The Women Who Flew for Hitler by Claire Mulley

I seem to be on a nonfiction kick lately. I saw mention of The Women in my local newspaper book section and it sounded intriguing. I had never heard of the 2 women  the book focuses on: Hanna Reitsch and Melitta von Stauffenberg. Both were female pilots--a rarity at the time--and both were awarded the Iron Cross. But the two were so different otherwise. And I found Melitta to be the more sympathetic and heroic of the two.

Hanna was a diehard Nazi supporter who tried to convince Hitler to let her fly him away to safety toward the end of the war. Melitta was secretly working to overthrow the man. Melitta died trying to spirit her husband away from a concentration camp. Hanna lived for many years after the war, constantly changing her story. It's a fascinating look at a turbulent time from a unique perspective.