<DIV>This is a rare examination of the Luftwaffe's greatest bomber. The Heinkel He 177 Grief was Germany's only purpose-built heavy long-range bomber that made it into series production during World War II. Aircrews nicknamed it the Luftwaffenfeuerzeug (Luftwaffe's lighter or the Flaming Coffin) due to the engine's tendency to catch fire on early versions of the aircraft. Yet when the teething problems were fixed and it became a serious contender in the war, the German situation was rapidly deteriorating. Had it not been for the mess the Third Reich administration was in, the blunders the RLM (Reich Air Ministry) made, or the catastrophic fuel situation Germany faced late in the war, this advanced aircraft could have had a much bigger effect on the war. Dinan tells the story of the design, development, production, and operational use of one of World War II's most mysterious aircraft.</DIV>