E. R. Hooton is a successful retired defence journalist, including acting as a Jane’s Yearbook editor, and a member of the British Commission for Military History as well as being a member of the Royal United Services Institute. He has written numerous articles on military history and many highly regarded books ranging from the Balkans Wars 1912-13, air operations over the Western Front 1916-18, the breaking of the Hindenburg Line 1918, the Red Army 1937-41, air operations 1939-45, the Communist Chinese victory of 1945-51, and on the history of the Luftwaffe: The Luftwaffe – A Study in Air Power 1933-1945 (2010), Phoenix Triumphant: The Rise and Rise of the Luftwaffe (1992), and Eagle in Flames: The Fall of the Luftwaffe (1997). He has also written a detailed history of air operations over the Western Front.