Product Description

A remarkable, intimate portrait of the young men of Fighter Command, whose skill, temperament and morale determined the fate of Britain and arguably the free world. The Battle of Britain, fought in the skies over Britain during the sweltering summer of 1940, was one of the most crucial battles ever fought: without the Luftwaffe's control of the skies it was unlikely that Nazi Germany would mount an invasion across the Channel. For most of the 3,000 young British airmen involved this was their first real experience of combat. The pressure on the pilots, groundcrew and their controllers was unimaginable; at certain points in the Battle a single blunder or failure of nerve could have been enough to tip the balance of the contest and give victory to the enemy. Patrick Bishop creates a new and surprising portrait of the Battle drawing on previously unseen source material and testimonies from survivors on both sides. Against the background of wider strategic considerations, he focuses on the lives and thoughts of the combatants, their attitudes towards 'the enemy' and their aircraft, the fear, horror and exhilaration of flight and battle, attempts by each side to gain the upper hand through daring technological innovations; coping tactics, mess room life and friendships.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11593 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

Review
'As a vivid chronicle of who the Battle of Britain pilots were, what motivated them, and why they were ultimately successful, "Fighter Boys" is unsurpassed.' Daily Telegraph 'A living, breathing monument to the fighter boys.' Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday 'No one reading this book can possibly doubt the heroism of those involved!there can't be a finer history.' James Holland, New Statesman 'Powerful yet restrained, at times almost unbearably touching.' TJ Binyon, Evening Standard 'A superb account of the spirit and character of Fighter Command.' Martin Fletcher, Independent 'I know of no more thoughtful nor yet more moving study of their achievement.' Max Hastings, Sunday Telegraph

Evening Standard, 6 May 2003
'powerful yet restrained, at times almost unbearably touching, narrative'

Max Hastings, Sunday Telegraph, May 11, 2003
'I know no more thoughtful nor yet more moving study of their achievement than that which Patrick Bishop has produced.'

Customer Reviews

smashing
Luckily enough i procured a copy of this book in advance of official publication and am glad i did so. I have read dozens of books on the great aerial conflict known as the Battle of Britain and thought there was no more to say on the subject. How wrong I was! Mr Bishop has dug deep into the subject and has found all sorts of new things shedding new and unimagined light upon the battle that saved Britain from the Nazi invaders. He hails the young pilots who fought so bravely. He does not fall into the common trap of lauding them as unblemished heroes (no heroines in the skies in those days!). He says many were ordinary and flawed though also undoubtedly they were brave. He pours scorn on the myths regarding their foes, the Germans, saying they too deserve credit. There is so much to enjoy here. Mr Bishop conjures up the fear and excitement of battle. He evokes the smell of combat and the relief when crews sat down in their Messes to tuck into a good old fashioned English supper of egg,chips and baked beans. This book is not for the faint hearted. He pulls no punches.

Never forget them
Patrick Bishop has written a detailed and poignant account of the dark days of 1940, and the Hurricane and Spitfire pilots who stood between us and the dreaded Nazis!

Many memoir and diary entries are quoted to give us a real impression for the feelings of these young men as they went into battle - not just the gung-ho sentiments of the standard war movies. Particularly touching were those pilots mourning the deaths of close comrades; one man seeing the towel that his roommate had thrown casually on the window sill that morning, little realising that he would never return to pick it up to go for another shower.

The story moves backwards and forwards chronologically a little, but this is almost inevitable with this sort of anecdotal history.

An enjoyable read and a good testament to these bravest of men...

Another Battle of Britain book?
Another Battle of Britain book? Yes...and a worthwhile addition to that crowded shelf.

Fighter Boys takes the pilot's view of the aerial war of 1940 and succeeds in painting an eloquent and often harrowing picture of what it was like for those who fought. As far as history is concerned, Bishop has nothing much new to say, but this gives him space to concentrate on the human tales of both sides, RAF and Luftwaffe.

Patrick Bishop's greatest strength is his keen understanding of the RAF's history and mentality, and he does a fine job of explaining its complex attitude to rank, nationality, individualism and class.

My main criticism is that the technical dimension is neglected. While the book contains many insights into the lives of the pilots and ground crew of Fighter Command - and deals well with the question of how RAF tactics compared with those of the Luftwaffe - it omits a great deal of the technical detail that actually bound together the lives and experiences of those involved. I'm thinking of aircraft manufacture, testing, maintenance and armament; flying techniques and pet modifications favoured by the pilots; the detection of enemy aircraft; and airborne communication and ground control, both at day and at night.

But this book is really very good: humane, balanced and compelling. If you are already widely read on the subject of the Battle of Britain, you will find much of interest. If on the other hand you are new to the subject, this book will provide an excellent and balanced overview and will spark off new and rewarding lines of further reading.