The famous Messerschmitt Bf 109 single-seat fighter was one of the most important warplanes of the Second World War. Originally designed during the 1930s, and a contemporary of the equally-legendary Supermarine Spitfire, it was vitally important to Germany's Luftwaffe and was flown in combat by the highest-scoring fighter pilots in history. It was in service throughout the Second World War and was built in a number of significant versions that proved to be worthy adversaries of the very best of the Allied warplanes that it flew against. Bf 109s operated in all the major areas of conflict where German forces were engaged in combat and, in modified form, the type even had a post-war career in several countries that extended well into the 1950s. AUTHOR: Malcolm V. Lowe is an established historian and writer, specialising in military history, particularly of the twentieth century. A published author for over 30 years, he was born in Yeovil, Somerset, but is now based principally in France. His writing has encompassed many aspects of aviation and military history, and he has authored or co-authored over twenty published books. This is in addition to literally hundreds of articles published in magazines and newspapers in several countries. His writing has been translated into several different languages, including German, French and Czech, and he is an accomplished linguist able to write in several languages. He has built up an extensive array of contacts within the research community, and has close links to several museums including the Czech Republic's Letecky Muzeum (Aviation Museum) at Prague/Kbely. Amongst his particular interests are the aircraft of Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe, a subject that he has specialised in for many years. This includes the famous Messerschmitt Bf 109, the subject of this book.