is 307 pages... the new one is not over 600 pages long.

[kendo]

https://vaktelforlag.se/produkt/black-cross-red-star-air-war-eastern-front-volume-1-operation-barbarossa/

 

384 pages according to the above link, but double the word count:

 

Quote

 

However, the first edition of Volume 1 was based on the amount of research undertaken by the authors in the late 1990s. Christer Bergström has continued his in-depth research into the subject ever since then, and the result is a new edition of Black Cross/Red Star, Volume 1 that exceeds the first edition regarding the quality of the material to the point that the new edition actually is a completely new book.

 

The first edition contained a maximum of 100,000 words. The second edition not only has much higher quality as far as the research is concerned but also contains twice that word count, a very large number of absolutely new photos (many of which are from pilot veterans’ photo albums and have never been published before),

 

 

[von_Tom]

3 hours ago, kendo said:

 

384 pages according to the above link, but double the word count:

 

 

This.

 

von Tom

[robbiec]

Ordered Black Cross / Red Star Vol 5 and Vol1 + Luftwaffe Pilot Stories Vol1. Christer does an amazing job and tbh we (as in the community) should each have a set

I am still working my way through Vol 4 which I picked up last year and he very ably and accurately describes the Air war on the Eastern Front. 

Highly recommended. 

[BladeMeister]

May I please enter the drawing?

 

S!Blade<><

 

[busdriver]

Thanks to everyone that participated. The two 1GCCFPs to receive a shiny new edition of BC/RS Volume 1 are @SirFlappy and @kendo. So guys check your PMs and get back to me so I can email Christer your details.

 

Cheers

[kestrel79]

Is there a link to buy this in US dollars? Heard great things about these books.