The Battle of Britain
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About this book
Britain was an island under siege. The march of the Nazi war machine had been unrelenting. France and Belgium had quickly fallen and now she stood alone to counter this gravest ever threat to her sovereignty in almost a thousand years of history. However, her fate would not be decided by armies of millions but by a unique band of fighter pilots. It was on their shoulders that Britain’s only chances of survival rested. Today it seems almost unimaginable. Yet in the summer of 1940 it was all too real. Above the villages and cities, playing fields and market towns, the skies of southern England were the scene of countless dogfights as the fledgling Fighter Command duelled daily against the might of the Luftwaffe. It was an unforgiving test of combat, that measured men and machine ruthlessly. Lavishly illustrated with photographs, contemporary art and posters, and accompanied by numerous first-hand accounts, this is a volume that captures the reality and the romance of a defining chapter in British history.
Contents
- Foreword
- Introduction
- The Enemy at the Gate: Preparing for battle
- An assessment of the overall strategic situation, details of key decisions by opposing commanders, developments of air defence systems. Duelling Adversaries: Fighter Command and the Luftwaffe Analysis of the pilots and the planes. Spitfire Summer: The Battle A chronological account of the months of July, August and September including the key days of 13 August, ‘Eagle Day’, and the 15 September, ‘Battle of Britain Day’. Aftermath A sum-up of immediate achievements and losses assessing the impact of the battle on the wider strategic situation. A Place in history A discussion of the importance of the Battle of Britain within British national consciousness and its continuing legacy. Text boxes to be included on: R.J. Mitchell, designer of the Spitfire, Individual pilot biographies, Unsung heroines: The WAAF and Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) pilots, Squadron histories: for example 302 and 303 Fighter Squadron made-up of 66 members of the former Polish Air Force, who were amongst the most successful pilots throughout the battle, Burn victims and the eventual creation of the ‘Guinea Pig Club’
Hardback; May 2010; 200 pages; ISBN: 9781846034749