question: Which German fighter pilot was dubbed the most successful fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare and had the book The Blond Knight of Germany written about their life and career?
answer: Erich Hartmann
context: Title: Wilhelm Crinius
  Passage: Wilhelm Crinius (2 December 1920 – 26 April 1997) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II.  A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.  Crinius is credited with 114 aerial victories claimed in approximately 400 combat missions.  He recorded 100 victories over the Eastern Front.  Of his 14 victories claimed over the Western Front, one was a four-engined bomber.  On 23 September 1942, Crinius became the only German fighter pilot to be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ("Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes") and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ("Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub") simultaneously.
  Title: Erich Hartmann
  Passage: Erich Alfred Hartmann (19 April 1922 – 20 September 1993), nicknamed "Bubi" ("The Kid") by his German comrades and "The Black Devil" by his Soviet adversaries, was a German fighter pilot during World War II and the most successful fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare.  He flew 1,404 combat missions and participated in aerial combat on 825 separate occasions.  He claimed, and was credited with, shooting down 352 Allied aircraft—345 Soviet and 7 American—while serving with the "Luftwaffe".  During the course of his career, Hartmann was forced to crash-land his fighter 14 times due to damage received from parts of enemy aircraft he had just shot down or mechanical failure.  Hartmann was never shot down or forced to land due to enemy fire.
  Title: Werner Mölders
  Passage: Werner Mölders (18 March 1913 – 22 November 1941) was a German fighter pilot during World War II and a leading German fighter ace.  He became the first pilot in aviation history to claim 100 aerial victories—that is, 100 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft, and was highly decorated for his achievements.  Mölders was instrumental in the development of new fighter tactics that led to the finger-four formation.  He died in an air crash in which he was a passenger.
  Title: The Blond Knight of Germany
  Passage: The Blond Knight of Germany is a book by the American authors Trevor J. Constable and Raymond F. Toliver dedicated to the life and career of the German fighter pilot of World War II, Erich Hartmann.  Originally released in the United States in 1970, it was published in Germany the next year, as Holt Hartmann vom Himmel! .
  Title: List of World War II aces from Germany
  Passage: This is a list of fighter aces in World War II from Germany.  A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.  German day and night fighter pilots claimed roughly 70,000 aerial victories during World War II, 25,000 over British or American and 45,000 over Russian flown aircraft.  103 German fighter pilots shot down more than 100 enemy aircraft for a total of roughly 15,400 aerial victories.  Roughly a further 360 pilots claimed between 40 and 100 aerial victories for round about 21,000 victories.  Another 500 fighter pilots claimed between 20 and 40 victories for a total of 15,000 victories.  It is relatively certain that 2,500 German fighter pilots attained ace status, having achieved at least 5 aerial victories.  These achievements were honored with 453 German day and "Zerstörer" (destroyer) pilots having received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.  85 night fighter pilots, including 14 crew members, were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
  Title: List of German World War II night fighter aces
  Passage: A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.  German day and night fighter pilots claimed roughly 70,000 aerial victories during World War II, 25,000 over British or American and 45,000 over Soviet flown aircraft.  103 German fighter pilots shot down more than 100 enemy aircraft for a total of roughly 15,400 aerial victories.  Roughly a further 360 pilots claimed between 40 and 100 aerial victories for round about 21,000 victories.  Another 500 fighter pilots claimed between 20 and 40 victories for a total of 15,000 victories.  According to Obermeier, it is relatively certain, that 2,500 German fighter pilots attained ace status, having achieved at least 5 aerial victories.  453 German day and "Zerstörer" (destroyer) pilots received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.  85 night fighter pilots, including 14 crew members, were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.  The list is sorted by the number of aerial victories claimed at night.
  Title: Martin Becker
  Passage: Martin Becker (12 April 1916 – 8 February 2006) was a German Luftwaffe night fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: "Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub" ).  Becker claimed 58 aerial victories during World War II.  Becker is the joint tenth leading night fighter pilot of the war (and thus in the history of aerial warfare).  The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
  Title: Paul Zorner
  Passage: Paul Anton Guido Zorner, born Paul Zloch (31 March 1920 – 27 January 2014) was a German night fighter pilot, who fought in the "Luftwaffe" during World War II.  Zorner is credited with 59 night aerial victories claimed in 272 missions, including 110 night fighter missions.  Zorner was the ninth most successful fighter pilot in the "Luftwaffe" and in the history of aerial warfare.
  Title: Manfred Meurer
  Passage: Manfred Meurer (8 September 1919 – 22 January 1944) was a German fighter pilot during World War II.  A flying ace, he claimed 65 aerial victories making him the fifth most successful night fighter pilot in the history of aerial warfare.  All of his victories were claimed over the Western Front in Defense of the Reich missions against the Royal Air Force's (RAF) Bomber Command.
  Title: Werner Baake
  Passage: Werner Baake (1 November 1918 – 15 July 1964) was a German "Luftwaffe" night fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II.  The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.  Baake claimed 41 nocturnal aerial victories in 195 combat missions.  Baake was the 36th most successful night fighter ace of World War II, and of aerial warfare.  Baake's total surpassed that of all Allied night fighter pilots.
citations: The Blond Knight of Germany Erich Hartmann